Plane & Pilot 2021 Buyer‘s Guide: Single-Engine Piston Planes

Newcomers, upgrades, and old favorites: 20 piston singles for 2017.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The market for piston singles offers an impressive and diverse range of options, including major updates to existing models and new Part 23-certificated aircraft, catering to varied pilot needs from basic trainers to high-performance pressurized six-place screamers.
  • The Cirrus SR22 G6 continues to be the best-selling piston single, with its latest model boasting the updated Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite, known as Perspective+.
  • Many leading aircraft, such as the Piper M350, Beechcraft G36 Bonanza, Mooney Acclaim/Ovation Ultra, and Cessna TTx, emphasize advanced avionics (often Garmin G1000/G3000), enhanced safety features, and continuous improvements in comfort, speed, and range.
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Mooney M20 Ovation
Mooney M20 Ovation

Mooney M20 Ovation

The other Mooney reemerging in the company’s lineup is the Ovation Ultra, with the same high-end treatment as the Acclaim Ultra, which will give the Ovation an extra door, improved visibility and far better passenger comfort. The Garmin G1000-equipped Ovation is powered by a 310 hp, naturally aspirated engine that’s more powerful than the turbocharged engine in the Acclaim, which makes use of just 280 hp to reach its top speed of better than 240 knots. The Ovation is really fast itself, the fastest normally aspirated production piston single at 198 knots. It’s a great climber, too, 1300 fpm, and with long-range fuel of 100 gallons, it has a maximum range of better than 1800 nm, or around 1400 nm at more typical power settings. With performance like that, the Ovation, the Ultra model, with two doors, big windows and greatly enhanced interior, will be a formidable competitor even against some turbocharged models.

Niche: Premium retractable-gear

Base Price: $689,000

Competitors: Cirrus SR22 Cessna TTx, Piper Matrix

Mooney M20 Ovation Specifications

Learn more at Mooney.

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