Piper PA-46R-350T Matrix

The Piper PA-46R-350T Matrix is the unpressurized member of the PA-46 piston family: the same Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A engine, the same wing, gear and airframe as the late-model Malibu Mirage, with the pressure vessel and its associated systems (outflow valve, controller, door seals) removed entirely. Approved on FAA TCDS A25SO, Section IV, on October 26, 2007, with deliveries beginning in early 2008; production ended in 2015 after roughly 215 built.

This page splits from the former conflated piper-pa46-malibu page on a non-negotiable Step 1 test: pressurized versus unpressurized is an absolute hard split, not a judgment call. The conflated page's own Variants table already listed the Matrix as unpressurized while its frontmatter (describing the pressurized Mirage) implicitly claimed to cover it — this page corrects that by giving the Matrix its own frontmatter, sourced independently from its own certificate section and Piper's own Matrix-specific 2007 factory specification sheet, not copied from the Mirage's numbers.

The type certificate itself confirms the split at the document level: Section IV carries no "Maximum Cabin Operating Pressure Differential" line, present verbatim in both the 310P and 350P sections immediately after "Maximum Operating Altitude." Piper's own factory specification sheet independently confirms it a second way — a "MAX DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE: 5.5 psid" line appears on the contemporaneous Mirage sheet and is simply absent from the Matrix's. Two independent sources, agreeing by omission.

The tradeoff for buyers: the Matrix trades the pressurized cabin's shirtsleeve comfort above 13,000 ft for a materially simpler, cheaper-to-maintain airplane — no pressurization-system annual inspection burden, no outflow- valve or door-seal maintenance — while keeping the Mirage's cruise speed class (212 kt at 25,000 ft on this page's own sourced figures, against the Mirage's 213 kt) and nearly the same useful load. See Payload-Range Dynamics and Valuation Factors below.

Cruise and range are a genuine matched pair on this page, unlike the Mirage's own factory sheet (see piper-pa46-malibu's Performance Notes for why): Piper's Matrix specification sheet labels both the speed and the range figure "Maximum Cruise Power"/"Maximum Cruise Speed" at the same altitude, 25,000 ft — 212 KTAS and 1,020 nm. A second altitude is also published: 188 kt / 970 nm at 12,000 ft, showing the expected tradeoff of a lower, denser-air cruise. A long-range-cruise range is also published (1,288 nm at 25,000 ft, 1,342 nm at 12,000 ft) but with no paired TAS speed anywhere on the source document, so no economy row is stored — the schema requires all four econ_cruise_* fields together or none, and only three of the four are available here.

No fuel burn (GPH) figure is published anywhere in Piper's factory sheet at any setting, and none was found elsewhere this session — a genuine gap in this page's cost-to-own numbers, disclosed via validator_exempt rather than estimated from the Mirage (a different standard equipped weight means the power required to hold 212 kt is not necessarily the Mirage's own burn).

No rate-of-climb figure is published either. The 350-hp Lycoming turns the same propeller and gear as the pressurized Mirage while the airframe itself is roughly 185 lb lighter (2,937 lb standard equipped against the Mirage's 3,122 lb, per each model's own 2007 factory sheet), so a real climb advantage over the Mirage is plausible but not sourced — this page does not guess at the number.

Stall speed at full (36-degree) flap is 59 KIAS / 60 KCAS, identical to the Mirage's own figure — expected, since both models share the same wing and flap system. No clean (flaps-up) stall figure is published.

Full fuel (120 gal / 720 lb):

• Useful load: 1,403 lb (derived; see derived: block)
• Remaining for people and baggage with full fuel: 683 lb — roughly three adults with baggage.
• Range at this setting: 1,020 nm at 25,000 ft (Piper's own matched cruise/range figure).

