Top 11 Fastest Single Engine Turboprop Planes

Private aircraft are not generally the best option when it comes to flying swiftly. The future of personal aviation looks back on propeller-powered airplanes with growing fuel prices and rising environmental issues. Single engine turboprop planes may be a viable solution to these issues, while still being a fast mode of flight.

Turboprop aircraft feature one or more gas turbine engines attached to a gearbox that operates a propeller for ground and air movement. An aircraft turboprop uses Jet-A fuel, which is frequently more significant than piston fuel.

These planes can carry more weight and passengers than piston powered single engine airplanes, and can typically fly up to 35,000 feet, much higher than pistons. Turboprop planes are more efficient than jets because they consume less fuel, and they are also typically lighter in weight than jets.

Let’s take a look at some of the fastest single engine turboprop planes in the world. If your curious what adding an engine means to the performance of a turboprop powered plane, take a look at our article on the fastest twin turboprop planes as well.

11. PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian – 260 knots / 299 mph

The Piper Meridian combines the most advanced Garmin avionics available today with the reliable, established PT6A-42A turboprop engine by Pratt & Whitney. This design is to meet the stringent requirements of scheduled business and personal transportation, and it may result in an aircraft meeting the challenges of your mission profiles.

Its powerful turboprops have a range of 1,000 nautical miles. The cruise speed is 260 knots, and it is Flight into Known Icing (FIKI) approved. It has excellent takeoff and touchdown ability under hot and humid conditions. The Malibu Meridian can ascend to high heights to overcome the weather and instability most effectively and comfortably.

10. Piper M500 – 262 knots / 302 mph

The Piper M500 is the world’s first radar-equipped, known-ice certified, pressurized plane to use Garmin’s groundbreaking autopilot system technology.

This Garmin AFCS (Autopilot Flight Control System) is a by-product of the innovative and robust unmanned airborne vehicle Flight Control Systems. It alerts pilots to excessive pitch or roll and prompts them to take corrective action.

The autopilot engages if the pilot continues to fly outside of the approved parameters, stabilizing the aircraft. An “LVL” button on the panel allows the pilot to activate a recovery to level at any time they feel the situation merits attention.

Underspeed Protection limits the aircraft’s ability to stall while flying on autopilot. This reduces the aircraft’s ability to stall while on autopilot. It allows for coupled missed approaches, where the pilot only needs to advance the power and clean up the plane.

The autopilot is never switched off. More simplicity awaits the pilot in the form of an automated and digital pressurization system.

9. Piper M600 – 274 knots / 315 mph

Piper offers several M-Class aircraft, including the Piper M600 Turboprop. The Piper M600 has a PT6A-42A engine up front that produces 600 horsepower (100 horsepower more than the M500), giving it more range and payload.

A look at the numbers, this model can carry four commuters with full fuel. Operators may find a fuel burn of just under 40 gallons per hour in normal cruise conditions.

Outfitted with the Garmin G3000 avionics, the aircraft can carry a total of five passengers and one crew/pilot in the M600’s pressurized cabin.

8. Pilatus PC-12 NG – 285 knots / 328 mph

At the 2006 NBAA meeting in Orlando, Pilatus announced and officially launched the PC-12NG (Next Generation) in Atlanta at the NBAA 2007 meeting. The Pratt and Whitney PT6A-67P engine are more powerful, providing better climb and increasing maximum velocity up to 280 knots TAS.

The revised cockpit comprises an automatic pressure control and cursor-driven inputs to the browser. In addition, wings from the original version of the PC-12 NG have been modified.

Within two years of debut, over 200 orders apparently had been placed for the PC-12 NG. In May 2008, the first PC-12 NG was delivered.

However, based on the PC-12 NG, the PC-12M (multipurpose) is supplied with a powerful electric power production system that enables different power-consuming devices to be installed.

The PC-12M may so carry out flight inspection, air ambulances, aerial photography, and aerial monitoring. An optional utility door may accommodate people and freight parachutes.

7. Pilatus PC-12 NGX – 290 knots / 335 mph

Pilatus revealed its certified PC-12NGX during the NBAA Convention in October 2019. Its PT6E-67XP is equipped with a FADEC mode and a lower cabin noise lower propulsion. This is a 290 knots TAS cruise (537 km/h).

Honeywell’s autothrottle avionics have been updated with both cursor-control and touch screen features. The cabin windows are 10% larger, and the remodeled interior includes new seats adjusted from PC-24. Planned maintenance extends from 4,000 to 5,000 hours to 600 flight hours, and the duration from revision to revision is increased.

6. Beechcraft T-6 Texan II – 316 knots / 364 mph

A next-generation T-6C Texan II military flight trainer aircraft (previously Hawker Beechcraft) is an enhanced version of the primary aircraft training system T-6B Texan II. It’s a Textron Aviation brand, Beechcraft.

