Daher-Socata rolled out its 600th series production TBM very fast turboprop aircraft – a TBM 850 – from the company’s Tarbes, France, production facility last week.
A ceremony at the 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 the northwestern U.S.
The TBM 700 was the first production pressurized single-engine aircraft to be certified in 1990, and 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 a 850-hp engine, with a maximum cruise speed of 320 KTAS at 26,000 ft.
“With the roll-out of TBM #600, we celebrate the success of this program, which initially targeted building just 600,” stated Stéphane Mayer, President and CEO. “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 the company ‘s 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.
In 2011, Daher-Socata is celebrating the 100th anniversary of continuous aircraft production, marking a legacy that began in 1911 with its predecessor company – Aeroplanes Morane-Saulnier.
For more information: Daher.com and TBM850.com
