Engine modifications and conversions are commonplace in the automotive world but an increasing number of aircraft owners are following suit, and many Piper PA-46 owners from Europe are replacing their Continental or Lycoming piston engine with a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-35 turbine engine.

JetPROP and Rocket Engineering, based in Spokane, Washington, have performed 148 conversions (32 of which are from Europe) since receiving certification in 1998. The procedure takes 12 weeks and the average cost is $550,000.

A JetPROP converted Malibu is comparable in performance with the Piper Meridian, though the company believes its conversions offer considerable benefits.

“The Malibu is a great aeroplane but the engine is not as reliable as people would like to have for a pressurised aircraft,” said president Darwin Conrad. “The PT6 is very reliable and you get a 260 knot plus aeroplane, so it’s a perfect match.

“We get to keep the baggage area at the front that the Malibu has and the Meridian doesn’t,” he added. “Plus we are underneath the two metric tonne regulation; we are at 4,300 pounds, which, of course, makes a big difference with the operating costs for the owners.”

The company originally replaced the Piper PA-46 engine with the OT6A-34, before upgrading to the PT6A-35.

The demand for higher performance engines is not limited to the US, as the company has witnessed growth in its European customer base. “We have at least one or two aircraft in our hangar at all times and have two in at the moment that will go back to Europe,” said Conrad. “We will probably continue to do at least 10 aeroplanes a year from Europe.”