Fixed-gear Additions to the Popular Saratoga II Family Debut

New Piper Aircraft has finally lifted the veil of secrecy from two new aircraft models, the Piper 6X and the Piper 6XT. The new aircraft, fixed-gear additions to the popular Saratoga II family, represent "excellent value and top-notch performance at an extremely competitive price."
 
"Pilots are looking for a high-utility airplane with terrific value," says New Piper President and CEO Chuck Suma, "and these two new aircraft provide uncompromised performance at boldly competitive prices. They are another example of how New Piper - even in the face of a very tough economy - continues to pursue new technology, innovation and new product advancements. The culmination of those efforts are the Piper 6X and the Piper 6XT that we are unveiling here today."

The Piper 6X is a normally aspirated, fixed-gear version of the popular six-place Saratoga II aircraft, and the Piper 6XT is its turbocharged equivalent. While option pricing has not yet been determined, the standard equipped list price of the Piper 6X is $336,000 and the Piper 6XT is $356,000.

Both the Piper 6X and the Piper 6XT are powered by 300 HP Lycoming engines giving the aircraft top speeds of 153 kts/283 km/h and 165 kts/306 km/h respectively. (See attached Performance and Specifications sheet for further details.) For avid fans of the Piper Cherokee 6, which built a solid reputation for value, utility, performance and reliability, these new Piper aircraft, with their state-of-the-art avionics packages and aerodynamic styling, are the modern, powerful equivalent to their namesake.

The aircraft are also the modern answer to dramatic increases in insurance premiums. The Piper 6X and Piper 6XT are high performance aircraft that insurance companies will look upon favorably due to their fixed-gear configurations.

"The Piper 6X and Piper 6XT are fast, long-legged, and have an excellent useful load capacity, all for a very competitive price," says Molly Martin Pearce, Director, Marketing & Sales, The New Piper Aircraft, Inc.

The Piper 6X on display in Lakeland boasts an extraordinary 1,440 pounds of useful load and 828 pounds of payload with full fuel. Useable fuel for both the normally aspirated version and the turbocharged version is 102 gallons.

Both models comfortably seat six people in a club-arrangement. The rear seats are equipped with a quick-release mechanism to allow their removal, leaving seating for four with increased cargo capacity. A typical mission with two adults, two children, and a little over 300 pounds of active gear such as mountain bikes, hiking gear, or scuba gear, would be possible for a trip covering 600 miles with a one hour fuel reserve, or from Lakeland to Nashville in four hours, with no stops. Commercial operations such as check running, or cargo flights are also attractive in these new models. They can transport a pilot and 840 pounds of revenue-generating cargo 200 miles in 1.5 hours with reserves.

The first flight of the Piper 6X took place at New Piper's headquarters in Vero Beach on February 24. Company employees and members of the dealer family who played an important role in the development of these aircraft witnessed the event. The first flight of the Piper 6XT is imminent. New Piper will begin delivering both versions in August.

Potential for these new aircraft is not limited to the U.S. Specifically, New Piper's European dealer partners are particularly excited that the Piper 6XT achieves 300 HP at a low 2500 RPM, making it a perfect fit for Europe's more stringent noise regulations. The Piper 6X and Piper 6XT feature new paint schemes and will be available in two interior options: durable, lightweight vinyl or an upgraded, premium leather interior.

FMI: www.newpiper.com