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 piston single aircraft market offers a diverse range of options, from high-performance pressurized six-seaters like the Piper M350 to versatile fixed-gear trainers such as the Piper Archer, with new and updated models continuously being introduced.
  • Many leading aircraft, including the best-selling Cirrus SR22 G6 and its competitors like the Cessna TTx, are equipped with advanced Garmin avionics suites (e.g., G1000 NXi, G3000), emphasizing modern cockpit technology and enhanced safety features.
  • The selection highlights significant advancements in speed, range, and comfort across various price points, with examples like the Mooney Acclaim Ultra boasting the title of the world's fastest piston single and the Piper Matrix offering best-in-class 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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