Product Review Carenado PA-46T Malibu JetPROP

[mutley 4,487]

Just published is Martin Wilby's review of the Carenado PA46T JetPROP HD

See if Carenado's latest lives up to their well-earned reputation...

Read on

[UKJim 502]

I have this and I love it - will be an interesting read

UPDATE: Looks like a gud review I think the conclusion is spot on

[aeromax 10]

Great Thing, Joe. Hope to see pictures soon....

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Great review Martin!

[TedG 0]

Really well-written review.

And thats a cooler airplane than I initially thought and I love all the avionics.

How does it compare from a flight/payload/range performance standpoint to....ummm...the PC-12/47? They look kind of similar in form and function to my eyes.

[MartinW 0]

Thanks chaps.

How does it compare from a flight/payload/range performance standpoint to....ummm...the PC-12/47? They look kind of similar in form and function to my eyes.

The PC12 is a much larger aircraft. Looks similar of course with the long nose housing the PT6A-21.

Range for the Jetprop is 1100 nm. Max takeoff weight is 4,300 lbs. One pilot and 5 passengers.

PC-12 has a range of 1513 nm fully loaded with 9 passengers, it will do 2,239 nm without passengers. Max takeoff weight 10,450 lbs. Two crew plus nine passengers.

PC-12 is 47 feet long, the Jetprop only 30 feet.

Not similar to each other at all really.

Think of the Jetprop as a Malibu thats downed a moderate dose of steroids.

[britfrog 180]

good write up! i also am a recent convert to the virtual cockpit! however the malibu is a particularly useless plane in real life. a great looker, a real sporty plane, however when you get down to the nitty gritty, you can only load full fuel when you have 2 people on board ( taking people at 170 lbs each), if you want to carry 6 people which is after all why one buys a 6 seater you can only load enough fuel for just over an hours flying , and no baggage for a weekend away, not that good eh? give me an aztec or navajo any day.

[MartinW 0]

The Jetprop conversion seems popular though. Increased reliability from the turbine engine, short field capability and better climb rate etc.

[britfrog 180]

The Jetprop conversion seems popular though. Increased reliability from the turbine engine, short field capability and better climb rate etc.

yeah i hear what you are saying but may i put forward these thoughts the tbo on this engine is 3600 hrs the tbo on the original 6 cylinder engine was 2000 hrs the cost of an overhauled 6 cyl engine is anywhere between 15k to 20k however a hot end on a turbine is around 500k , add to this equation that gasoline is now less than twice the cost or parafin where once parafin was less than a third of the cost of gas and all of a sudden a turbine engine raises big question marks despite its undoubtable extra reliability, and extra performance.

Now if you could load 6 people , full fuel for 960 miles plus baggage, runway take off distance of 600 meters and a top speed of say 188 knots you would have a useable a/c no? that is what a piper aztec could do, not so modern , not so flashy but a far better a/c

i do wish someone would produce a good model of an aztec, they are great i regret selling mine.

[hurricanemk1c 195]

I didn't know your second name Martin - but welcome back!

[TedG 0]

Hi Martin,

Thanks for the bonus information regarding the aircraft. I think the PC-12/47 is my most-flown sim aircraft (well over 250 hours according to the STMA Hobbs meter) and at least visually the two aircraft look strikingly similar.

But now that I know the true dimensions they really are nothing alike. The Pilatus is really tough to beat!

Still the PA-46T is a lovely aircraft and that cockpit is just dazzling...and I am not a huge fan of glass either.

Great review...I may consider adding that plane to my hangar.

[MartinW 0]

I didn't know your second name Martin - but welcome back!

Why, where did I go?

[MartinW 0]

The Jetprop conversion seems popular though. Increased reliability from the turbine engine, short field capability and better climb rate etc.

yeah i hear what you are saying but may i put forward these thoughts the tbo on this engine is 3600 hrs the tbo on the original 6 cylinder engine was 2000 hrs the cost of an overhauled 6 cyl engine is anywhere between 15k to 20k however a hot end on a turbine is around 500k , add to this equation that gasoline is now less than twice the cost or parafin where once parafin was less than a third of the cost of gas and all of a sudden a turbine engine raises big question marks despite its undoubtable extra reliability, and extra performance.

Now if you could load 6 people , full fuel for 960 miles plus baggage, runway take off distance of 600 meters and a top speed of say 188 knots you would have a useable a/c no? that is what a piper aztec could do, not so modern , not so flashy but a far better a/c

i do wish someone would produce a good model of an aztec, they are great i regret selling mine.

I see your point from a cost perspective, but... given that the Jetprop DLX costs $1.7 million, I guess the purchasers aren't that bothered about the cost.

[MartinW 0]

Hi Martin,

Thanks for the bonus information regarding the aircraft. I think the PC-12/47 is my most-flown sim aircraft (well over 250 hours according to the STMA Hobbs meter) and at least visually the two aircraft look strikingly similar.

But now that I know the true dimensions they really are nothing alike. The Pilatus is really tough to beat!

Still the PA-46T is a lovely aircraft and that cockpit is just dazzling...and I am not a huge fan of glass either.

Great review...I may consider adding that plane to my hangar.

If you purchase I don't think you will be disappointed. I would recommend the AP mod though, it's a lot easier having a button assigned to the autopilot. There are one or two other mods on the unofficial support forum over at Avsim that are useful too.