The Matrix's slightly lower useful load than the Mirage's (1,403 lb against the Mirage's derived 1,218 lb — the Matrix is actually HIGHER, being the lighter airframe) reflects the weight saved by removing the pressurization system, even though both share the same 4,340 lb gross weight and 120 gal usable fuel. As with every PA-46 piston, filling all six seats requires meaningfully reduced fuel — the same fundamental tradeoff that defines the whole line, present here in slightly less severe form than on the pressurized Mirage.

Piper's own 2007 standard-equipment list for the Matrix specifies an Avidyne FlightMax Entegra flat-panel system (10.4" PFD and MFD), dual Garmin GNS-430 WAAS navigators, an S-TEC 55x autopilot with flight director, and a GTX-330 Mode S transponder with TIS traffic — the same avionics generation Piper was shipping on the contemporaneous Mirage. TCDS A25SO's Equipment section also names a later Garmin G1000/GFC700-equipped block for S/N 4692134 and up (Piper Report VB-2122), so later production examples carry Garmin glass rather than the Avidyne system.

Malibu Aerospace's speed-fairing, gap-seal and cowling modifications developed for the Mirage apply to the Matrix's shared wing and airframe as well; not independently re-verified on this page. See piper-pa46-malibu for detail on the modifications the two models share by virtue of sharing an airframe.

Parts Availability: Good

Shares its engine (Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A) and most of its airframe with the still-in-production Mirage/M350, so parts support is effectively as good as the mainstream PA-46 piston line despite the Matrix's own smaller production run (~215 built).

Mechanic Familiarity: Specialized

Same specialist-shop requirement as every PA-46 — not a general-practice A&P's airplane, though the absence of a pressurization system removes one specific system a shop needs to be current on.

Piper's own 2007 list price for a standard-equipped Matrix was $757,000 (F.A.F. Vero Beach) — notably below the contemporaneous Mirage's $1,141,500 for the same model year, reflecting the simpler, lighter, unpressurized airframe. Production ended in 2015, so no current manufacturer price applies.

No Vref/Aircraft Bluebook access was available this session (see raw/market/market-piper-pa46-piston-pricing-2026-09-08.md); the used-market price band above ($350,000-$700,000, typical $500,000) is a dated, single-sourced fallback estimate, not a guide-derived figure, and should be treated as the weakest-sourced numbers on this page. The market generally prices a comparable-year Matrix somewhat below a pressurized Mirage of the same avionics generation, reflecting the smaller buyer pool for an unpressurized PA-46 rather than any deficiency in the airplane itself.

The Matrix shares its airframe, wing, gear and engine with the late-model Mirage, and shares that model's general AD and maintenance profile — see piper-pa46-malibu's ADs & Common Problems section, not independently re-verified on this page beyond noting the one systematic difference below.

No specific FAA Airworthiness Directive was independently verified for this model this session (no working general web search; the FAA DRS client used for the type certificate does not reach the AD database). Buyers should consult the FAA's ADIRS system directly for current compliance status on a specific airframe.

The One Systematic Advantage: No Pressurization System

Because the Matrix has no cabin pressure vessel, it carries none of the Mirage's pressurization-specific maintenance items — no outflow valve, no pressurization controller, no door-seal inspection burden. This is a genuine, certificate-confirmed maintenance-cost advantage over the Mirage, not a marketing claim.

Pre-Buy Essentials

Same as the Mirage: full AD compliance review, borescope compression check on all six cylinders, landing gear rigging and actuator condition, and a complete logbook review for engine history and TBO tracking. Budget $5,000-$10,000 for a thorough PA-46-experienced pre-buy inspection.

Broadly similar underwriting to the Mirage — same retractable-gear, high- performance, complex-systems risk class — without the pressurization-system specific questions some underwriters ask on the Mirage. Expect qualified, type-experienced pilots with recurrent training (through PMOPA — formerly MMOPA — see raw/press/pmopa-org-identity-2026-09-08.md) to see premiums broadly comparable to a similarly-valued Mirage. See GA Insurance Underwriting for general factors.