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S-TEC System 550 on the Meridian!  Picture reprinted with the permission of Aviation International News The NEW Piper Meridian Single Engine Turboprop features a number of S-TEC products including the System 550 Autopilot as standard equipment. The aircraft is scheduled for first deliveries in the summer of the year 2000.
"S-TEC autopilots are the systems of choice in the air today..." stated Larry Bardon, Piper's Director of Sales and Marketing. 
Standard On the Piper Malibu Meridian Turboprop Reprinted from S-TEC's Press Release The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. announced the S-TEC System 550 autopilot as the standard for their new Piper Meridian. During rollout ceremonies on August 13 for the single engine turboprop at their facilities in Vero Beach, Florida, Piper announced S-TEC as one of the avionics team members along with Garmin International, Inc. and Meggitt Avionics, Inc. "Piper found that these suppliers are truly on the leading edge when it comes to electronic component systems," said Larry Bardon, Piper's Director of Sales and Marketing when speaking about the avionics team assembled by Piper for this new aircraft. Bardon also stated that "S-TEC autopilots are the systems of choice in the air today..."
"Piper found these suppliers are truly on the leading edge when it comes to electronic components," said Larry Bardon, Director of Sales and Marketing at The New Piper Aircraft. The S-TEC autopilot complement for the Meridian mates the System 550 and its Remote Annunciator to an S-TEC Yaw Damper and Altitude Selector/Alerter. This package equips the aircraft with full function, 3-axis flight control capabilities. These include heading preselect and hold, navigation (VOR, ILS, and GPS) coupling, dual mode intercept, altitude hold, altitude preselect and alert, and automatic electric trim. In addition, the System 550 offers the Meridian pilot features and functions all turboprop pilots will appreciate. Control wheel steering (CWS) allows engagement of the autopilot after takeoff by depressing and releasing a button on the control wheel. When engaged in this manner, the autopilot assumes and holds the current aircraft roll and pitch attitude until modified by the pilot. When the CWS button is depressed in-flight, the pilot can make manual attitude modifications. When released, the CWS function once again holds the current pitch and roll attitude until modified. Digital vertical speed (VS) select is also a System 550 feature. Vertical speed can be selected in increments of 100 fpm. The VS knob also trims the aircraft altitude as needed. During cross-country flight below 18,000 feet in altitude hold mode, a barometric change issued by ATC could result in the aircraft flying slightly above or below the assigned altitude. The pilot can trim the aircraft altitude by rotating the VS knob. Each click of the knob adjusts the aircraft altitude approximately 20 feet. The System 550 also automatically changes servo gain as the aircraft climbs, providing control responses appropriate for the higher altitudes of turbine flight. S-TEC currently holds over 1500 autopilot STCs including STCs for the King Air C90, E90, and 100; the Beech 1900 and 1900C; the Turbo Commander 690; the Fairchild/Dornier Metro III and 23; and the deHavilland Twin Otter. Additional S-TEC components in the Meridian avionics package include an S-TEC DME 450 and ADF 650A. Garmin International, Inc. of Olathe, KS is supplying the navigation and communication radios as well as the audio system and transponder. Meggitt Avionics, Inc. will supply the cockpit flight instrument displays. |