Performance TBM Comprehensive Guide

Comprehensive Guide
Contents
1. Introduction: TBM 850 Overview - P 2
2. DAHER-SOCATA:
A Proven Manufacturing & Support Company - P 6
3. Performance - P 10
4. TBM Series:
Proven History, Proven Performance - P 14
5. Technical Description - P 16
6. Insurability - P 28
7. DAHER-SOCATA Sales & Support Network - P 32
8. Direct Operating Costs - P 42
9. Competitive Comparisons: TBM 850 vs. Mustang - P 44
. TBM 850 Range Finder - P 50
. Appendix - P 58
1. Introduction:
TBM 850 Overview
The TBM 850, with a cruise speed of 320 KTAS at

FL260 and state-of-the-art avionics, gives owners and
pilots the advantages of the cruising speeds typical of
light jets, but with the economical direct operating costs
of a single-engine turboprop.
The TBM 850 can carry six adults in quiet, air-conditioned

comfort, climb to 31,000 ft in as little as 20 minutes, y
for over 1,400 nm with NBAA IFR reserves and then slip
into a 2,100 ft strip or a mountain runway.
Comprehensive Guide I 3
Key Features of the TBM 850:

SPEED:
. Maximum cruise speed of 320 knots at FL260 (ISA condition)
SAFETY:
. Powered by the proven Pratt and Whitney, Canada
PT6A one of the most reliable powerplants in aviation
. Proven airframe design with more than 700,000 TBM
ight hours, there has never been an in-ight structural
deformation
. Proven airframe with the highest Maximum Operating
Speed (Vmo) in its class
. Proven ight display and avionics system with integrated
digital autopilot
. Ease of Insurability and proven training partner
ECONOMICS:
. Low direct operating costs
. Straightforward, reliable systems that reduce downtime
and maintenance costs
COMFORT:
. Spacious, luxurious, and quiet comfortable cabin for six adults
UTILITY:
. Full fuel, NBAA IFR range of more than 1,4O0 nautical miles
. Excellent short eld takeoff and landing performance
. Excellent range and load-carrying capabilities from
short runways
. Thrust reverse enhances short runway capabilities
. Seating for six people (including the pilot)
. Single-pilot capability as a result of excellent handling
characteristics and simple power management
SUPPORT:
. Extensive, worldwide service and support network
. Fully FAA and EASA certied and available from
DAHER-SOCATA or through the TBM distributors
worldwide network.
Couple these features with the TBMs

economy, insurability and ease of transition
as well as its time proven design and
unmatched safety record, the TBM 850
provides its owners and operators with
much more than a light jet can offer. Plus,
it is fully certied and available today
worldwide from a comprehensive network
of distributors and supported by a
worldwide network of service centers.
2. DAHER-SOCATA:
A Proven Manufacturing
and Support Company
DAHER-SOCATA has a long

and proud history of producing
general aviation aircraft with
military and multi-mission
1913 Morane-Saulnier Type H
utility in Tarbes, France.
The origins of DAHER-SOCATA reach back to aviation
manufacturing company Morane-Saulnier, founded
in 1911. Between Morane-Saulnier and DAHER-SOCATA,
a total of 17,000 aircraft of 94 different types have been
built. Our aircraft have accomplished some signicant
aviation rsts:
Almost one hundred years of general aviation experience

(including that which was gained from the construction
of the worlds rst business jet, the MS 760 Paris) makes
DAHER-SOCATA one of the oldest aircraft manufacturers
in existence. This knowledge led DAHER-SOCATA to the
conclusion that a pressurized single-engine turboprop
produces the ideal combination of performance, ease of
operation, and low operating costs for private owners.
DAHER-SOCATA is headquartered in Tarbes, France, and
its North American operations are located in Pembroke
Pines, Florida.
First air crossing of the Mediterranean Sea (1913)

First machine-gun ring though the propeller
system (1915)
First sliding canopy (1935)
First business jet with the MS 760 Paris Jet (1954)
First civilian single-engine pressurized turbo prop
to be certied with the TBM 700 (1990)
After 15 years as the worlds fastest single-engine
turboprop, the TBM 700 is only supplanted by the
launch of the TBM 850 (2006)
MS 760 Paris Jet

The DAHER Group

DAHER is a European integrated equipment and services
supplier. In addition to aerospace, DAHER specializes
in three other sectors: nuclear, defense and industries.
DAHER is developing in three elds of expertise:
manufacturing, services and transport, which enable it
to offer a comprehensive package.
DAHER-SOCATA is one of the worlds leading general
aviation manufacturers, with more than 17,000 aircraft
built since its creation as Morane-Saulnier in 1911.
Current products include the TBM 850 high-speed
turboprop aircraft, aerostructures for Airbus civil airliners,
the A400M military transporter, Dassault Falcon jets,
Eurocopter helicopters and Embraer jets.
DAHER-SOCATA is expanding its customer service
activities to support its growing eet of TBMs and offer

its light aviation expertise for aircraft below 19,000
lbs (8.6 metric tons) through avionics modernization,
maintenance, repair and overall package offers.
Founded in 1863, DAHER is an independent international
group, with more than 7,000 employees and 12
international installations (four in Western Europe, three
in Eastern Europe, two in North America, two in Africa
and one in Australia).
For more information,
visit www.daher.com and www.tbm850.com
Airbus A380 Nose Lower Structure
Composites Works
Aerostructures
expertise
DAHER-SOCATA currently leverages its aircraft design
talents and skills in leading airframe technologies as a
key part of major aerospace programs in both
composite and metal airframe structures.
DAHER-SOCATA offers aerostructures design and
manufacturing solutions that span all of the family
of Airbus airliners, including the super-jumbo A380
as well as other projects for Eurocopter helicopters and
Embraer regional jets.
Dassault Falcon 7X Fuselage
In addition, major business aviation supplier, Dassault

Aviation selected DAHER-SOCATA for the Falcon 7X,
worlds rst y-by-wire business jet. Body fairings
and the entire upper fuselage section have been
designed by DAHER-SOCATA.
These aerostructure projects not only provide
DAHER-SOCATA with considerable nancial stability but
have also allowed the company to develop skills in
advanced airframe structure design and manufacturing
in both metallic and composite technology that would
not be possible in a conventional general aviation
environment, regardless of scale.
The DAHER-SOCATA
aerostructures offer
Cruise Speed
TBM 850 Range vs Runway Length

Sea level, NRAA IFR Reserves, Zero Wind, Max Cruise, Single Pilot, 3
Passengers
1,400
1,000
TBM 850 @ ISA
800
TBM 850 @ ISA * 20
600
400
200
0
2,000
TBM850 Max Cruise

ISA Conditions. Mid Cruise Weight
330
320
310
300
290
280
270
260
250
16,000
1,200
NBAA IFR Range (mm)
The TBM 850 offers the cruising speed typical of a light

jet but with the economy of a single-engine turboprop.
Maximum cruise speed at 26,000 ft in ISA conditions
is 320 KTAS and, at the TBM 850s service ceiling of
KTAS
3. TBM 850 Performance
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
Runway Distance Available (ft)
21,000
26,000
31,000
Altitude (ft)
31,000 ft, it is 315 KTAS. Another key feature of the

TBM 850 is excellent performance at mid-teen
altitudes, offering cruise speeds exceeding 290 KTAS.
This exibility allows the pilot a range of options to
maximize ground speed in case of strong headwind
at higher altitudes.
Takeoff Distance
The TBM 850 offers excellent short eld performance
and load carrying capabilities. While FAR Part 23 only
requires Ground Roll to be used in calculating runway
length, for the purposes of the following charts, runway
distances are selected based on the distance to clear
a 50 ft obstacle to provide an enhanced safety margin.
TBM 850 Take-off Distance
Distance to clear a 50ft obstacle at MTOW
on a dry level runway at sea level
ISA
ISA+20C
Ground Roll
2,035 ft
2,315 ft
Distance to clear
50ft obstacle
2,840 ft
3,200 ft
The TBM 850 offers excellent range and short eld

capabilities and, as a result, can be used at the vast
majority of general aviation runways allowing the owner
to y closer to his intended destination without reducing
runway safety margins while carrying a meaningful cabin
load. This must be compared to the majority of light
jets where operation out of short elds (if possible at all)
has a substantial negative impact on aircraft payload.
Approaching at only 85 KIAS or less, short runways or
short unpaved surfaces will accommodate the TBM 850.
The large Hartzell propeller can also be utilized as a
powerful aerodynamic brake, allowing landing on
extremely short strips and runways safely on less than
1,000 ft.
In addition, the availability of thrust reversal on the
TBM 850 substantially improves safety margins over
aircraft without these capabilities when ying into
shorter elds, particularly when the surface is wet.
Climb Performance
The TBM 850 can climb to 26,000 ft in a mere 15 mins
and to its certied service ceiling of 31,000 ft in only
20 mins when departing from sea level at its maximum
takeoff weight. This performance exceeds that of the
vast majority of turboprops and some light jets allowing
the operator to climb faster above weather and to y more
trips and at higher, more fuel efcient altitudes reducing
operating costs while at the same time enhancing
passenger comfort.
TBM 850 Time to Climb
NBAA IFR Reserves (100 nm), ISA, Zero Wind, Max Cruise,
Single Pilot + 3 pax
From Sea Level, 130Kts climb, MTOW, ISA

31,000
29,000
Altitude (feet)
27,000
Trip Distance Flight Time

(nm
(hr : mn)
25,000
23,000
21,000
Block
Fuel (gal)
Cruise
Alt (ft)
Reserve
Fuel
(gal)
200
0 : 44
54
16,000
50
17,000
400
1 : 26
83
26,000
50
15,000
600
2 : 04
118
31,000
50
800
2 : 43
154
31,000
50
1,000
3 : 20
189
31,000
50
19,000
13,000
15
10
20
Time from Sea Level (mins)
Characteristics
Specications
PT6A-66D Thermodynamic Power.................... 1,825 SHP

PT6A-66D Nominal (at-rated) Power................ 850 SHP
Fuel Efciency
Range
The TBM 850 offers both better fuel consumption
and performance than typical turboprops, as well as
substantially better fuel consumption and equivalent
performance to typical light jets.
PC-12
C90GT
Mustang
TBM 850
Max Cruise
(Fastest speed)
267
270
342
320
Fuel Efciency
(nm per lb of fuel)
0,54
0,44
0,41
0,72
8,000 lb,
ISA,
16,000 ft
ISA,
20,000 ft
8,000 lb,
ISA,
25,000 ft
6,300 lb,
ISA,
26,000 ft
Conditions
Characteristics
Performance
Max Cruise Flight Proles
Time to climb to 26,000 ft/31,000 ft................. < 15 min/<20 min
The TBM 850 provides greater range and load carrying

performance than the capabilities of typical light jets
particularly allowing for the likely limited availability of
ight levels above FL310 across most of the continental
US and Western Europe to light jets that depend on
access to these higher ight levels to obtain their
quoted cruise range performance.
Maximum cruise speed at 26,000 ft.................. 320 KTAS
NBAA Reserve Max Cruise IFR Range with 4 Adults

on Board - 1,290 nm
Range at economy cruise (252 Kts)................... 1,585 NM (ISA 45 min reserve)
NBAA Reserve Long Range Cruise with 4 Adults

on Board - 1,466 nm
Basic empty weight.......................................... 4,589 lbs.................................... 2,081 kg
Power at Max Cruise as defined in the TBM 850 POH.
Economy cruise speed at 31,000 ft................... 252 KTAS

