VERO BEACH, Fla., April 12, 2011 – Next stop for Piper Aircraft’s single-engine Altaire jet mockup is this week, April 15, near Westminster, Md. at Skytech Inc., located on the Carroll County Regional Airport. The mockup of the high performance very light business jet then travels to Columbia Aircraft Sales’ locations at the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, for exhibit April 18 and April 20 for display at the Groton-New London Airport. Also on April 22 it will be at Marshfield Airport in Bedford, Mass.
During May it will be near Wichita, Kan. at the Great Plains Air Expo in Salina May 11, and in Kansas City at Johnson County Executive Airport May 12 for display at both locations by (KCAC) Kansas City Aviation Center. It then travels to Nashville, Tenn. and Destin, Fla. with SouthEast Piper.
In June, it will make stops in Georgia, Florida and Massachusetts. It will then stop in Chicago on its way to exhibit at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012 in July. At the end of the year, it will have been on display in 16 states and Canada.
Piper Aircraft's high-performance single-engine very light business jet gives customers a spacious cabin to complement efficient acquisition and operating costs. It is an elegant blend of efficiency, cabin volume, range, payload and speed.
Conforming Articles Underway
Piper has committed 175 engineering personnel to the jet program. Detailed design drawings are being released at the scheduled pace and top-level assembly drawings are in progress. First production parts for the first of four conforming articles have been produced and the company is on schedule for first flight of conforming articles in 2012.
Tooling, Facilities In Progress
Piper has selected all Tier 1 vendors, including Hampson/GTS, which has resident tool designers on site and will be delivering tools over the next 12 months. Renovation for the future Altaire production facility will be complete by this summer. The building will be tooled and ready for aircraft production during 2012. Construction of the static test rig for FAA structural testing requirements has begun and will be complete this year.
Price Point
Price point for the Piper Altaire is $2.5 million, with a typically equipped aircraft priced at $2.6 million. The Piper Altaire costs an average of 25 percent less to operate per hour than comparable production very light jets. The round fuselage and new wing provide all the performance and cabin improvements of a clean sheet aircraft coupled with the proven reliability of Piper’s manufacturing techniques honed over the decades with the company’s lineup of reliable airplanes, including M-class aircraft – the Meridian, Malibu and Matrix.
Club Seating
The Altaire has dynamic crew and passenger seats for increased safety and comfort. The airplane also has comfortable club seating in the spacious cabin with an optional seventh seat located across the aisle from the entry door. A lavatory, storage compartment, or entertainment center is easily interchangeable for that seat. With a wide drop-down aisle, no wing spar intrusion, LED lighting, and dual controlled environmental system, The Piper Altaire’s interior has been styled for superior passenger comfort.
Piper Performance
Piper Altaire maximum range is targeted at 1,300 nautical miles with a maximum cruise speed planned at 360 knots. The airplane is planned to fly 1,200 nautical miles with a payload of 800 pounds. Certification and first customer deliveries are planned for 2014.
Garmin G3000
The airplane is equipped with an integrated flight deck. It features Garmin G3000 avionics complete with the first touch screen-controlled glass panel designed for light turbine aircraft, three displays, two touch screens and a GFC 700 automatic flight control system. The improved aircraft will also have crew seats that are easy to access and an ergodynamic interface between pilot and avionics.
About Piper Aircraft
Piper Aircraft Inc. is headquartered in Vero Beach, Fla. A global force in aviation, Piper offers efficient single-engine and twin-engine trainer, personal and business aircraft. Piper Aircraft designs, manufactures, sells and supports the strongest and broadest single-engine product line in the industry, from high-performance pistons to turboprops to the world’s most fuel-efficient seven-person business jet, the PiperJet Altaire. With economical acquisition and operating costs, Piper airplanes deliver the best value available today and into the future. Piper is a member of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
