Piper Enters VLJ Business

The 70-year-old Piper Aircraft has begun a new era, launching the six-seat, single-engine PiperJet, carrying a price tag of approximately $2.19 million. The move adds another entrant into the very light jet market. The PiperJet is a clean-sheet design, which Piper claims will have a range of about 1,300 nautical miles and will cruise at 360 knots, powered by a variant of the Williams FJ44-3A engine. The Vero Beach, Fla. manufacturer expects a prototype to fly within 18 months and deliveries to begin in 2010.