FAA Certied ceiling......................................... 31,000 ft
Take-off distance............................................. 2,840 ft (ISA to 50 ft AGL)
Landing distance w/o reverser.......................... 2,430 ft (ISA to 50 ft AGL)
Range at maximum cruise (320 Kts).................. 1,410 NM (ISA 45 min reserve)
Maximum Zero Fuel Weight.............................. 6,032 lbs.................................... 2,735 kg

Maximum ramp weight (MRW).......................... 7,430 lbs.................................... 3,370 kg
TBM 850 Range vs Payload
Takeoff Weight includes the fuel required to complete

the trip with the indicated number of passengers and
fuel reserves.
Flight Time includes climb, cruise and descent.
1,400
NBAA IFR Reserves, ISA, Max Cruise
Maximum Takeoff Weight................................. 7,394 lbs.................................... 3,353 kg
1,200
Maximum Payload............................................ 1,443 lbs.................................... 654 kg
1,000
800
Maximum payload with maximum fuel............... 931 lbs....................................... 422 kg
600
No allowances have been included for taxi time or

ATC procedures.
Block Fuel includes takeoff, climb, cruise and
descent.
Cruise Altitude represents an optimum altitude for
the distance flown. Reserve fuel is based on NBAA IFR
specifications using 100 nautical miles as the alternate
distance and assuming a climb to 20,000 ft.
12 I Comprehensive Guide
400
Maximum Landing Weight................................ 7,024 lbs.................................... 3,189 kg
200
0
600
800
1000
Range (nm)
1200
1400
The TBM 850 shows the excellent load and passenger

carrying capabilities allowing four adults to y for over
1,200 nm at maximum cruise speed of 315 KTAS at
31,000 ft with NBAA reserves.
Maximum Usable Fuel Weight (291.6 USG)........ 1,910 lbs.................................... 867 kg
With cruise speeds up to 320 KTAS the TBM 850 offers the cruise
speeds typical of light jets but with the efciency of a single-engine
turboprop.
4. TBM Series:
Proven History,
Proven Performance
TBM History
In 1990, DAHER-SOCATA certied with the FAA and
French DGAC (EASA) the rst, fully-pressurized, singleengine, turboprop aircraft in the world, the TBM 700A.
The TBM 700 airframe design incorporated a variety of
aluminum and steel alloys, including titanium, as well as
advanced composite materials that come together in an
airframe of unmatched structural strength and durability
at the lowest possible weight at an affordable cost. Our
design engineers employed fail-safe design techniques
on the TBM airframe including the use of multiple load
paths, a crack-stopper band and a minimum number
of smaller access panels to maximize structural life
and sub-system reliability, as well as to minimize
repair-cycle times.
In 1992, to replace the obsolete Morane MS 760
Paris Jet, DAHER-SOCATA began an on-schedule and
on-budget delivery of TBM 700A model aircraft to the
French Air Force and French Army Aviation. According
to feedback from French military pilots, the TBM is,
simple to master, a dream to y and superior
performance characteristics across the entire ight
envelope. The French Armed forces has accumulated
up to 600 ight hours per year per aircraft in
accomplishing a wide range of VIP-passenger and
light-cargo missions in varied operating environments,
including operations in combat zones. DAHER-SOCATA
has also delivered one TBM 700A model aircraft to the
French national ight test center (CEV) and three aircraft
to the Indonesian government for their use in calibrating
aireld navigation aids throughout their country.
masks) the service ceiling of the TBM 700B was raised

to 31,000 ft.
In 2003, the TBM 700C2 was certied with an
increased Max Take-off Weight (7394 lbs), allowing
an increased payload of 865 lbs with full fuel. This
modication included re-enforced airframe, reinforced
landing gear, crashworthy seats certied to 20 G, new
interior and new rear external luggage compartment.
The TBM 700C2 was also certied at 31,000 ft
thanks to the gaseous oxygen system.
In 2006, DAHER-SOCATA introduced the TBM 850.
Strictly identical to the airframe of the TBM 700, the
TBM 850 aircraft is also powered by the Pratt & Whitney
PT6A turboprop engine. The new PT6A-66D powerplant
produces 1825 eshp at rated to 850 shaft horsepower
and gives the TBM 850 jet-like performance with
turboprop efciency and economical operation.
In 2009, DAHER-SOCATA has delivered more than 500
TBM and accumulated more than 700,000 ying hours
of reliable and safe operations without a single structural
airframe failure.
DAHER-SOCATAs TBM 850 denes a new class of
airplane, the Very Fast Turboprop (VFT), breaking new
record of speed against its predecessor, the legendary
TBM 700.
Certied in 1999, the TBM 700B model added a larger

cargo door and an optional pilot entry door. While
its commercial success was growing in the US, the
French Army Aviation took delivery of three B model
aircraft, bringing the total military aircraft to 28
TBM 700 in 2002. With the addition of a gaseous
backup oxygen system (with EROS quick donning
5. Technical Description
Exterior
DAHER-SOCATAs TBM 850 was designed to be a
revolutionary aircraft, and the proof is in its features.
The TBM offers impressive range, Jet like-speed,
excellent fuel efciency, low operation costs, comfortable
cabin and remarkable high reliability.
The TBM 850 is a six-seat, single pilot certied aircraft,
powered by a single engine Pratt & Whitney Canada
PT6A-66D Turboprop with a 4 blade Hartzell
HC-E4N-3 propeller. It has low wings, a conventional
empennage with horizontal and vertical stabilizers and
a tricycle retractable landing gear. Its semi-monocoque
fuselage is predominantly built with metallic materials.
Interior
The TBM 850 cabin is 14.96 ft long from the forward
pressure bulkhead to the aft pressure bulkhead. The
constant section of the cabin provides a continuous
width of 4.0 ft. Cabin height is 4.1 ft. These dimensions
combined with new modern interior arrangements offer
a very spacious environment.
This new TBM 850 cabin was designed to surpass the
most challenging requirements in terms of comfort and

contains the most elegant and luxurious environment
that you would expect from the best European design
and craftsmanship.
The standard interior conguration of the aircraft
consists of four seats and a two-piece, rear bench seat
(four forward and two aft facing). Each seat includes a
headrest, a seat belt and a shoulder harness with inertial
reel. Accommodating six passengers, including one pilot,

ergonomic and reclining seats combined with excellent
arrangement engineering offers generous legroom and
privacy to each passenger. This guarantees excellent
comfort and pleasure of ying even on the longest trips.
Accessing the cabin is easy thanks to a large electric
door, stairs and a ramp. When you enter the TBM 850,
you not only enter the fastest aircraft in its category,
you also enter into a world of luxury and style. True
European styling is on display throughout the cabin
and supple leather and ne wood await you and your
passengers.
When one enters the interior, he will be surprised by the
size of the seven rectangular windows (11 x 13.5 inches),
the largest in their class, providing a wide overview
of landscapes during the ight. Pull down sun
shades also allow the passengers to alter the
interior luminosity to their own personal preference.
For night operations, cabin lighting consists of dome
lights, baggage compartment lights, access stair
lighting, and individual reading lights at all seats.
Two separate baggage areas are provided for a
total baggage capacity of 330 lbs (150 kg): an external
compartment in the front of the rewall with a
capacity of 110 lbs (50 kg), and an interior pressurized
baggage area located behind the rear passenger
seats with a weight limit of 220 lbs (100 kg). Whether
the passengers want to rest, work or entertain
themselves, the TBM 850 cabin offers the best
amenities: comfortable leathers seats with adjustable
backrests and folding armrest, real dual-zone
individual fresh air-conditioned or warm-air vents
with independent control knobs for both the pilots
and the passengers, individual reading lights, a
large folding executive table, 14/24V power outlets,
CD or XM satellite music or radio, and multiple
storage cabinets or an optional lavatory cabinet.
The TBM 850 offers a spacious, quiet and
comfortable cabin and environment.
Toilet option
This option consists of a swap-out for the TBMs
intermediate left seat with a potty seat, which can be
installed and removed within minutes. The potty seat
includes a ushing chemical toilet system that is widely
used in the marine industry, which is optimized for easy
replacement and servicing.
The potty seat perfectly matches the TBMs interior
leather and upholstery, and was developed in partnership
with Catherineau the Bordeaux, France-based aircraft
cabin interior specialist and long-time partner of the
TBM program. With no weight penalty, this option
is available through the TBM international sales and
support network.
designers carefully chose a variety of aluminum alloys,

high strength steel (including titanium) as well as
advanced composite materials to maximize structural
strength and durability while minimizing aircraft weight
and both acquisition and life-cycle support costs. The
majority of the TBM 850 structure is manufactured from
conventional aluminum alloys. The exceptionally strong
wing spars, ap tracks and windshield frames are
created from solid bars of aluminum.
Fail-safe Spar Design
Over the past 10 years, DAHER-SOCATA has thoroughly

validated the TBM aircraft structural design by
performing rigorous strength and durability tests the
results of which are summarized in Table 1.
Fatigue Test Results

Pressurization Cycles.................................... 38,568
Equivalent Simulated Flying Hours................. 68,352
Equivalent Simulated Landings...................... 136,800
Airframe
Positive G-Force Limit................................... +6.1 g

Negative G-Force Limit................................. -4.1 g
The TBM 850 airframe design employs several failsafe structural design techniques, including the use
of multiple load paths and a crack-stopper band to
maximize sub-system reliability/durability and structural
life. The TBM 850 aircraft is essentially identical to
that of the TBM 700C2 model. The TBM 850 airframe
Extreme Positive G-Force Limit...................... +9 g

Extreme Negative G-Force Limit.................... -6 g
Certied Positive Flight Load Factor Limit....... +3.8 g
Certied Negative Flight Load Factor Limit..... -1.5 g
Structural Life Limit 12,000 ights / 16,200 ying hrs
Wings and Aerodynamics

