Video: PiperJet Altaire - A Stellar Evolution
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 08:37PM At Oshkosh 2008 I remember very clearly the one big (or should I say small) element of the PiperJet cabin mock-up that turned me off... extremely cramped quarters. Sure, they were claiming 400+ mph cruise speeds, but in my mind, it would have to be more like a Mach 4 cruise to tolerate such a small space in my human life form. Still, there was a lot to like in the general concept of the PiperJet, but I felt it needed a bigger cabin to really be a success.
Well now it looks like I was on to a good thought as evidence by the re-designed PiperJet: enlarged, with a bigger cabin cross section, and now called the PiperJet Altaire. They're still claiming 360 knots max cruise, and still running with the simplicity and affordability of a single turbine engine, but with the re-design, they've turned a really good idea into a great one. Stellar in fact.
This Piper video gives a great overview of the airplane. It starts with images of the original prototype PiperJet and works its way to showing the updated design in simulated flight. In my opinion, just about everything on the Altaire looks like it's in the right place. I'm actually pretty excited about this airplane - what's up with that?
Reader Comments (4)
The single engine worries me. Anyone have thoughts on this?
No worries about the single engine per se - today's noisemakers are pretty darn reliable. The bean-counters of the world will love this airplane due to the inherent lower operating costs. What worries me is that the airplane is about the UGLIEST thing I've seen with wings. Ugggh.
I wonder how much the insurance companies will charge the bean counters for executives life insurance once they discover the "company jet" is single engine IFR?
https://www.piper.com/pages/PiperJetAltaire.cfm