The T-6C Texan II military trainer has been modified extensively to provide reliable training operations with cheaper maintenance and operating expenses. The aircraft delivers air-to-air integrated synthetic training solutions as well as simulated combat training.

A hardpoint wing is provided to transport external tanks, guns, and other external storage in the T-6C trainer. The aircraft can provide more than 18,720 hours of military instruction.

It is equipped with an operational flight trainer (OFT), computerized classroom education systems, courseware, and full-service simulators to reduce ruder control requirements. It employs a ground-based CAE training system (GBTS).

The airplane is 3.2 meters high, 10.2 meters long, and 10.2 meters winged. It weighs 2,337 kilograms and has a weight of 3,130 kg maximum start.

5. Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano – 320 knots / 370 mph

EMB-314 Super Tucano is an improved variant with increased speeds and altitude capacity for Tucano EMB-312 training aircraft. The Super Tucano prototype flew first in 1992. Embraer of Brazil both developed and constructed Tucano and Super Tucano.

In 1995, Embraer was given a contract to produce the Super Tucano version for the Brazilian Air Force, known as the ALX or light attack plane (FAB). The ALX was optimized regarding the environment of the Brazilian Amazon.

This is one of the primary duties of the aircraft the border patrol under the ‘Sisteme de Vigilancia da Amazonia’ (SIVAM) program. The ALX can do day and nights operations with minimum ground support from remote sites and poor runways.

In December 2003, the first aircraft was delivered. 50 aircraft have been in operation by September 2007. In June 2012, the 99th and last A-29 were delivered.

4. Epic LT – 325 knots / 374 mph

The airplane is a high-performance kit-built, high-performance cargo fiber, with a high speed of 325 knots and climbs of 3,000 ft. per minute.

In its home country of the United States, the Epic LT is remarkable for being a kit-built aircraft, even though the airplanes were assembled by the owners of Epic in Bend, Oregon.

The Epic design is currently provided as an LT, classified as “Experimental,” and cannot be rented. Nevertheless, by 2015, Epic is currently working on the complete certification of an improved E1000 aircraft.

Among these enhancements is an increase to 34,000 feet from the present maximum of 28,000 feet in the certified ceiling. In addition to providing more weather clearance, the other tops that may be reached in 15 minutes significantly lower the number of fossil fuels consumed on a cruise.

The E1000 has a range of reserves of 1650 nm at an affordable cruise speed of 265 knots. This is 1,385 nm, with the maximum number of passengers at 325 knots.

3. SOCATA TBM 900 – 330 knots / 380 mph

The SOCATA General Aviation division of Aerospatiale linked up with TBM International in the mid-1980s in conjunction with the Mooney Aircraft Corporation. The TBM 700, a pressurized single-engine aircraft with six to eight places, was the sole output of the cooperation.

It was announced at the Paris Air Show in 1987. The design purpose was to provide a plane that could still give reasonably quick transportation across a 1,400 nm distance at a cost less than a standard twin-turboprop aircraft.

Pressurization would enable the aircraft to fly at heights of flight level, while the single turboprop layout would minimize costs.

The genuine TBM 700 airspeed is 300 kt high on a high-speed cruise, but the miserable 364 ppm fuel flow is about half of the twins. The 1,460 nm TBM 700 range with IFR reserves is competitive with twin-engine Raytheon’s King Air series.

The first flight was carried out in July 1988 by the prototype TBM 700. Production aircraft was delivered in October 1990, but Mooney retired in 1991. A significant increase in tanks with full payload is the latest iteration of the TBM 700.

2. Epic E1000 GX – 333 knots / 383 mph

A new standard for speed, agility, and comfort is set with the certified Epic E1000. E1000 is a six-seater turboprop single-engine aircraft made by the United States Epic Aircraft. It started in 2013, and on December 19, 2015, the first flight was carried out.

In February 2020, the first aircraft were delivered, and 24 other planes are anticipated for the rest of the year. 36 further shipments are scheduled for 2021.

Unlike other competitors, throughout the building of its whole airframe, the Epic E1000 uses innovative carbon fiber composite materials. The avionics package is ergonomically designed by Garmin, and it consolidates the data management and pilot workflow. 

This model has up to 1560 nautical miles powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67A with 1200 horsepower. The unit price today is estimated at 3.25 million dollars.

1. Pilatus PC-21 – 370 knots / 426 mph

The extended PC-21 envelope training aircraft has been built for the primary, advanced, and combating pilot lead-in training and, where necessary, weapons systems officers by the Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft (WSO).

The PC-21 project started in November 1998, and in January 1999, the development program started.

By August 2005, the first pre-production aircraft took its first flight, and in 2006 it started the flight test program.

In December 2004, the PC-21 acquired certification for the operation of VFR (Visual Flight Regulations), then in December 2006, the complete IFR (IFF) certification (IFF).

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