The TBM 850s aerodynamically optimized wings
incorporate fail-safe technology and offer superior
handling qualities throughout the flight envelope.
The TBM 850 wings are built around two wing spars,
one forward and one aft, that are milled from a block
of aircraft aluminum alloy. Two milled aluminum
carry-through spars provide additional rigidity and
strength. Placement of the TBM 850 wings aft of
the pilots field of vision substantially improves the
ease of operation especially during landings. The
TBM 850 has a wing-loading in excess of 38 lbs/
sq.ft (185 kg/m2) and combined with its 6.5 wing
dihedral provides a stable ride in turbulent conditions.
The airfoil was designed to optimize both high
performance speed and maneuverability. The wing
project was a development between DAHER-SOCATA
and two French research centers of excellence:
ONERA (Office National dEtudes et de Recherche
Aeronautiques) and CEAT (Centre dEssais
Aeronautiques de Toulouse).
After extensive testing and analyses in wind tunnel
and CAD (Computer Aided Design), the results of the
studies were the airfoil RA 1643 (relative thickness
of 16%), based on NACA 43012 profile. These
airfoils provide a performance that decrease the
drag and increase fuel savings, keeping the highspeed performance while providing fast and precise
response to commands. It has an outstanding flap
performance, offering the highest level of security
during the Takeoff and Landing.
Landing Gear
and Braking System
The tricycle landing gear system is electrically controlled
and hydraulically actuated. The main gear retracts
inboard into the wings. The nose gear retracts rearward
into the lower engine compartment and is completely
enclosed by the gear doors when retracted.
An aural (horn) warning system in the cockpit will sound
if either the power lever is reduced within half inch of
the aft stop, or if the aps are extended to the landing
position when the gear is in the retracted position. In the
unlikely event the primary gear extension system fails, a
hand-pump linked to an emergency hydraulic reservoir
is available for the pilot to use in manually extending
the gear. Landing gear braking is provided to each main
wheel via hydraulic discs, which can be augmented with
engine thrust reverse power to enable a fully loaded
aircraft to stop in much less than 1500 feet.
Powerplant
The TBM 850 is powered by the Pratt & Whitney
Canada PT6A engine. Its simple design offers easy
maintenance, efciency and low cost of operation. It is
covered by one of the most extensive support networks.
Variants of the PT6A are in use on more than 100
different types of aircraft. Safety proven, from years of
regional airliner and commercial aircraft operations
with over 43,000 engines in the eld (spanning over
350 million ight hours), the PT6A is recognized as
one of the most reliable aircraft powerplants ever built.
Empennage
The empennage consists of a vertical stabilizer with
rudder and a 6.5 dihedral horizontal stabilizer with
elevator for superb maneuverability at high and low
speeds. Mechanical push/pull tubes assure reliable
actuation of the TBM 850s control surfaces throughout
the ight envelope.
The PT6A-66D model used on the TBM 850 has a

thermodynamic rating of 1,825 horsepower and a
at-rated output of 850 shaft horsepower making it the
most powerful PT6A (in terms of thermodynamic power)
built to date.
The main components of the PT6A include a multi-stage
compressor (centrifugal and axial), a combustion chamber,
a compressor turbine with enhanced CT wheel and rst

stage compressor with single crystal blades allowing
higher ITT operating limits, and an independent two-stage
turbine driving the output shaft trough a reduction
gearbox.
Accessory
Axial
Power
Compressor
Reduction
gearbox
compressor
Turbine
turbine
gearbox
Centrifugal
Inlet
Combustion
Exhaust
Propeller
compressor
screen
chamber
duct
shaft
Fuel System
The two TBM 850 fuel tanks are located in the wings
and have a total usable fuel capacity of 291.6 gallons
(1,100 liters). A capacitance-type fuel gauging system
provides accurate readings at all ight attitudes. Every
10 minutes in ight, and every 70 seconds on the ground
an electrical sequencing unit automatically switches
from one tank to the other and continuously maintains
tank balance without increasing the pilots workload.
The high-pressure engine-driven pump is capable of
operation alone. However, a low boost mechanical pump
is pressuring the fuel line. As a back up, a high boost
electrical pump is located behind the rewall in case of
failure of the low boost pump. The primary Fuel Control
Unit, connected to the throttle in the cockpit, provides
the engine with clean fuel at the required pressure and
ow to permit control of engine power within a range
of appropriate Air/Fuel ratio. If necessary, the pilot can
manually control fuel ow with a manual override lever,
next to the throttle, in case of an emergency. The fuel
tanks are coated to provide maximum protection against
microorganism damage.
Pressurization and
Environmental System
The dual zone pressurization and air conditioning systems
utilize engine bleed air to pressurize, heat/cool, and
defog the cabin and cockpit windows. The pressurization
controller, conveniently located on the central panel
between the pilots, provides variable cabin altitude and an
automatic rate of change control. The system is capable of
maintaining a 9,350 ft cabin altitude at 31,000 ft and a very
confortable 6,400 ft cabin altitude at 25,000 ft. Sea level
cabin altitude can be maintained up to 14,430 ft. The cabin
temperature is automatically controlled from the cockpit
for the two zones or separately with a controller located
in the front and in the rear of the cabin. The engine-driven
compressor air conditioning system is fully automatic and
can quickly cool the aircraft on hot days as soon as the
engine is running.
Anti-Icing System
The TBM 850 anti-icing system uses a combination
of engine exhaust gas, an engine inertial separator,
electrical windshields, an electrically de-iced propeller,
electrically heated stall-warning and pitot-static and
pneumatic boots. The de-icing systems are manually
selected through switches conveniently mounted
on the left hand side of the panel. A high speed,
automatic cycling, pneumatic boot system is used
to deice the leading edges of the wings, horizontal
stabilizer and vertical stabilizer. The TBM 850 deice
boot design eliminates ice bridging on the leading
edge in ight due to its automatic cycling every
67 seconds. A wing inspection light is provided to
monitor ice buildup during night ight.
Cockpit Controls
The TBM 850 comes equipped with dual controls as
standard equipment. The control system includes
two control wheel columns, adjustable rudder pedals,
hydraulic brakes and mechanical nose gear steering.
Pushrod and cable systems are used to actuate the
rudder, elevator, spoilers and ailerons. Primary pitch

and yaw trim are electrically powered through switches
mounted on the pilots control wheel, and electric aileron
trim and manual pitch trim are on the central pedestal.
The TBM 850 has an integrated all-glass cockpit for each
crew position independently fed from separate Pitot and
Static systems. The engine instruments are located on
the left side of the central large 15 LCD screen allowing
good visibility for both crewmembers. The crew seats
include the standard three-point restraint harness and
are fully adjustable allowing the pilot and co-pilot a high
a level of comfort on long ying days. Instrument lighting
includes cockpit oodlights, background lighting for all
panels switches, overhead LCD map lights and control
yoke map lights.
Standard Cockpit Instruments and Avionics
Classic Flightdeck
The TBM 700/850 was equipped with a state-of-the-art
avionics system that included Honeywells EFIS 40
Flight Displays, a 3-axis autopilot, color weather radar,
terrain avoidance system, in-ight trafc avoidance
system (TCAS), dual Global Positioning System (GPS)
and an engine health/trend monitoring system. All
components selected for the TBM 850 have proven
performance histories.
Oxygen System
The emergency oxygen system is supplied by a 50.3
cubic foot composite external bottle that can sustain four
passengers and two crew members for one hour above
15,000 feet. If cabin pressurization is lost, oxygen will be
provided to the crew with two pressure-demand masks
and with four constant-ow masks for the passengers.
Passengers masks are automatically deployed in case
of sudden depressurization with an option for manual
deployment. The oxygen system was designed for safety
and easy servicing by maintenance personnel by placing
the oxygen bottle in the right carmen allowing access to
the bottle without the need to enter the cabin area.
T y p i c a l
Visibility from the Cockpit

The TBM 850 cockpit includes four large windshield
sections that provide the pilot with over 180 degrees
of maximum visibility from both crew positions. Since
the TBM 850 wings are installed behind the cockpit,
both crew positions also have an excellent downward
visibility. Additionally, the TBM 850 has a negative
deck angle in the landing conguration with full aps
extended which further improves forward visibility during
the landing phase.
I n s t r u m e n t s
&
A v i o n i c s
2 Tube Color EFIS (EHSI/EADI)
2 Airspeed Indicator
1 KFC 325 A/P (Auto-Pilot)
2 Vertical Speed Indicator
2 RVSM Approved Altimeters
1 Electrical Attitude Indicator
2 Garmin GNS 530 (IFR Com/Nav GPS)
1 Vacuum Stand-By Attitude Indicator
1 Radar Altimeter KRA 405B
Engine Control Gauges
1 Multi-Function Display Garmin GMX 2000 + GDL

69A XM Weather + XM Radio
Electric Pitch and Rudder Trim

Gas Generetor Tachometer
2 Transponder Garmin GTX 327/330

Shadin ETM 700 Engine Trent Monitoring System
1 Weather Radar Honeywell RDR 2000
Dual-Band ELT with Aircraft Identication
Honeywell IAHS including :
- KMH 880 (TAS Trafc Alert System & TWAS Terrain
Warning System)
- WX 500 Stormscope displayed on Garmin GMX 200
MFD
All-Glass Integrated Flightdeck

In 2008, DAHER-SOCATA introduced the TBMs all-glass integrated ightdeck, with the GARMIN G1000 suite, which
consists of the latest technology available today.
The TBM 850 comes standard with the GARMIN G1000 suite which includes the following:
2 GMA 1347 C Dual digital audio controller with

integrated marker beacon receiver, intercom and
public address capability on outer side for pilot and
co-pilot side.
2 GRS 77 Attitude and Heading Reference

System(AHRS).
2 GDU 1040A, 10.4 PFD display with three axis

flight dynamics, air speed, altitude, vertical speed,
HIS with perspective modes, turn, bank side slip, NAV/
COM frequencies indication and AP annunciation.
2 GDC 74B digital air-data computers w/dual probe

system.
1 GDU 1500 15 multi-function display with

engine(with optimum TRQ setting display), pressuriz
ation,electrical, fuel, flaps and trims indication, Crew
alerting System (CAS), checklist, aircraft synopticand
super large navigation mapping system.
2 GIA 63W Nav/Com/ILS/WAAS GPS.
2 GMU 44 tri-axial magnetometer.
1 GTX33 Mode S Transponder.

1 GCU 475 remote FMS control panel conveniently
located on the central consol.
1 GMC 710 autopilot mode controller located
inupper central panel.
4 GSA 81 torque flight servos (yaw, pitch, pitch
and trim roll).
1 GTA 82 adapter for yaw auto trim device.
2 GEA 71 Engine and airframe interface unit.
With its large screen displays and digital presentation of

data, the G1000 meets all the requirements of todays
serious pilots and owners, for whom the very latest
technology is a must. It integrates all primary ight,
navigation, communication, terrain, trafc, weather and
engine data on two large 10.4 inch and one 15-inch
high-resolution glass displays. The G1000 delivers
at-a-glance awareness that is comprehensive and
intuitive, and allows for an easy transition from the very
popular Garmin GNS 530 NAV/COM/GPS.
Everything from air data to engine instrumentation,
trafc and terrain is displayed on the super large
15-inch multi-function display, which is the largest

available today on any business jet.
Dual RVSM-compliant air data computers (ADCs) and
dual attitude and heading computers (AHCs) work
in concert with the three-axis digital autopilot, and
they supply complete ight management functionality
through two conveniently located control panels.
Traditional mechanical gyroscopic ight instruments
are replaced by an advanced and modern architecture,
which provides accurate digital output referencing the
aircraft position, rate, vector, and acceleration data.
This data also provides the GMC 710, which is the rst
entirely new autopilot designed and certied for the 21st
century, with all data necessary to navigate, including
the ability to maintain airspeed references and optimize
performance over the entire airspeed envelope. The
GMC 710 includes an automatic yaw control system
which keeps the ball centered throughout the duration of
the ight. The G1000 suite is customized specically to
the TBM and offers easy to use information such as Max
Cruise and Long Range optimum Torque setting display,
checklist, or systems synoptic for fuel, and electrical
systems. This new avionics provides unprecedented
situational awareness for weather, trafc and terrain,

