Daher Aircraft’s turboprop-powered TBM aeroplane family marked a new milestone with today’s delivery of the 600th aircraft in the TBM 900 series, which was provided to its customer at the Paris Air Show.
The TBM 900-series is the best-seller in the TBM’s history, representing almost half of all TBM deliveries performed to date, and underscores the continual improvement applied to this product line of fast, efficient general aviation/business aviation aeroplanes.
To date, more than 1,260 TBMs have been produced overall in six variants since the aeroplane’s 1990 service entry, beginning with the TBM 700 and TBM 850; and followed by the five versions in the TBM 900-series: the TBM 900, TBM 910, TBM 930, TBM 940 and TBM 960. The global TBM fleet has logged more than 2.6 million flight hours in service around the world.
Daher’s milestone TBM 900-series aircraft is a TBM 960 version received by Jim Baum, a U.S.-based executive who has held senior leadership roles in technology companies for more than 35 years. He also co-manages Minus 7, an air-to-air visual communications company specialising in aviation video and photography, and serves as a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management. As with more than half of the TBM customer base, Baum is a repeat buyer, having owned a TBM 940 and a TBM 930.
Nicholas Chabbert, the CEO of Daher Aircraft’s division, said the TBM’s continued market demand reflects the aircraft’s combination of efficiency, sustainability and speed, backed by the global Daher Care support Network.
Attributes for the TBM’s success include its combination of jet-like speeds with turboprop performance, opening access to shorter runways, lowering fuel consumption and providing operational efficiency,” Chabbert stated. “Today’s milestone TBM 960 delivery to Jim Baum is particularly appropriate, as he exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit of TBM owners who innovate and propel the world forward.”
Daher’s introduction of the first TBM 900-series aircraft was in 2014 with the TBM 900 version, featuring such aerodynamic improvements as the addition of winglets, the use of new engine cowlings, and the integration of Hartzell’s five-blade scimitar propeller.
In 2016, the TBM 900-series family was augmented by the TBM 930, equipped with Garmin’s touchscreen-controlled G3000 integrated flight deck. This variant incorporated the initial elements of TBM e-copilot functionality, which reduces pilot workload and provides enhanced situational awareness.
Daher Aircraft further evolved the TBM 900 series in 2018 with the mid-category TBM 910, featuring Garmin’s G1000 NXi avionics.
In 2019, production of the TBM 930 was succeeded by the TBM 940, which integrated the autothrottle function in its G3000 avionics suite. In 2020, the TBM 940 became one of the first aircraft equipped with the revolutionary HomeSafe™ emergency autoland system.
The TBM 960 is the latest TBM 900-series version, unveiled by Daher Aircraft in 2022 and integrating the new PT6E-66XT turboprop engine, purpose-built by Pratt & Whitney Canada for this aircraft, as well as Hartzell Propeller’s five-blade composite propeller with the Raptor™ lightweight hub. Both the engine and propeller systems are linked to the TBM 960’s dual-channel digital Engine and Propeller Electronic Control System (EPECS).
The EPECS optimises powerplant performance from the engine’s 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 setting of 308 kts, the fuel consumption is only 57 U.S. gallons per hour – a 10 percent fuel economy for more sustainability when compared to the maximum cruise setting.
The TBM 960 benefits from a full range of TBM e-copilot® functions: an icing protection system; flight envelope monitoring through the Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) and the Under-speed Protection (USP) systems; the Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) function; as well as the HomeSafe™ emergency autoland system.
Daher’s use of digital power for the TBM 960 extends into the aircraft’s Prestige cabin, featuring an all-new environmental control system. Other enhancements include an improved cabin style and comfort, featuring ergonomically enhanced seats, LED ambience strip lighting in the overhead ceiling panel, and electronically dimmable windows – all controlled by a Passenger Comfort Display (PCD).
Along with the TBM aircraft family’s continued popularity among individual owners and business operators, it continues to prove itself in multi-mission applications. Building on the TBM’s application in military command/VIP transportation, flight test support and the airlift of time-sensitive cargo, it has now entered service as a “birddog” aircraft in support of wildfire air attack missions.