The Very Fast Turboprop Program Exceeds Its Initial Goal In Total Airplanes Produced

The 600th series production TBM very fast turboprop aircraft ... a TBM 850 ... was rolled out of the Tarbes, France production facility by Daher-Socata on Thursday.

A ceremony at the Daher-Socata factory in Tarbes, France gathered TBM-related teams around the milestone aircraft before its upcoming delivery to the aircraft’s owner, a private customer from northwestern U.S.

The TBM 700 was the first production pressurized single-engine aircraft to be certified in 1990, and after several evolutionary steps, the 300th TBM came off the assembly line in June 2004. In 2006, the program experienced a ramp-up in 2006 with TBM 850 -- equipped with an 850-hp. engine, which today remains the world fastest single-engine aircraft with a maximum cruise speed of 320 KTAS at 26,000 feet.

“With the roll-out of TBM no. 600, we celebrate the success of this program, which initially targeted building just 600,” stated Stéphane Mayer, President and CEO of Daher-Socata. “While this goal has now been achieved, we’re not stopping here, as the TBM represents a key product and an important asset for the DAHER Group.”

Nicolas Chabbert, the Senior Vice-President of Daher-Socata Airplane Division and president of SOCATA North America, added that the global TBM fleet – composed of the TBM 850 and TBM 700 versions – has now accumulated nearly 900,000 flight hours, which is a particularly proud milestone for the company. “The TBM family’s success can be explained by its designed-in cost/performance ratio, as well the commitment and passion of Daher-Socata’s employee teams to providing high-quality aircraft,” Chabbert said.

FMI: www.tbm850.com