while the complete ight management functionality
eases cockpit workload. Flight information is easier to
scan and process. Simplicity reduces the workload,
thus increasing safety to a level never reached in that
category of high performance aircraft.
The cockpit also features 3 stand-by pneumatic
instruments the indicated airspeed indicator, the
attitude indicator and the altitude indicator, all of which
are displayed conveniently and safely just in front of the
pilot alongside a magnetic compass.
Supportability
The TBM 850 aircraft is designed, built and tested to
operate safely and reliably throughout the world. When
servicing, inspection and/or maintenance is required,
service panels and doors are conveniently placed
to enable technicians to access all systems and
complete necessary inspection/servicing/repair actions
in minimum time using standard FAA or EASA repair
procedures.
Scheduled Inspections
Scheduled inspection requirements and intervals have
been established based on 20 years of experience with
the TBM airframe and the PT6A engine. The shortest
inspection interval is 100 ying/operating hours for
a limited number of checks only. Other items are
inspected at 300 hours, 600 hours and on an annual
(calendar) basis. As each aircraft ages, especially if it is
continually operated in harsh and humid environments,
the manufacturers maintenance program makes
provision for the additional inspections necessary to
ensure the continued serviceability of the aircraft. These
inspections are normally performed at the rst interval
of 10 years or 6000 ight hours and, thereafter, every
5 years or 3000 ight hours. All inspection actions can
be accomplished by any certied mechanic using
DAHER-SOCATA provided inspection checklists.
to monitor and expedite component repair status,

accumulate failure and repair data for trend analysis
and to identify opportunities to improve component
performance and reliability across the TBM eet.
DAHER-SOCATA customers have a free access to the
TBM 700/850 aircraft parts catalog online allowing
them to look up parts and verify pricing in real time.
DAHER-SOCATA was among the rst to bring Internet
technology to this kind of application in General Aviation.
This is a sign of DAHER-SOCATAs intent to use the best
of information technology and offer the highest possible
level of customer support.
Visit www.mysocata.com
Field Service
Representatives
DAHER-SOCATA Field Service Representatives regularly
visit DAHER-SOCATAs network of distributors and
service centers to provide them with the latest technical
information, advice and assistance. Field representatives
are available 24/7. They provide direct and on-site
technical support to assist customers and operators. They
regularly visit the service centers to provide training and
proper feedback to the factory with in-the-eld experience.
When a factory repair solution is needed, they will insure
proper interface with the factory for the best quality and
safety before returning an aircraft into service.
Warranty
DAHER-SOCATA offers one of the best warranties in the industry as follows based on information from B/CA and other
industry sources:
Airframe (excluding systems and major components) - 7 years or 3,500 hours of aircraft operation
Systems - 2 years or 1,000 hours
Engine - 5 years or 2,500 hours of aircraft operation
Hartzell propeller - 2 years or 1,000 hours of aircraft operation
Paint and interior furnishings - 2 years or 1,000 hours of aircraft operation.
Garmin Avionics - 2 years
Options to extend systems warranty coverage
Training
In the USA, all initial TBM ight training is provided through DAHER-SOCATAs training partner Simcom International.
Simcom utilizes two Level 5 ight training device based on a real TBM cockpit which are EFIS and GNS 530 or G1000
equipped. Simcom also provides factory approved maintenance training on the TBM family.
The G1000 TBM 850 ight training device (FTD) is fully operational in Orlando.
The new training tool has a high-resolution visual system and is congured with the TBM 850s Garmin G1000
integrated avionics suite. Its location on the U.S. south Atlantic coast centrally positions the simulator for TBM 850
operators throughout North America which is the single largest geographic market for the very fast turboprop aircraft,
as well as for customers in Latin and Central America.
The TBM 850 FTDs visual system uses a Redifun RASTER XT image generator with a 172-deg.-wide eld of view. This
advanced 60-Hz visual system offers day/dawn/dusk/night or continuous time of day operation. It features more than
15,000 light points per channel with 2.5-arc-minute resolution and uni- and bi-directional light point lobe patterns. In
addition, the FTD integrates new functions on instructor touch screens and a new improved audio system.
Spares
With a growing eet of TBMs operating worldwide,
DAHER-SOCATA has existing working relationships with
component vendors and/or manufacturers.
DAHER-SOCATAs extensive parts inventory is
strategically located at multiple service centers,
ensuring absolute minimum downtime for maintenance.
When TBM aircraft components fail, DAHER-SOCATAauthorized service centers complete Technical Trouble
Reports (TTR) to allow DAHER-SOCATA and its vendors
6. Insurability:
Insuring your TBM in the USA
We asked Tom Chappell to answer few questions

about insurance. Tom Chappell is the President
and CEO of Chappell, Smith & Associates, Inc., the
parent company of CS&A Aviation Insurance. Tom is a
graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has
specialized in aviation insurance for the past 35 years.
He is considered one of the aviation industrys foremost
authorities on insurance, as well as a respected speaker
and writer on aviation insurance and risk management.
CS&A Aviation Insurance has ofces in Tennessee and
in Georgia and can be contacted at 800-999-1109 or
800-761-2557.
How many full line aviation insurance
companies operate in the United States?
There are a total of ten primary aviation underwriting
facilities. Of these, one is AVEMCO, a customer direct
underwriter and the only aviation underwriting company
in the U.S. that is not represented by Chappell Smith
& Associates, Inc. The other nine have carved out
various market segments and have varying capacities
both in the amount of hull and liability insurance they
can or will underwrite. Although most underwriters look
favorably toward the TBM, some do not really know and
understand the aircraft. This causes a wide variation in
underwriting approaches and rating methods.
How does each of the underwriting facilities
treat the TBM?
One company, Aerospace Insurance Managers, can
write a maximum of $1,000,000 in hull value. Obviously,
this limited capacity eliminates this market from
consideration when insuring the TBM with minimum hull
values of at least 1.5 million dollars. London Aviation
Underwriters will write the aircraft but have a maximum
hull limit of $2,000,000. This effectively excludes the
2002 and newer models. Although not a market for the
new aircraft because of limited hull capacity, we should
not underestimate the value of this company for our
used eet.
Global Aviation Underwriters, USAIG, and Phoenix

Aviation prefer not to participate on transitioning pilots.
Global and Phoenix will quote and can be competitive
on accounts that have skilled pleasure and business
pilots with reasonable make and model time. W. Brown
and AIG will quote a transitioning risk but prefer that
the pilot has a bit of experience. USSIC is still the most
cooperative transition market. Allianz began writing
primary general aviation placements on July 1st, 2006.
It is too early to tell what their appetite will be for the
TBM. On the casualty side, the limit of liability available
varies not only with regard for the experience of the pilot
but according to the maximum capacity of the insurance
company, as well. Some companies can offer no more
than $2,000,000 CSL including passengers. Some can
offer a maximum of $1,000,000 CSL with a passenger
seat restriction of $100,000. Of course, others have
much higher capacity if the pilot is experienced and
meets or exceeds all underwriter training requirements.
Keep in mind, the less qualied pilots may be limited to
$1 million with $100,000 per passenger seat while the
more professional pilot will nd higher limits available
at a much more affordable premium.
Is excess liability available?
In many underwriting situations, excess limits of liability
are available if the primary insurance company is unable
to meet the needs of the insured. The excess underwriter
approaches a risk in much the same way as a primary
underwriter. The better the pilot and aircraft, the easier
it is to insure at a reasonable price. There is one major
exception. The higher the primary limit of liability, the
cheaper the excess limit will be. As an example, the
excess underwriter realizes that his exposure to a loss
is less if the primary limit of liability is $5,000,000 CSL
than if it is only $1,000,000. This affects the price and
availability of coverage.
Pilot Qualications
Since the accident rate for the TBM is low, it has a
favorable reputation with insurance underwriters. In
short, it is recognized as a very good and safe aircraft.
There is one major underwriting concern remaining,
the pilots qualications. What is the pilots total pilot
in command time, what is his turbine time, etc? If
the pilot has over 1000 hours total PIC time and has
commercial (or private) and instrument rating, he should
be insurable. If he has time in high performance aircraft
and some turbine experience, the job gets easier and
the premiums improve. If he is transitioning from the
Malibu, Bonanza, or other high performance aircraft,
insurability is good. In short, many underwriters view
pilots transitioning from the high performance aircraft
to the TBM favorably. (Pilots with less than the 1000
hours total time can be insured if they receive acceptable
transition training.) Depending upon a pilots experience,
the underwriter may require dual instruction in addition
to the manufacturers recommended initial ground
and ight school. The pilot offering the dual would be
expected to be knowledgeable not only in turbine aircraft
but in the TBM as well.
Realizing the market potential for the transitioning pilot
to move into the high performance TBM 700 and now
the TBM 850, the DAHER-SOCATA distributors began
to develop a pre-SimCom, pre-simulator transitioning
program. The idea is to have the transitioning pilot
fully competent in the aircraft before going to school.
It is believed that a pilots time is much more benecial
in school and in the simulator if he is oriented to the
aircraft in advance.
More highly skilled pilots, those with prior turbine
experience can transition with much less transition
training.
Thanks to DAHER-SOCATA, the folks at SimCom, Turbine
Solutions (TSI), Trey Hughes, as well as the sponsoring
DAHER-SOCATA distributors, the TBM owner/operator

has one of the best initial and recurrent training programs
available for any general aviation aircraft.
By continuing to educate and communicate with the
aviation underwriting community about the TBM and
the available training, we have been able to encourage
an increasing enthusiasm among the underwriting
community.
CS&A, TSI, and SimCom have made every effort to
insure that the underwriting community understands
the TBM. Im not talking just a brochure and a poster,
but hands on experience, some simulator time and
some right seat time with an experienced instructor.
In addition, we offer a face-to-face brieng on the
systems and emergency procedures for this aircraft and
a true feel of the ease in transitioning. Only then can an
underwriter decide for him/herself what is a good risk or
a good transitioning plan.
It is imperative that the TBM retain its good reputation.
DAHER-SOCATA, SimCom, and the DAHER-SOCATA
distributors have done their part introducing the aircraft
to the insurance industry. The rest may be up to you
in conducting safe operations. If, in the years to come,
our losses remain in check, I look forward to a great
experience with this champion There is no question, the
underwriting community is hoping for success. Keep in
mind, the ability to insure economically helps maintain
the value of the aicraft and the desire to own the TBM.
Tom Chappell
Article published at TBMOPA 2006 Convention
CS&A - http://www.aviationinsurance.com/
7. DAHER-SOCATA
Sales & Support Network
Sales & Support Network

DAHER-SOCATA has an extensive distribution network that is composed of the premium independent
aircraft distribution organizations in the world:
North America
Europe
Subsidiary SOCATA North America
Headquarters and Manufacturing
Direct sales offices
ASR (Czech Rep, France, Germany, Italy,

Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland)
Distributors
ASR
Service Centers
South America
Distributor (Brazil)
Service Centers/ Spare Parts Dealers (Austria,

Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Greece,
Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Belgium,
Italy, Netherlands)
Africa
Distributor (South Africa)
ASR (Dominican Rep., Mexico, Puerto Rico)
Asia-Pacic
ASR (Australia)
Service Centers/ Spare Parts Dealers
(Australia, China)
Sales Network
North America
North America
Canada
SOCATA North America, Inc.
Michel de Villiers
Hollywood North Perry Airport (HWO)
7501 S. Airport Road
Pembroke Pines, FL 33023
Tel. +1 (954) 893 1414
Fax +1 (954) 964 0805
m.de-villiers@socata.daher.com
USA
Florida
Mark Diaz
Tel. +1 (954) 893 1400
Cel. +1 (954) 612 1956
Fax +1 (954) 964 0805
m.diaz@socata.daher.com
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia,

South Carolina, Tennessee,
North Carolina
SOCATA North America, Inc
Mike Sarseld
Peachtree Dekalb Airport (PDK)
1951 Airport Road, Suite 120
Atlanta, GA 30341
Tel. +1 (770) 458 2425
Cel. +1 (770) 335 4745
Fax +1 (678) 807 2912
m.sarseld@socata.daher.com
Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming
Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio
Northwest Aircraft Sales

