Meridian on display at PDK Airport.   ©Mike Vines 1999

Planned for use as the manufacturer's marketing demonstrator after certification, the 402MM is being used for certification testing of the avionics and flight into known icing. After today's appearance, Piper is rushing the aircraft back into the manufacturer's ambitious flight test program.

Officials anticipate the Meridian will enter full production in February 2000, with certification and customer deliveries expected to begin in July.

Priced at $1.375 million (in 1997 dollars), the Meridian is designed to be owner-flown with a 1070 nmi range. Piper says the aircraft will cruise at 262 KTAS and carry a 1,607 pound useful load.

In remarks planned for Tuesday afternoon, Piper president and CEO Chuck Suma claims 137 wholesale orders for the Meridian, including 26 for foreign operators.

Suma is also expected to announce the status of two other new Piper initiatives. One is the establishment of partnerships between the manufacturer and "key technology leaders." Piper hopes these new relationships will lead to advancements in Piper aircraft performance and unspecified improvements to the manufacturing process. The alliances are also expected to lower production costs.

Additionally, Piper will disclose that further development of a new Piper sub-entry level jet aircraft will be delayed until after the Meridian has entered the marketplace. Although company officials claim that market requirements and the initial configuration have been determined, no further action will be taken with respect to the aircraft's timeline and cost until the Meridian is well under way.

In addition to the Meridian, Piper aircraft on display at Dekalb-Peachtree airport include a fully-equipped 2000 Malibu Mirage and Seneca V.