The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued type certification approval for Piper Aircraft’s (NBAA static display) M-Class single-engine airplanes, which include the Meridian turboprop, pressurized Mirage piston and unpressurized Matrix piston.

“CAAC’s approval is excellent news for Piper and prospective customers in China,” said Piper president and CEO Simon Caldecott. “There is certainly a large potential market for personal and training aircraft in the world’s most populous country.”

Piper Aircraft’s sales representatives in China for the M-Class are Piper Summit Aircraft China for the Meridian; Zhuhai Hanxing General Aviation for the Matrix; and Hebei Yuan'ao Aircraft Manufacturing for the Mirage.

The M-Class singles are best sellers for Piper. Through the end of the second quarter, Piper delivered 35 airplanes in this category, including 15 Mirages, six Matrixes and 14 Meridians. Here at the NBAA static display, Piper is showing two M-Class singles, the Meridian and Mirage, as well as the piston-twin Seneca V. “We decided to focus our presence at NBAA at Orlando Exec this year because that’s where committed buyers go to examine available aircraft,” Caldecott said. “The number of Piper airplanes being flown by Part 91 operators has increased as business flight departments are making decisions to move to more economical Pipers from aircraft that are more expensive to acquire and operate.”

The 500-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A-powered Meridian is priced at $2.2 million and flies 1,000 nm, with a 260-ktas cruise speed. The piston-powered Mirage, equipped with a 350-hp Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A, flies at 213 ktas and has a range of 1,343 nm. Price is $1.1 million. The $1 million Seneca V is powered by two Continental TSIO-360-RBs. All three airplanes are equipped with Garmin G1000 integrated avionics suites.