Brian Jones
Aurora State Airport (UAO)
14337 Kell Rd. N.E.
Aurora, OR 97002
Tel. +1 (866) 218 7900
Tel. +1 (503) 678 6070
Fax +1 (503) 678 6071
Contact: Brian Jones (1 801 550-8444)
bjones@maslc.com
www.nwaircraft.com
Muncie Aviation
Martin Ingram
Delaware County Airport (MIE)
5201 Walnut Street
Municie, Indiana 447303
Tel. +1 (800) 289 7141
Tel. +1 (765) 289 7141
Fax +1 (765) 289 0145
Contact: Martin Ingram (765 749 2735)
martin@muncieaviation.com
www.muncieaviation.com
New Mexico, Arizona, California,

Nevada, Utah, Colorado
North Dakota, South Dakota,

Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa
New Avex, Inc

Terry Winson
New Avex, Inc.
Camarillo Airport (CMA)
205 Durley Avenue, Suite A
Camarillo, CA 93010
Tel. +1 (800) 475 1057
Tel. +1 (805) 389 1188
Fax +1 (805) 389 3323
Contact: Terry Winson (1 805 312 5005)
terrywinson@newavex.com
www.newavex.com
Elliott Aviation
Todd Jackson
Flying Cloud Airport
13801 Pioneer Trail
Eden Prairie, MN 55347-2617
Tel. +1 (800) 541 9110
Tel. +1 (952) 944 1200
Fax +1 (952) 944 8614
Contact: Todd Jackson (1 612 382-0386)
tjackson@elliottaviation.com
www.elliottaviation.com
Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania,

New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine,
New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland
Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma,

Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri
Cutter Aviation, Inc
David Crockett
San Antonio International Airport, Inc. (SAT)
367 Sandau Road
San Antonio, TX 78216
Tel. +1 (210) 340 6780
Fax +1 (210) 340 8804
dcrockett@cutteraviation.com
www.cutteraviation.com
Columbia Aircraft, Inc.

Ken Dono
Groton-New London Airport (GON)
175 Tower Avenue
Groton, Connecticut 06340
Tel. +1 (800) 575 50 01
Tel. +1 (860) 449 8999
Fax +1 (860) 449 9924
Contact: Ken Dono (1 617 834-5217)
kdono@columbiaaircraftsales.com
www.columbiaairservices.com
Latin America
Europe
Africa
Asia / Middle East
Brazil
South Africa
Australia & New Zealand
Algar Aviation
Paulo Roberto
Aeroporto de Uberlandia
Hangar Valter Garcia
CEP 38406-393 Uberlandia MG
Brazil
Tel. 55 34 3292 6655
Fax. 55 34 3212 0101
Contact: Paulo Roberto (+55 31 9956 4128)
paulo@abctaxiaereo.com.br
www.abctaxiaereo.com.br
NATIONAL AIRWAYS CORPORATION (NAC)

Martin Banner
HANGAR 104C, Gate 15
P.O Box 293, LANSERIA AIRPORT
LANSERIA 1748
Tel. 27 11 267 5000
Cel. 27 83 651 5092
Fax. 27 11 267 5054
martin.banner@nac.co.za
EXECUTIVE AIRLINES
Rob Carratello
Cnr Short St & Nomad Rd
Essendon Airport 3041
Victoria Australia
Tel. +61 (0)3 9374 1777
Cel. +61 (0)458 329 372
Fax. +61 (0)3 9379 7321
r.carratello@executiveairlines.com.au
Latin America, Except Brazil

Rui Almeida
Tel. +1 (954) 893 9579
Cel. +1 (954) 907 3391
Fax +1 (954) 964 0805
Contact: Rui Almeida
r.almeida@socata.daher.com
France
SOCATA
Aroport de Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrnes
65921 Tarbes Cedex 9, France
Guillaume Montreau
Tel. +33 (0)5 62 41 76 92
Cel. +33 (0)6 07 38 05 07
Fax. +33 (0)5 62 41 73 05
g.montreau@socata.daher.com
Gerard Bodin
Tel. +33 (0)5 62 41 71 41
Cel. +33 (0)6 70 21 70 44
Fax. +33 (0)5 62 41 71 40
g.bodin@socata.daher.com
Northern Africa
SOCATA
Aroport de Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrnes
65921 Tarbes Cedex 9, France
Tel. +33 (0)5 62 41 73 00
Fax. +33 (0)5 62 41 73 05
info@socata.daher.com
Support Network
DAHER-SOCATA Customer Service is a dedicated
organization on which customers are able to rely on.
Our integrated teams are based in:
Pembroke Pines, Florida, USA, to support
customers from the Americas.
Tarbes, France, to support customers from other
regions of the world.
In-situ Field Rep assistance and regular visits from

DAHER-SOCATA.
Special access to Technical forum and continuous
line of communication.
Spare Parts distributor.
Capability to ensure the technical support, with
a local contact.
Full warranty administration.
Contacts
The next pages contain DAHER-SOCATA Worldwide
Service Center Network.
DAHER-SOCATA support network is based on:
Service Center
Capability to work on the TBM or TB fleet range.
Service Center for Maintenance.
Distributors
Capability to work on the total fleet range.
Service Center for total Maintenance, audited and
harmonised with DAHER-SOCATA Maintenance
practices.
Assistance and visits from DAHER-SOCATA.

Special access to Technical forum and
continuous line of communication.
Point of contact for some technical
support assistance.
Service Centers North America
Service Centers Europe
Service Centers Australia
Service Centers South East Asia
Service Centers Africa
8. Direct Operating Costs
200 hrs
per year
Cost Category
Unit Cost
Fuel Cost (1)
60 gal per hr at $4.56 per gal
Oil
$10.00 per quart every 15

hours
General Maintenance (2)
0,75 per ight hour + parts
Prop Overhaul (3)
400 hrs
per year
600 hrs
per year
$273,60
$273,60
$273,60
$0,67
$0,67
$0,67
$105,00
$105,00
$105,00
$9,000 (3,000 hours or 6 years)
$7,50
$3,75
$3,00
Gear Maintenance (4)
$6,175
$3,09
$1,54
$1,03
Five-year items inspection (5)
$16,000 for 5 years items
$16,00
$8,00
$5,33
Hot Section Inspection (6)
$15,000 at 1,750 hours
$8,57
$8,57
$8,57
Engine Overhaul (6)
$260,000 at 3,500 hours
$74,29
$74,29
$74,29
$488,71
$475,42
$471,49
Total Direct Costs

Direct Costs
From above
$488,71
$475,42
$471,49
Insurance (7)
$30 000,00
$150,00
$75,00
$50,00
Hangar
$9 600,00
$48,00
$24,00
$16,00
Training, Charts, Etc.
$3 500,00
$17,50
$8,75
$5,83
$704,21
$583,17
$543,32
$260,00
$130,00
$86,67
$981,71
$721,92
$635,82
Total cost owner-own

Pilot cost (8)
Total cost with pilot
$52 000,00
(1) Based on B&CA fuel survey - November 2009 - (2) Based on $100 per labor hour plus $30 Parts Cost - (3) Source Hartzell Propeller Inc.
(4) Based on Landing Gear Long Life Program (5,000 cycles) - (5) Scheduled 5 years items - (6) Average industry cost
(7) Average industry cost - 1% hull value per year - (8) Average salary - ProPilot Salary Survey - June 2009
9. Competitive Comparisons
TBM 850 vs
Cessna Mustang
Cruise at mid-Weight, ISA, High Speed
All the data and criteria used to do the comparison

between the DAHER-SOCATAs TBM 850 and the
Cessnas Mustang, are based on the public information
released into the Pilot Operating Handbooks and Flight
Planning Guides of the two Aircraft.
Take-off Distances
It is known that the Turboprops have better performance
at take-off than Turbofan powered Aircraft. Thus, TBM
and Mustang follow the same rule.
TBM 850 provides better take-off distances and load
carrying capability than Cessnas Mustang allowing
TBM 850 operators to utilize far more Airports than the
ones ying the Mustang allowing them to y closer to
their intended destination especially at higher altitudes
and on hot days.
TBM 850
Mustang
TBMs
advantage
SL, ISA, MOTW
2,840 ft
3,110 ft
270 ft
4000 ft, 20C, MTOW
3 760 ft
4 320 ft
560 ft
6000 ft, 20C, MTOW
4 235 ft
4 840 ft
605 ft
Take-off Distance
The published data used considers an obstacle of 50 ft

for the TBM 850 and 35 ft for Mustang, even though the
results show that in all cases the TBM 850 has better
performance, requiring less runway distance to take-off.
This performance advantage for the TBM increases in Hot
& High conditions. As an example at 6000 ft and 20C,
the TBM 850 requires 605 ft less runway to take-off.
Speed and Travel Time

DAHER-SOCATAs TBM 850 is the best in class Very
Fast Turboprop which features speed comparable to
those of Very Light Jets with similar travel time and
better fuel efciency.
Speed
TBM 850
Speed
Mustang
Difference
FL 270
319 Knots
342 Knots
23 KTS
FL 310
315 Knots
341 Knots
26 KTS
*Ceiling FL (310/410)
315 Knots
317 Knots
< -1 %
Flight Level
Jet Aircraft require ying at high altitude in order to have

reasonable fuel economy and range. For instance, in
order to reach the advertised range data the Mustang
must y at FL410, where its max Airspeed is reduced
by 23 KTS, cancelling almost any speed advantage
towards the TBM.
TBMs max speed is close to those of VLJ at almost any
altitude. However, more important than the speed itself
is the travel time, which is the time needed to travel a
distance including all phases of the ight (Climb, Cruise
at Flight Level and Descent).
We have analyzed different mission proles to compare
the real operational performance of the TBM 850 and
the Mustang. Hereunder are the results (Assuming
NBAA IFR Fuel reserve):
MTOW, Max Cruise, ISA, NBAA IFR, 4 people

on board, FL @ Ceiling, zero wind
Trip Distance
(nm)
TBM 850
Mustang
Difference
300
1:06
1:04
+2 min
600
2:03
2:01
+2 min
1 000
3:19
3:16
+3 min
1 200
3:57
4:32
35 min
(Mustang
> 1 stop)
This analysis demonstrates that the TBM 850 travel

time is at the maximum, just a few minutes longer
than the Mustangs, with a much better fuel efciency
advantage, as shown below.
Fuel Consumption on the Trip
Range vs. Payload
Landing Distances
Fuel consumption has been calculated based on the

same mission proles.
The TBM 850 offers excellent range and load carrying

capabilities, much better than that of the Mustang and
most VLJs.
The TBM 850, being lighter than the Mustang and

featuring lower approach speeds, is able to land in shorter
distances than the Mustang. For this comparison, equal
payload (4 people on board at 200 lb each) and NBAA
IFR fuel reserves are used.
MTOW, Max Cruise, ISA, NBAA IFR, 4 people

on board, FL @ Ceiling, zero wind
Max Cruise, ISA, NBAA IFR reserves, ceiling FL, no wind
Trip Distance
(nm)
TBM 850
Mustang
TBMs
Advantage
300
73 Gal
104 Gal
30 %
Distance
(nm))
600
126 Gal
170 Gal
26 %
1 000
197 Gal
258 Gal
24 %
340 Gal
46%
(Mustang>1
stop)
1 200
232 Gal
The results show that for similar travel time, the TBM is
able to offer signicant fuel savings in the range of 25%
to 30% as compared to the Mustang with both Aircraft
travelling at their maximum altitude.
When the Mustang is not able to climb directly to FL410,
for instance in the case of altitude restrictions given by
ATC, the gap between the two Aircraft is increasing
drastically.
Fuel efciency of the Jet powered Aircraft can then be
45-55% worse than the TBMs.
TBM 850
Mustang
TBMs
Advantage
300
1 443
1 200
20 %
800
1 406l
1 123
25 %
1 000
1 168
828
41 %
1 200
931
Not able
The performance chart above shows that the TBM 850

has a signicant advantage when considering both
Payload and Range capabilities. The TBM 850 offers
an extra 300 nm in range and between 20% to 40%
superior payload capacity.
SL, ISA, Zero Wind, dry runway, NBAA IFR

reserves, 4 people on board @ 200lb each
TBM 850
Mustang
Landing
Weight
Landing
Distance
Landing
Weight
Landing
Distance
5 757 lb
1 947 ft
6 973 lb
2 132 ft
On a typical landing, the TBM 850 requires 185 ft less

