Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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Matt Thurber

After flying Piper Aircraft’s new turboprop-single M700 Fury, it’s clear that this is the airplane that customers have been waiting for. A larger engine with 100 more shaft horsepower boosts performance, yet it’s still possible to fly as efficiently as the previous model, the M600 SLS.
I flew the M700 in May with Piper manager of engineering flight test Joel Glunt at Piper’s Vero Beach, Florida headquarters. Coincidentally, Piper had just received FAA flight into known icing approval for the airplane. The remaining certification item is unpaved runway approval, which is expected shortly.
The main difference between the M600 and M700 is the latter’s Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada PT6A-52 engine and five-blade composite Hartzell propeller, the latter of which was optional on the M600. To accommodate the more powerful engine, the M700’s intake plenum was redesigned for improved ram air recovery and the exhaust stacks have a flatter design that maximizes residual thrust. There are no changes to the airframe and equipment; both have six seats and Garmin touchscreen-controlled G3000 avionics with autothrottle and Autoland.
The M700 adds Garmin’s PlaneSync 4G LTE cellular datalink, which allows owners to check fuel quantity, aircraft location, oil temperature, battery voltage, and Metar weather report at the M700’s location and download databases wirelessly and remotely. Its more powerful engine delivers better performance during climb and at high altitude, and significant improvements in takeoff and landing distance.
At the 6,000-pound maximum takeoff weight, climb rate is 2,048 fpm, a 32% improvement over the M600. Climb to FL250 takes 13.9 minutes, a 34% improvement. The M700’s takeoff distance is 1,994 feet and landing distance is 1,968 feet, compared with the M600’s 2,635 and 2,659, respectively. Landing performance is without prop reverse, just using beta mode.
Its empty weight is 80 pounds greater than the M600 because of the larger engine, so payload with maximum fuel of 260 gallons is 565 pounds versus the M600’s 658 pounds. But the extra power boosts the maximum range to 1,852 nm, up from 1,658 nm for the M600. What owners will like most is the higher maximum cruise speed of 301 ktas, 27 knots faster than the M600.
<h2>Market Position</h2>
It’s hard to compare the M700 to other single-engine turboprops because it is the second-lowest-cost pressurized single-engine turboprop available. At just over $4 million (typically equipped for about $4.3 million), the M700 is less expensive than the Epic E1000 GX ($4.45 million) and TBM 960 ($5.3 million) and much lower than the Pilatus PC-12 ($6.2 million) and upcoming Beechcraft Denali ($7 million).
But the M700 is also in a different class in terms of cabin size and performance. Piper is still offering the M500 turboprop single, so that is its entry-level, high-performance single, but the M700 has a lot to offer and is just as easy to fly as the M500—maybe even easier with the autothrottle and safer with Autoland—so it won’t be a surprise to see buyers lining up for the M700.&nbsp;
In comparing these models, it may be helpful to begin with their engines and their flat-rated output. The M700’s PT6A-52 delivers 700 shp. The TBM 960’s PT6E-66XT provides 850 shp. The PC-12 NGX is powered by a PT6E-67XP with 1,200 shp, the same output as the Epic E1000’s PT6A-67A. The Denali is the only airplane in this group that is not powered by a Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada engine, and its GE Catalyst will provide 1,300 shp, the most in this class.
In terms of basic performance specifications, the M700’s new 301-knot top speed at FL250 brings it into the competitive sphere of these airplanes: TBM 960, 330 knots at FL280; PC-12 NGX, 290 knots at FL220; Epic E1000 GX, 333 knots; Denali, 285 knots. Range has been a complaint for Piper turboprop buyers, but the M700’s maximum range of 1,852 nm at 206 knots or 1,149 nm at 301 knots (with 45-minute reserve) gives it new longer legs. By comparison, the TBM 960 can fly 1,440 nm at 326 knots or 1,730 nm at 252 knots (45-minute reserve). The PC-12 NGX at long-range cruise can fly 1,803 nm (100-nm alternate). Epic publishes a maximum range of 1,560 nm. And the Denali’s published figure is 1,600 nm.
To achieve maximum range, the airplane has to be loaded with as much fuel as it can carry, which limits the payload. At the standard empty weight, the M700 can carry 565 pounds of payload. The TBM 960’s maximum payload is much higher at 1,446 pounds, while the PC-12 NGX can carry even more at 2,236 pounds. The Epic E1000 GX’s maximum payload is 1,100 pounds, the same number as the Denali.
