World's Fastest Turboprop Will Grace Its Home Country's Skies

EADS Socata told Aero-News Friday the company has delivered the first TBM 850 VFT -- for Very Fast Turboprop -- to a French customer.

Representatives will EADS Socata state the owner will use the aircraft for both business and private purposes. It replaces his previous aircraft, a TBM 700C2, which will remain in France with a new owner.

The TBM 850 VFT is the world’s fastest single engine turboprop, with a maximum cruising speed of 320 KTAS at flight level 260 (in ISA conditions). A 850-shp version of the six-seat business turboprop TBM 700, the TBM 850 combines the cruising speed and journey times typical of light jets with economical direct operating costs, while offering the range and excellent weight-carrying capacity of turboprop aircraft.

Launched in December 2005, there are already 80 orders for TBM 850s on the books. The first aircraft were delivered in February 2006, with a total of 42 delivered to date. The majority of these aircraft have been purchased by US customers, but around a dozen orders came from operators in Europe, Africa and the Asia-Pacific.

"This is the highest production rate since the beginning of the TBM program," stated Stéphane Mayer, Chairman and CEO of EADS Socata.

"After the USA, Canada, UK and Switzerland, this first delivery in France of a TBM 850 demonstrates that our aircraft is particularly suited to the transportation requirements of European companies and their needs of transportation. Thanks to its outstanding performance levels, its ability to fly in densely populated European airspace and its low operating costs, the TBM 850 allows its operator to zip to any small airport in Europe or the Mediterranean region without any intermediate stopover," said Nicolas Chabbert, EADS Socata’s VP Sales and Marketing.

EADS Socata is one of the world’s leading general aviation manufacturers, with more than 17,000 aircraft built since its creation as Morane-Saulnier in 1911. Current products include the TBM family of high-speed turboprops, TB GT piston aircraft, structures for Airbus civil airliners, the A400M military transporter, Dassault Falcon jets, Eurocopter helicopters and Embraer regional jets.

Headquartered in Tarbes, France -- with North American operations in Pembroke Pines, FL -- EADS Socata is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS.

FMI: www.socata.eads.net