(-9%) runway than the Mustang.
Shorter Landing distance offers greater

margins of safety
The TBM 850 can go 30% further

carrying up to 40% more payload
The TBM 850 delivers jet-like speeds

with greater efciency and economics!
Summary Analysis
Flying Aug 2008
Table Comparison: TBM 850 vs. Mustang

Trip Distance
(nm)
Take off Distance
Strength
Best
Performer
TBM 850
Block Time / Speed
TBM 850
Mustang
Block Fuel
TBM 850
Payload
TBM 850
Range
TBM 850
Landing Distance
TBM 850
The table above is self-explanatory. On most of the

criteria the TBM 850 delivers a veritable performance
advantage over the Mustang.
The TBM has long been attractive for its speed,

range and good ying qualities, but when you add its
remarkable fuel efciency at high speeds it really is the
airplane to beat in todays world of sky-high fuel prices.
A huge ight deck that looks more like a new 737 than
a single-engine turboprop.
AOPA May 2008
The ultimate personal turbine single, now with Garmin

panel power.
B&CA Aug 2009
TBM
The TBM 850 offers superior runway performance,

payload, range and fuel economy while proving
essentially identical trip times than the Cessna Mustang
over the complete spectrum of mission proles.
Mission
300 nm
600 nm
Professional Pilot Aug 2009
DAHER-SOCATA is a management change and DAHER

appears to have pumped new energy and customer
focus into TBM. The steady rise from 4th in 2007 to 2nd
in 2009 is impressive and not eay to do. From an overall
tally of 7.49 moved up to 7.68. From an overall tally of
7.49 in 08 TBM service moved up to 7.68 for 09. This
manufacturer won 1st in the Tech Rep category with
8.56 this year as compared to 8.27 in 08. Operators
of TBM 700s and 850s scored the OEM high spares
availability with 7.67 in 09 as compared with 7.00 in 08.
Pilatus (8.37), Hawker Beechcraft (7.54), Cessna (7.18),
Piper (6.30)
1000 nm
Variable
Cost
TBM 850
Mustang
TBMs
Advantage
Flight Time
1h01
1h00
- 1 mn
Per-Mile
Cost
$1.59
$2.02
27%
Flight Time
1h59
1h56
- 3 mn
Per-Mile
Cost
$1.55
$1.95
25%
Flight Time
3h15
3h19
+4 mn
Per-Mile
Cost
$1.52
$2.01
32%
$468.24
$605.87
29%
TB M 850
R ANG E FIN D E R
A P P E N D I X
Appendix Content
Mooney 301 By Trey Hughes, Single Engine Program
Manager FlightSafety, Texas. P 60
How safe are they ? A reprint from an article by
David Esler, published in Business & Commercial Aviation,
August 1997. P 63
Moving Up: Your First Turbine. A reprint from
an article by Thomas.A. Horne, published in AOPA Pilot,
September 1992. P 64
Single Engine Turboprops. A reprint from an article by
David Esler published in Business & Commercial Aviation,
August 1997. P 67
The Propeller Makes a Comeback Again. A reprint from an article
by
J.Mac McClellan, Editor-In-Chief, Flying Magazine, April 2007. P 72
The ultimate personal turbine single, now with Garmin panel power
P 74
TBM 850 Still Fast With Glass
P 76
Getting Around in Style
P 80
Mooney 301
In December of 1973, just three months after buying
Mooney Aircraft, Republic Steel Corporation hired Roy
LoPresti as Vice President of Engineering. Among the
many projects developed by Mooney during the next
years, the design of a pressurized single was determined
to be necessary. In 1980, in response to the Cessna
P210 already in production, and to the pending offerings
from Beech and Piper (in development) Mooney began
design work on the M30 which was designated the
MX-1 in engineering.
The M30 was to be powered by a Lycoming TSIO-540
producing 360 horsepower. It would have a top speed of
262 knots, which was equal to 301 mph, and because
Mooney was into using speed as a name - it became
the Mooney 301.
The M30 was a completely new design for the Mooney
engineering department with no similarity to any M20
previously produced. It had high aspect ratio, natural
laminar ow wings, and large-span, Fowler type aps
which covered 90 percent of the wings trailing edge.
Roll control was to be spoilers augmented by small
ailerons on each wing. It would have a service ceiling
of 25,000 feet and a cabin pressurized to 5 psig. This
would give a 9000-foot cabin altitude at FL250.
Since the design was so different, Mr. LoPresti brought
his own engineers in to do the design work, separating
the M20 engineers from those working on the 301.
This did not create peace and harmony within the
engineering staff!
The rst ight was on April 7, 1983, and production was
scheduled to begin in 1985. In July 1984 Republic Steel
was bought by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV Corporation) of
Dallas Texas. LTV immediately ordered Republic Steel
to dispose of Mooney Aircraft. After a short (6 week)
ownership by a group if investors from Minnesota called
the Morrison Company, Mooney was again sold. This
time to a consortium made up of investors from France

lead by Alec Couvelaire (a Mooney dealer in Paris) and
Armand Rivard (owner of Lake Aircraft).
Production of the Mooney 301, rst planned for 1985
was delayed until 1986, and then delayed indenitely
after the purchase by the French.
The new engineers, some hired by the French, determined
that the 301 was too heavy and too slow. It would just
barely y level with the aps partially deployed with two
test pilots and full fuel. Because the airplane was above
projected maximum gross weight in this conguration (it
didnt have any pressurization installed yet, which would
have made it even heavier), the determination was that
it needed a complete rework of the aerodynamics and
a bigger engine. Early wind tunnel testing proved that
the airfoil had some problems. When the aps were
retracted during ight, the airplane stalled!
Management decided that 260 knots was too slow for
the projected market for this airplane. Mr. Couvelaire
thought that the buyers would demand something close
to 300 knots cruise speed. It was his feeling that Mooney
did not have the resources (either nancial or technical)
to engineer and produce a single engine,turbine powered,
pressurized aircraft in 1985. Alec initiated a joint venture
between Mooney Aircraft in Kerrville and the SOCATA
Division of Aerospatiale in France. This joint venture was
to become the TBM700, and proposed a cruise speed
of 300 knots true, a service ceiling of 30,000 feet, and
a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-64 powerplant.
The TBM700 was the rst purpose built pressurized,
single-engine, turboprop ever designed. In 1987,
all the engineering data for the M30 was delivered
to the engineers in Tarbes France, the home of
SOCATA. In addition to the design information, the only
ying 301 prototype was disassembled and shipped to
France for examination.In July 1988 the rst prototype
was shown in Tarbes.
By now the consortium had grown to be Mooney,
Aerospatiale, and a group of investors from Finland
called Valmet. Each would provide operating capitol,

although Aerospatiale was heavily funded by loans
from the French government. In addition, Mooney and
SOCATA would each build sub-assemblies and major
component structures, which would be assembled on
two parallel production lines in the U.S. and France.
In 1989, Mooney purchased from the bank, the former
Million-Air facility located on San Antonio International
Airport. This facility was to be the showcase for Mooney
Aircraft with sales; service and delivery all located in a
new, separate location from the factory. This building
was also to house the newly formed TBM North America,
Inc. which was the sales and service arm of the joint
venture in the U.S.
Also, the new facility was large enough to allow for the
assembly line for the TBM700, and keep it apart from
the regular Mooney production line in Kerrville. I suspect
this was a requirement from the French Aerospatiale
which was also building a Mooney rival - the Trinidad.
Each member of the consortium was to provide onethird of the projected $20 million development cost.
In 1989 Valmet dropped out having failed to raise the
necessary capitol from its investors. This left Mooney
(1/3) and Aerospatiale (2/3) as partners, and paved the
way for much disagreement. Although in 1989, Alec
Couvelaire and Pierre Gautier from SOCATA announced
a formal commitment to production, by the summer of
1989 Mooney had been dropped from the partnership, and
the TBM700 became completely a product of SOCATA.
Although SOCATA design utilized their own ideas for
the shape of the fuselage and wings, they did use the
engineering provided by Kerrville for the ight control
operation. This is noted by the large span, single-slot
Fowler ap with spoilers and small ailerons found on
the TBM700. The M30 (301 prototype) was returned
to Kerrville where it sat in the corner of engineering for
many years. Finally, after all of the lawsuits from the
Mooney/SOCATA brake-up were settled, it was destroyed.
Because the design had so many aws, it was decided

that is should be scrapped, so the wings were cut-off,
and Tom Bowen gave it to an A&P school in Abilene
Texas.
Although it never made it past one ying prototype,
parts of the Mooney M30, 301 are ying today in every
TBM700. In fact, you could say that the TBM700 was
the brainchild of Alec Couvelaire and the engineers at
Mooney Aircraft. By the way, TB stands for Tarbes,
France and M is for Mooney. The 700 is the at-rated
shaft horsepower of the PT6A-64 engine.
My thanks go to Brant Dahlfors, former VP Marketing and
Sales at Mooney and at TBM North America (currently
with Bombardier Learjet), Larry Ball and his book Those
Remarkable Mooneys, and Tom Bowen at MAC.
Keep your airspeed up, and Dont do nuthin dumb!
Trey Hughes
Single Engine Program Manager FlightSafety Texas
Mooney 301 Specications:

Cabin: 6-place, pressurized
Top speed: 301mph / 262 knots / 484kmh
Cruise, max altitude, 75% power:
270 mph / 235 knots / 435 kmh
Fuel consumption at cruise: 19.7 gph / 74.6 lph
Fuel capacity: 100 gallons / 379 liters
Range, at cruise, 45 min. reserve:
1,134 miles / 986 nm / 1,825 km
Max. certied altitude: 25,000 (7,620 m)
Rate of climb: 1,400 fpm / 7.1 m/sec
Gross weight: 4,000 lb / 1,814 kg
Useful load: 1,600 lb / 726 kg
Wing span: 37 0 / 11.3 m
Length: 29 8 / 9.0 m
Height: 9 10 / 3.0 m
How Safe
Are They?
A study of loss-of-power accidents among four categories
of aircraft from 1990 to 1994 conducted by safety
expert Robert E. Breiling revealed that single-engine
turboprop aircraft (including crop dusters) experienced
fewer crashes than reciprocating-engine singles and
twins, chalking up a safety record nearly as good as
their multiengine turboprop siblings. Breiling used NTSB
and FAA databases to reach his ndings.
When assessing all causes of in-ight engine failuresfuel
starvation and pilot error as well as mechanical factors
single-engine recipes accounted for the largest share of
accidents30.3 percentfollowed by multiengine
recipes at 28.7 percent. Turboprops single experienced
19.9 percent of accidents and multiengine turboprops,
18.5 percent. But Breiling adds a caveat, explaining that
the single-engine turboprop category is comprised of
aircraft that operate in other-than-routine environments,
such as agricultural operations.
In other words, the NTSB and the FAA dont differentiate
between aircraft types, including all single-engine
turboprops in the same category; even ag planes.
If the category were conned to singles like the Cessna
Caravan, SOCATA TBM 700 and Pilatus PC 12, the
single-engine turboprop engine-out safety record would
probably appear even better, possibly eclipsing that of
the multiengine turboprops.
Likewise, when loss-of-power accidents are conned
solely mechanical causes, the single turboprops come
out ahead of single-engine and multiengine recipes, but
behind the multiengine turboprops, 10.9 versus 8.2
percent.
turboprop singles slip slightly behind the multi recipes,

