The Piper Malibu Mirage airframe is given a whole new life in the form of a Malibu JetPROP conversion, which upgrades it with a powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A Turboprop engine and Hartzell four bladed, full feathering, fully reversible propeller. With these additions, you can now experience speeds up to 260 kts, and stopping distances on landing of less than 1000 feet. The conversion also includes new turbine engine instrumentation that is set in the same place as the original piston instruments.
Piper PA-46 Malibu Jetprop
The current price range of the Piper PA-46 Malibu Jetprop is $600,000 and $1,375,500. Rocket Engineering commenced conversion to the Malibu Jetprop in 1984, and it was discontinued in 2009. 314 aircraft were converted to Jetprop within the timeline. 273 jetprop are still operating, while 41 have been retired.
The insurance cost for a Malibu Jetprop starts at 1% of the hull value for experienced pilots and less than 3 named pilots on the policy. It increases to 1.5% for the hull value for pilots with less than 600 total time, dry leases, and over 3 named pilots on the policy.
Pilots over 75 years old and transitioning pilots are the most difficult to insure. The insurance can be as high as 2% for the hull value for pilots over 70 years old and less experienced pilots transitioning from smaller aircraft.
Common claims are hard landing, bird strikes, engine failure, loss of control, and runway excursions.
Malibu Jetprop made from the earlier Malibus and Mirages faced nose gear failures which caused runway excursions with a high-speed shimmy and subsequent uncommanded left or right turn of the nosewheel during takeoff or landing.
Another update in late 2009 detailed replacing the valve motor for the mass flow controller with a new model that was less likely to fail. When the valve motor fails, the pilot would lose the ability to control the cabin temperature.
Jetprop Meridian conversions from model years 2001 through mid-2006 also had claims. There was a widespread problem of cracks forming on the engine mount at the points where the nose landing gear attached to the mount.
The Piper PA-46 Malibu Jetprop is powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A engines with a track record of reliability and efficiency. The aircraft comes with the KFC 150 autopilot system that reduces pilots’ workload, improving safety.
Some Malibu Jetprop is equipped with the G500 suite that features Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) as an optional upgrade. SVT enhances situational awareness and visual orientation.
The Multi-Function Display (MFD) provides detailed moving-map graphics of your aircraft’s current position to ground features, chart data, navaids, flight plan routings, and more.
Smart Airspace conveniently highlights the airspace nearest to the current altitude and de-emphasizes non-pertinent airspace, so a pilot quickly identifies its location relative to the aircraft’s flight path.
The aircraft’s WireAware incorporates wire-strike avoidance technology to graphically overlay power line locations and altitude information on the moving map. There are also optional turbulence detection and ground clutter suppression capabilities.
Learn more about the cost of insurance for private pilots based on your aircraft type and the various factors that affect premium rates. Whether you’re seeking owner aircraft insurance or commercial aircraft insurance, this valuable information will help to make an informed decision about the best coverage for you. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
