Piper Aircraft has launched the M-Class single-engine Meridian M500 business aircraft.

Powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A 500shp engine, the Meridian M500 aircraft has 482kmph max cruise speed and range of 1,000nm.

Priced $2.26m, the aircraft is equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics suite, enhanced safety features and other significant product improvements.

"Powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A 500shp engine, the Meridian M500 aircraft has 482kmph max cruise speed and range of 1,000nm."

Piper president Simon Caldecott said: "The 2015 Piper M500 will come equipped with the very newest Garmin avionics package for increased safety.

"As part of our on-going product improvement initiatives, we saw an opportunity to give our customers the latest improvements in proven avionics technology with electronic stability protection, under speed protection and automatic level mode among other improvements."

M500’s G1000 avionics suite includes dual 10in primary flight displays, 12in multi-function display, the latest Garmin software upgrade, as well as GFC 700 autopilot with an enhanced autopilot flight control system.

Other features of the M500 include an autopilot level mode function, which will return the aircraft to a wings level attitude with zero vertical speed, the Aspen EFD-1000 standby instrument, electroluminescent placards in the cockpit, GTX 33 extended squitter transponder, a centrally-located audio panel, dual USB charging ports, and GTS 825 traffic advisory system.

Piper said the M500 aircraft is also offered with Garmin GSR-56 global satellite datalink Iridium satellite transceiver.