Apart from the important aspect of performance capability, the other key determinant for the person writing a big check to buy one of these airplanes is the size of the cabin. The M700 is typical of Piper’s M-class airplanes, ranging from the piston M350 to the M500 and M700, and they share the same cabin dimensions: length, 12.25 feet, width 4.1 feet,&nbsp;and height 3.9 feet. The TBM 960’s cabin isn’t much larger than that of the M700: length,13.3 feet; width, nearly 4 feet; and height 4 feet.
The manufacturers of the larger airplanes like to point out the narrow aisles in the M-series and TBM, and moving from back to front does take a little wriggling. Pilatus’ PC-12 NGX is unique (as will be the Denali) in that it has a massive rear baggage door. Its cabin’s length is 16.9 feet, width 5 feet, and height 4.8 feet. Textron Aviation is clearly targeting the PC-12 with the Denali, which has a cabin that is 16.75 feet long, 5.25 feet wide, and 4.8 feet tall. Epic’s E1000 cabin measures 15 feet long, 4.6 feet wide, and 4.9 feet tall.
All of these airplanes have the most modern avionics with autopilot envelope-protection features and in the M700, TBM 960, and Denali, Garmin’s Autoland technology, which enables safe recovery of the airplane in case of pilot incapacitation.
Four of the airplanes have Garmin avionics, four have touchscreen controls: the M700, TBM 960, Denali, and PC-12 NGX. The Epic E1000 GX has Garmin’s keyboard interface, while the PC-12 NGX has a Honeywell Ace avionics suite. Another differentiator is the engine control. The M700 and E1000 GX have a traditional PT6 control system. TBM 960, PC-12 NGX, and Denali pilots might find their single power levers simpler to operate.
<h2>Flying the M700</h2>
Climbing into the left seat of the M700 takes me back to the familiar feel of a Piper cockpit, and the M700 is still an easy airplane to manage with excellent, straightforward handling.
The Garmin touchscreen-controlled G3000 avionics make running the avionics much simpler than the G1000 system on the M500 and other airplanes, and the autothrottle adds an extra dimension of precise control. It also adds safety: during an autopilot-coupled go-around, letting the autothrottle manage power can be much safer, helping the pilot avoid radical maneuvers close to the ground. It was necessary to pull the prop back into beta to keep the M700 from going too fast while taxiing.
Glunt reminded me before taking off from Vero Beach’s Runway 12R that while the M700 has an autothrottle, the engine isn’t digitally controlled, so the pilot needs to advance the power just enough—to about 800 foot-pounds of torque—for the autothrottle to engage and not advance the throttle all the way.
The 700-shp PT6 accelerated the M700 rapidly to the 75-knot rotation speed, and I pulled the nose up and then up and up some more, trying to keep to the 95-knot best rate of climb speed. We were loaded with 1,055 pounds of fuel, not quite two-thirds of the 260-gallon max fuel capacity, and our takeoff weight was just under 5,400 pounds, well below the 6,000-pound mtow.
Initial climb rate was over 3,000 fpm as we headed up to 13,500 feet, and even through 8,000 feet we climbed at 2,500 fpm. After leveling off at 13,500 feet, I reacquainted myself with the handling of Piper’s M-class turboprops. I’ve always enjoyed flying the M500 and M600, and the Fury carries on the familiar Piper feel.
Having learned to fly in Pipers, the M-class airplanes feel just like larger Cherokees, with crisp response although the pitch control is heavier due to the size and weight of the airplane. Pitch trim is definitely helpful.
Glunt demonstrated some of the M700’s Garmin Electronic Stability &amp; Protection (ESP) envelope protection features. We switched ESP off so I could do some steep 180-degree turns without the nudge to wings level protection, and these were easy to do by keeping the primary flight display (PFD) flight path marker on the horizon line.
Banks at 30 degrees were so smooth it felt like the airplane was on rails. Stalls were benign, with no wing drop and a simple reduction in angle of attack and adding power to recover. With the autopilot on, I steered the M700 back to Vero Beach for a coupled RNAV approach to Runway 12R. With approach mode selected, the autothrottle perfectly set the speed as the autopilot tracked the glide path to the runway.
I watched the PFD as the M700 aligned with the runway, illustrated by centerline chevrons with mile markers leading to the runway end. At 200 feet, I clicked off the autopilot and, heeding Glunt’s reminder that the rudders and nosewheel are directly connected, straightened the rudder pedals just before touchdown in the gusty left crosswind. Pulling the power lever into beta mode slowed the Fury nicely for the turnoff.

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