0.79 versus 0.74. Single-engine recipes lead with
1.55 accidents per 100,000 hours and multiengine
turboprops trailthat is, they reect the best safety
recordat 0.19.
Signicantly, forthe 1990 to 1994 study period, all but
two of the single-engine turboprop loss-of-power
accidents involved agricultural aircraft. The non-ag
accidents were experienced by Caravans engaged
in package express duty, and in both cases, the
pilots survived (see main story). As of this spring,
these accidents represented the only in-ight engine
failures due to mechanical causes recorded for the
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A powered Caravan since
the aircraft entered service in 1984.
In a related study, Breiling compared the Caravan
and TBM 700 to the piston-engine Piper PA-46
Malibu for the period of 1984 to 1995. (The Caravan
and Malibu entered service at about the same time,
while the TBM 700 came on line in 1990.) During
the period, the Malibu experienced 10 powerplant
malfunctions/failures, for a power-loss accident rate
of 0.95 per 100,000 hours. The Caravanagain,
with two in-ight power failureshad a power-loss
accident rate of 0.173, while the TBMs was zero.
Breilings conclusions: Both the Cessna Caravan
and the TBM 700 accident analysis and operational
experience has proven the reliability and dependability
of single turbine powerplant-congured aircraft to be far
superior to that of reciprocating engine-powered aircraft
from a powerplant mechanical malfunction/failure
standpoint.
David Esler,
Business and Commercial Aviation, August 1997
However, in calculating mechanically related lossof-power accident rates per 100,00 ight hours, the
Moving Up:
Your First
Turbine
Basics for the new left-seater
So youve decided to trade in your piston-engine

airplane for a turboprop. Your choice is a logical one if
you frequently y for business, and if you are seeking
greater range, speed, reliability, comfort, and safety. As
the piston-powered eet continues its inexorable slide
into old age, more and more pilots like yourself are
making the same decision-and nding that operating
a turboprop offers the kind of performance and
sophistication that leaves most piston singles and twins
far, far behind.
Naturally, the turboprops advantages come at a price.
This price, to be sure, can be measured in dollars, but
there is an educational commitment that must also be
made if you are to realize a turboprops full potential
in terms of safety. The learning also pays off in huge
savings on maintenance expenses.
A pilot new to turboprops has to turn some of his thinking
around. Even seemingly simple matters, such as battery
maintenance and engine starting, take on whole new
dimensions of importance. In piston-powered airplanes,
engine starts usually amount to little more than priming the
engine with fuel, engaging magnetos and start switches,
waiting for the start, and then monitoring oil pressure.
Not so with turbine-powered aircraft. This brings us to
the rst major re-education topic for neophyte turbine
pilots: developing a concern for excess heat. The
turbine starting procedure is a great place to begin to
address this concern. A turbine engine-be it attached to
a propeller or generating thrust all by itself-operates by
taking in air, compressing it, igniting a fuel/air mixture,

and then using the resultant power to turn a propeller
shaft or send its energy out the back in the form of pure
thrust. The power cycle is created through the rotation
of numerous compressor disks and turbine wheels-each
one containing a multitude of precisely machined
blades. Compared to the clatter of a piston engines
shafts, lifters, valves, push rods, and other moving parts,
the turbine engine runs smoother. This is one of the
main reasons why they are more long-lived and reliable.
Without an adequate amount of air owing through the
engine, a turbine engines combustor (commonly called
the hot section) can become very hot indeed, especially
during an engine start-hot enough to destroy expensive
compressor wheels and turbine disks (at $20,000 per
disk) and ruin the entire engine (overhaul cost: about
$180,000 per engine).
This is the dreaded hot start, and because a hot start can
be so disastrous, the pilot must rst spool the compressor
up to a given value (12-percent compressor series of
engines) before introducing fuel to the combustor. The
spool-up is initiated by engaging a start switch. Then, the
pilot turns his attention to the compressor (sometimes
called gas generator, of Ng) speed, as depicted on a
compressor speed gauge. When at least 12 percent-to
stay with the PT6 example-is reached, the pilot moves
the engines condition lever to the Run position.
The condition lever will be another novelty to a step-up
turbine pilot. Like the mixture lever in a piston-powered
aircraft, the condition lever is red and located at the
far right of the power quadrant. But thats where the
similarity ends. Condition levers are really just on/off
valves for delivering fuel. There may be low-idle and highidle positions for ground operations, but condition levers
have no metering function. Leaning is not required in
turbine engines; dedicated fuel control units perform this
function automatically as the aircraft climbs or descends.
Once fuel is introduced, the combustors igniters (the
turbine version of spark plugs) light off the fuel/air

mixture with a pleasing from. Keep you hand on the
condition lever.
Now its time to focus on the interturbine temperature
(ITT) gauge. If the needle climbs rapidly toward redline
or exceeds it for any length of time, you have a hot
start-and youd better do something about it right now.
Thats why your hand remains on the condition lever-to
be ready to immediately shut off the ow of fuel to a
dangerously hot engine.
What can cause a hot start? The most frequent cause is
an inadequate airow. What would cause this? A tired
battery, which is another concern that new turbine pilots
must address.
Unlike piston-powered aircraft, most turboprops and
jets use nickel-cadmium (nicad) batteries. This is
because their output remains at relatively high power
levels for longer periods of time than lead-acid batteries
used in piston aircraft. Until, that is, the day the nicad
runs out of powerat which time, its voltage drops off
very suddenly.
When that happens, its ability to turn the compressor
for a nice, cool start is greatly diminished. And the risk
of a hot start goes up. Thats why its so important to
check the batterys condition before every start. If its
voltage isnt up to snuff, dont attempt a battery start.
Just as with piston-powered aircraft, heat can be a
problem in climb and cruise, too. But with turbines,
the heat problem shows up in excessive ITTs, not
cylinder head temperatures or, in the case of certain
turbocharged piston engines, turbine inlet temperatures.
At low altitudes, the relatively dense air does a great job
of keeping a turbines ITTs in the green arc. But climb
into thinner air, and ITTs head for the red. Depending
on outside air temperature, you may nd that by the
time you reach 18,000 or 20,000 feet, you have to
reduce power in order to maintain safe ITTs. Depending

on the engine, ITT redline may even be reached at
lower altitudes--sometimes below 10,000 feet. So at
altitude, a turbine engine is temperature-limited in its
power output. The question is just a matter of how high;
all turbines will reach their ITT limits at some altitude.
Power limitations at low altitude center on the fact
that the engine output--measured in terms of torque,
or the amount of energy applied to the propeller-can exceed torque limits. Much the same way as it s
possible to overboost a turbocharged, piston-engine
airplane on takeoff, so is it possible to overtorque
a turboprop. On take off, its vital to keep a close
eye on the torque meters, lest they, too, surge past
redline, and high twisting forces threaten the integrity
of the propeller gearboxes. A turbine takeoff is never
a matter of rewalling the throttles-er, thrust levers.
High ITTs can also be the result of a dirty engine. In
todays high-pollution environment, a turbine engines
compressor blades can accumulate small but signicant
amounts of particulate deposits. These deposits decrease
compressor speeds, which in turn reduces airow
and therefore increases ITTs. To make up for the lost
compressor speed, pilots increase torque. Trouble is, this
increases fuel ow. So a dirty turbine engine will show the
following signs: higher than normal ITT, higher than
normal Ng, and higher than normal fuel ow.
The onset of these signs can be very subtle. Unless
youve been keeping track of them by using trend
monitoring (which graphs these values over hundreds
of hours), you might never notice the problem--until
the day you temp out on the takeoff run and nd
that you cant develop rated takeoff torque and power.
To prevent this, periodic compressor washes are
recommended. If you use trend monitoring, the trends
will tell you when to perform them. As a rule of thumb, a
compressor wash every 200 hours is good practice.
For aircraft operated in relatively unpolluted air,

intervals between washes may be substantially longer.
Many turbine engines have a compressor wash ring
installed right on the engine. With these, its a relatively
simple matter to hook up a hose to the ring, then run a
cleaning solvent into the ring while the engine is motored
(running the starter without introducing fuel). By the way,
the sight of the black, sooty compressor efuent may be
enough to make you an instant environmentalist.
Of course, moving up to turbines is not all batteries and
engines. Your education must also include a thorough
initiation into aircraft systems that are much more
complicated and capable than the ones youve been
accustomed to. Electrical systems can be especially
challenging to completely understand. Three, four, or
ve separate buses may be involved, and you must
learn which items are powered by which bus. In case
of a generator failure, you must learn how to shed
nonessential loads (unless you have an automatic
load-shedding system). Likewise, the workings of
inverters, transformer-rectiers, and current limiters may
also be new to you. So will their associated emergency
procedures.
The same may be true of pressurization, ice protection,
and hydraulic systems. In addition, youll need to be
procient in instrument ying and high-altitude
operations. On top of all this, it seems that each type of
turbine airplane has its own set of traps for the unwary.
So its important to be able to recognize and deal with
the quirks of any system.
Because a lack of knowledge or prociency can
have serious consequences in the event of any
system failure, its a good idea to attend a formal
course of study before putting your newly acquired
turboprop into service. For example, FlightSafety
Internationals pilot initial courses last a week and
theyre worth every bit of the $5,000-or-so tuition fee.
Once youve mastered the basics, turboprop ying

can provide a great deal of satisfaction. Youll have
the peace of mind that comes from having all-weather
capability, some of the latest in cockpit technology,
and enough reliable power to carry you and your
passengers in speed, style, and safety.
The shockers are the maintenance costs. Though
overhauls may now come at 3,500-hour instead of
1,400-hour intervals, that $360,000 price tag will still
get your attention in a hurry. So will the cost of hot
section inspections, at about $20,000 per engine and
every 1,200 hours or so. A good strategy, as with any
aircraft, is to set aside a healthy overhaul reserve as
part of your hourly cost of operation, and consider a
progressive maintenance schedule instead of one
based on annual inspections.
Is it worth it? I hear you ask. Given adequate business
use, mission proles consistent with the turboprops
strengths, an adequate net income, and a good
accountant, yes. However, there are other measures
that transcend the pecuniary. No small amount of a
turboprop twins safety factor comes from the fact that,
on one engine, most can easily manage a 500-foot-perminute climb, even at maximum gross weight. Think
about that the next time you shoot a night approach to
minimums, in high terrain, in a piston-powered aircraft.
Thomas.A.Horne
AOPA Pilot, September 1992

