17 October 2023
There’s one sector of aircraft sales which is proving resilient through good and tough times and that’s single-engine turbines – and one of the first announcements to come out of the world’s biggest business aviation show being staged this week is from French manufacturer Daher. The company has just delivered the 500th TBM 900-series single-engine turboprop, nine years after the model was introduced.
The figure was revealed during Daher’s press conference at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, USA. The milestone aircraft was a high-end TBM 960 version delivered to a private owner in the United States.
The 500 deliveries to date for TBM 900-series aircraft surpass the totals of both previous-generation TBM types: 324 aircraft of the original TBM 700 and 338 of the second generation TBM 850s.
French manufacturer Daher has delivered 500 of its TBM 900-series aircraft – this is the 500th
Daher’s introduction of the first TBM 900-series aircraft was in 2014 featuring aerodynamic improvements including new engine cowlings, the addition of winglets and the integration of Hartzell’s five-blade scimitar propeller.
In 2016, the TBM 900-series was augmented by the TBM 930, equipped with Garmin’s touchscreen-controlled G3000 integrated flight deck. This variant had the early elements of the TBM’s e-copilot functionality, which lowers pilot workload and provides better situational awareness.
Daher further evolved the TBM 900 series in 2018 with its TBM 910, featuring Garmin’s G1000 NXi avionics. The TBM 910 continues to be available to order.
In 2019, the TBM 930 was succeeded by Daher’s TBM 940 with autothrottle. In 2020, it became one of the first aircraft equipped with the revolutionary HomeSafe emergency autoland system.
TBM 960 is equipped with a special version of the Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engine
The current top of the range model is the TBM 960, introduced in 2022. It has the new PT6E-66XT turboprop engine purpose-built by Pratt & Whitney Canada for this aircraft, as well as Hartzell’s five-blade composite propeller with the Raptor lightweight hub. Both the engine and propeller system are linked to the TBM 960’s dual-channel digital Engine and Propeller Electronic Control System (EPECS).
The EPECS is a ‘smart’ system which optimises engine performance from startup to landing, while reducing pilot workload by integrating all functions and protecting the engine’s life. It also enables the aircraft to be flown with more precise settings: at Daher’s recommended cruise speed of 308 kt, the fuel consumption is 216 litres (57 usg) per hour.
The TBM 960 also has the full range of ‘e-copilot’ functions:
Won the lottery? You’ll need around $5m for a top of the range TBM 960 like this
Black too dark for your dream TBM 960 cockpit? How about cream?
New for the 2023 TBM 960 is a button on the yoke to run through the Garmin flight deck’s checklists
Meanwhile, in the TBM 960’s cabin, it’s sheer luxury!
