iscover
Piper has still not launched their turbine Malibu which was first mooted in 1987. This artist rendering illustrates the very long nose which was to house a flat rated 400shp PT6A-11. Preliminary estimations though indicated that the turbine Malibu would in fact only be around twenty or so knots faster in the cruise than the existing piston engined version
Piper Malibu/Mirage From The Cockpit
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Piper’s Malibu/Mirage
Reading and writing about aircraft types is an exciting occupation. There are a few types which more than others start the blood rushing at the thought thereof. When it came onto the market in 1983, Piper’s PA46-310P Malibu was to me one of these aeroplanes.
There is no doubt that the graceful lines of the Malibu became instantly classic. More so than any other quality, concept makes an aircraft a classic. To conceive a new aircraft which impacts and fills a contemporary market niche – therein lies the genius. Whilst, of course, a good design will enhance the concept, it has to be a bad design to kill the concept.
When Lear Seigler took over Piper in the early eighties, a four-pronged strategy on the deeply recessive market situation was implemented. On these prongs were the Aerostar (a buy in), Mojave, Cheyenne IV and Malibu. Whilst three of these were existing type developments (of which only the Cheyenne, designated 400LS, became a market survivor), the Malibu was a totally new design, aimed at the pressurised single-engine aircraft market, upon which Cessna had a monopoly with the Pressurised Centurion (P210). Mooney was also in the process of entering this market with the design of the Mooney 301. It was a time of technological change in general aviation aircraft design and manufacture. Considerable NASA-funded research into more fuel efficient GA aircraft configuration design had also been undertaken by such leading aerodynamicists as Bruce Holmes of Kansas State.
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