Classy Exterior Complements 'Glassy' Panel

EADS Socata unveiled a new paint scheme for its TBM 850 turboprop single this week, with a special display at this week's Lakeland fly-in.

"Sun ’n Fun traditionally heralds the start-up of a year’s aviation gatherings, and it is the best venue to introduce our 2008 TBM 850 to the general public," said Nicolas Chabbert, the president of EADS Socata North America. "This follows a series of exclusive TBM 850 events specifically for our customers -- and to catch crowd’s eye, we’re now introducing a new paint scheme to highlight the lines of our Very Fast Turboprop."

EADS Socata also has created a TBM 850 logo as a distinctive identity for the Model 2008 version. "While our new look underscores the TBM 850 2008’s speed and performance, the best of this new business aircraft is on the inside," Chabbert said.

Upgrades in the 2008 variant of EADS Socata’s popular TBM850 include an integrated all-glass flight deck based on the last-generation Garmin G1000 system, replacing traditional instruments with large liquid crystal display (LCD) screens. It integrates primary flight, navigation, weather, traffic, ground proximity and technical information on the aircraft, fully associated with a digital autopilot.

EADS Socata bills its TBM 850 is world’s fastest single turboprop aircraft, with a maximum cruising speed of 320 KTAS at Flight Level 260 (in ISA conditions).

FMI: www.socata.eads.net