After Completing The 1000th TBM, Daher Features Innovative Safety Technology In The New Line

Daher's Aircraft Division brought an enhanced Kodiak 100 Series III and TBM 940 for display this year, each showing advances toward the company's primary goals of enhancing operational safety and reducing aviation's environmental impact.

AirVenture 2021 is the first public appearance of the Kodiak 100 Series III, following Daher's acquisition of Kodiak at the end of 2019.

The aircraft features improvements to situational awareness with the GWX 75 weather radar, G1000 NXi fully integrated flight deck, the GFC700 autopilot, an angle of attack indicator, SurfaceWatch runway monitoring, and Synthetic Vision Technology for virtual flight reference. There are multiple options for customization including tire size, Aerocet float additions, and an executive edition for a more luxurious travel style.

Safety remains the base of all design decisions. "Anything we do to ensure safety in the cockpit is a plus," said Nicolas Chabbert, Senior Vice President of Daher's Aircraft Division. "It is our duty to provide a product where people will not [make] mistakes and suffer from them."

So far, there have been 10 deliveries of the Kodiak Series III. These supplement the 294 Kodiaks delivered overall, 50% of which went to North America. In the operations market, two have been delivered as air ambulances, with minor modifications made for ease of patient transport.

The 940 features the fastest evolution within the TBM line. It was certified by the FAA in September 2019, and as of this July 125 aircraft have been ordered.

The TBM 940 being displayed at Oshkosh features the new HomeSafe emergency autoland system. HomeSafe is designed for the passengers, not the pilot. If the pilot becomes incapacitated, the passenger can simply press a button and the aircraft will land itself at the optimal airport, selected based on terrain, fuel, and other factors. It is a fully-integrated system with automatic steering, landing gear extension, fuel shutoff, braking, flap actuation, landing light activation.

There have been 60 TBM 940s delivered thus far with HomeSafe. Daher also retrofitted 13 of the 2019 aircraft, adding the technology.

Outside of the instrument panel, Daher recently released the Me & My TBM application Version 5.0, designed for aircraft management and analytics. Through the safety monitoring tool, pilots get an aviator score based on their flight performance. The new version provides data about flight parameters to pilots, including oxygen pressure in the cabin, C02 emissions, initial climb and vertical speed.

After remaining resilient throughout the pandemic, 2021 is shaping up to be the best year on record for Daher's aircraft program. There are 70 upcoming deliveries planned, 50 TBM 910s and 940s, and 20 Kodiak 100s. There are 76 Kodiak 100 and TBM owners expected to come to Oshkosh this year with their airplanes, which would make the turboprop the most represented single-engine turbine aircraft type at the show.

FMI: www.daher.com