Reprinted/mm AOPA Pilot all rigths reserved.
Single-Engine
Turboprops:
Carving Their
Own Niche
Turboprop singles are amassing an impressive safety
record and paving the way for the emerging class of singleengine jets. Pilots are conditioned to think in terms of
multiples -- engines, avionics, vacuum and uid pumps,
generators, supporting crewmembers. If asked to name
their most essential redundancy, most business aircraft
pilots would unhesitatingly say engines. So it shouldnt be
surprising that business aviation, specically, corporate
ight departments and the insurance companies that
underwrite them, has traditionally cast a jaundiced eye
on single-engine airplanes, especially for the carriage of
executives and employees. What is slowly but relentlessly
chipping away at this mindset, however, is a relatively
new class of single-engine airplanes: small turboprops
developed specically for passengers, light cargo, and
utility hauling. In slightly more than a decade of service,
these kerosene-swilling singles -- the Cessna 208
Caravan, SOCATA TBM 700 and Pilatus PC-12 -- have
accumulated safety and reliability histories exceeding
those of single-engine and multiengine recips, and
nearly comparable to turboprop twins. (See How Safe
Are They? sidebar.) The turboprop singles also are
inadvertently laying the groundwork for acceptance of
an emerging class of single-engine business jets, e.g.,
the VisionAire Vantage. With that in mind, B/CA set out
to examine the single-engine turboprops capabilities,
learn how and by whom theyre being used, and
determine just how safe they are.
A Marriage
Made In Heaven
It would seem that the simplicity of the single-engine
airframe and the reliability and attractive power-toweight ratio of the gas turbine engine were ultimately
destined to meet in the marketplace, but the marriage
took a long time to broker. True, some retrot
programs were successful in mating turboprops to
existing piston-powered aircraft like the de Havilland
Beaver, A36 Bonanza, Cessna 206, Pressurized
Centurion P210 and -- most recently -- the Malibu,
but these reengining programs have tended to appeal
to limited, mostly owner-own, markets. The aircraft
that changed this and blazed a trail for the new class
of production turboprop singles was Cessnas widely
successful Caravan. It may be coincidental that the
Model 208 and its much newer classmates, the SOCATA
TBM 700 and Pilatus PC-12, are all powered by variants
of the same engine -- the venerable Pratt & Whitney
Canada PT6A. But availability of a mature turboprop
engine offering a range of power outputs -- especially
one with a favorable inight safety record -- played a key
role in the operational success and market acceptance
of the Caravan and its two competitors. The other factor
was burgeoning growth of the overnight package delivery
industry. The rst -- the engine -- made the concept
possible, while the second provided a rough-and-tumble
arena in which to prove it. According to Caravan regional
sales manager Todd Duhnke, Cessnas development
of the Caravan in the early 1980s just happened to
coincide with an explosion in the overnight package
delivery industry. In conceiving the Caravan -- which at
rst glance appears to be a scaled up version of the
OEMs strut-braced high-wing piston singles -- Cessna
engineers were thinking of a larger utility aircraft to
replace the de Havilland Otter and Twin Otter; a better
bush plane, Duhnke reminisced. But some of the
directions it ultimately took in the marketplace were
a surprise, like the package freight business. At the
time the Caravan was certicated in 1984, package
and distinguished by the absence of cabin windows, the

mini-freighter was dubbed the Cargo Master.
Love At First Flight

So smitten was FedEx with the Model 208 and its
relatively low operating cost -- the airline leased the
Caravans to contractors, many of which had been using
older twin-engine aircraft to perform the same mission
-- that it soaked up most of the initial production,
Duhnke said. As of this spring, FedEx contractors were
operating 270 Caravans. The airplane is catching on
with FedExs competitors, as well: UPS elds 80 of
them, Airborne Express has 25 and DHL has about 15.
U.S. Postal Service contractors also use the aircraft
to transport Express Mail. With the package carriers
ogging their Caravans at least ve nights a week, the
airplane matured rapidly. Duhnke claimed the eet has
collectively logged more than 2.6-million ight hours,
with some high-time aircraft exceeding 16,000 hours.
In all this ying, only two Caravans have been lost to
inight engine failures attributed to mechanical causes.
In both cases, successful off-airport landings were
accomplished, and though the aircraft were substantially
damaged, the pilots survived with minor injuries.
The rst mishap occurred when the PT6As oil pump
shaft sheared due to a maintenance error. In the second
incident, NTSB investigators determined that the
Caravans PT6A stopped after failure of compressor
spacers [and] gas producer turbine and power turbine
compressor blades. Today, more than 875 Caravans
are ying worldwide, an estimated 90 percent of them
toiling in revenue-producing service. In addition to
small-package hauling, applications include transporting
specialized freight, such as newspapers, processed
lm and perishables; supporting native communities in
remote parts of Canada and Alaska; geological surveys;
government special missions; and scheduled commuter
airline service in places like Brazil, El Salvador and Costa
Rica. The aircraft is also certicated for amphibious
oats, a popular option with bush operators and wealthy
sportsmen. The Caravan also is nding a place, albeit in

small numbers, among corporate operators with a need
to economically transport personnel and cargo over short
stage lengths in and out of short or rough strips. For
example, a rener in Texas uses a Caravan to support
its activities in the oil elds, carrying everything from
roughnecks to parts for drilling rigs. And a sugar producer
in Florida connects its far-ung cane elds and mills with
a Model 208 outtted in an executive conguration. We
didnt envision the plane being used in the corporate
market, either, Duhnke confessed. The corporate guys
see our ads touting 99.8-percent dispatch reliability,
see Caravans getting dispatched every night in every
conceivable weather, and they begin to think in terms
of their costs in moving management and sales teams
on short-haul trips. . . We are nding companies that
want to use the airplane for close-in work as an adjunct
to their jets. Compared with a twin-engine turboprop of
comparable size, Cessna makes a strong case for the
Caravans economies, calculating retail operating cost
at $ 208 an hour, including maintenance, reserves,
and fuel and oil. Commercial operators may pay less,
since most of them are able to buy their fuel for about
a dollar a gallon, Duhnke pointed out. In addition to
the standard short-fuselage Model 208, Cessna also
produces the stretched (by four feet) Super Cargo Master
(Model 208B) and the Grand Caravan, a 208B with cabin
windows. The Super Cargo Master was launched for
FedEx in 1986 as a replacement for the original Cargo
Master, which subsequently dropped from production.
They were cubing the fuselage before they achieved
gross weight, Duhnke said. They needed more
volume. The stretch added 112 cubic feet to the cabin,
allowing an additional 750 pounds of payload to be
carried, and hiked gross weight to 8,750 pounds. Also,
the standard models PT6A-114 was replaced with the114A engine, increasing power from 600 to 675 shp.
B/CA equipped prices range from $ 1.230 million for
the standard Model 208 to $ 1.205 million for the Super
Cargo Master and $ 1.330 million for the Grand Caravan.
Rapid, Cost-effective
Transportation
The smaller (6,579-pound MTOW), sleek Frenchbuilt TBM 700 conforms more to the owner-own,
executive mold -- a sort of turboprop dressed in an
Armani suit. When SOCATA was dening the TBM
700 in the mid 1980s, it was thinking primarily of the
chairman/pilot, the corporate chief who ies his own
aircraft, said Nicolas Chabbert, vice president of sales
and marketing for SOCATA Aircraft, the Aerospatiale
divisions North American subsidiary. An additional
market identied by the OEM was military liaison, and
indeed, after the aircraft was certicated in 1990,
SOCATA was successful in placing 25 TBM 700s with
the French Air Force. Altogether, 115 TBM 700s are in
operation worldwide -- 55 of them in the United States.
Outside of the military versions, which the Armee de
lAir uses primarily as staff transports, most TBM 700s
are being operated privately or in corporate service
by small companies with a requirement for rapid,
cost-effective transportation. Additionally, a handful of
TBMs are serving in charter roles in Canada and Australia,
where single-engine, passenger-carrying, commercial
IFR operations are legal. Powered by the PT6A-64, rated
at 700 shp (hence the 700 moniker), the TBM can
be outtted with either six or seven seats. Whereas the
Caravans forte is basic, short-haul transportation, the
TBMs is speed and range. High-speed cruise is listed
at 300 knots (long-range cruise at 237 knots), and IFR
ferry range with 45-minute fuel reserve is claimed to
be 1,550 nm. The aircraft is especially agile in climb,
ascending fully loaded from sea level to 29,000 feet
in 30 minutes. This allows you to climb through bad
weather quickly, Chabbert said, adding that the initial
1,847-fpm ROC is a safety feature, as well, since you
can return to the eld in the event of an engine failure
on takeoff. On a normal takeoff from a 6,000-foot
runway, he claimed, the TBM 700 should be 1,000 feet
high as it passes over the end of the strip. This spring,
total TBM 700 eet hours stood at 80,000 (thanks
largely to the French Air Force, which is averaging 600

hours per year on each of its TBMs), with the hightime airplane having clocked in excess of 3,000 hours.
While a few TBMs have been lost due to alleged pilot
error, Chabbert said, none have experienced inight
engine failures thus far. SOCATA calculates the direct
operating cost for the TBM 700 at $ 218 an hour;
factoring in typical indirect costs raises total hourly
fees to $ 270 (based on 600 ight hours a year). The
TBM 700 costs the most of all three single-engine
turboprops discussed in this article. It sells for $ 2.6
million B/CA-equipped, including weather radar, EFIS and
air conditioning. A new model equipped with a larger door
allowing easier access to the rear seats or for loading
freight was to be introduced at Junes Paris Air Show.
Multi-mission Utility
An aircraft the size of a King Air 200 with one less engine
was the goal of Pilatus Aircraft, Ltd. in 1986 when it
launched development of the PC-12. The Swiss-built
airplane was envisioned as a multi-mission utility craft
with long legs, capable of operating in and out of rough
elds with a relatively large payload, Pilatus Business
Aircraft President Chris Finnoff told B/CA. By the time
the PC-12 achieved certication in 1994, its cabin had
grown six inches wider than the King Air 200s and 0.2
feet longer, or 16.9 feet from the cockpit partition to
the aft pressure bulkhead. The cabins 330-cubic-foot
volume exceeds that of the King Air 200 by 23 cubic
feet. A cargo door was designed into the aft fuselage
as well as an airstair door just behind the cockpit. Not
surprisingly, the PC-12 is equipped with the largest PT6A
variant of the three single-engine aircraft reviewed here
-- the -67B, which is thermodynamically rated at 1,200
shp to ISA+36C. Long legs? Flying at its long-range
cruise speed of 200 knots, Pilatus claims the 9,920pound MTOW PC-12 can transport 1,500 pounds of
payload 2,000 nm with NBAA IFR reserves. High-speed
cruise is 270 knots, and max altitude is 30,000 feet.
We would prefer to compare it with the King Air and
Finnoff said. Citing the PC-12s $ 243 an hour DOC,

he claimed the airplane can carry more payload for
less money than any pressurized turbine in the world.
On a 1,600-nm trip, it can carry 750 pounds more
payload than a King Air 200 [1,750 pounds versus
1,000 pounds] with NBAA IFR reserves. If you go out
farther, the numbers favor the PC-12; the farther out
you go, the better the spread. The PC-12 is rugged,
too -- possibly even over-designed based on the frame
spacing in the fuselage. According to a reliable, though
anonymous, source, an over-zealous pilot at-tempting a
hot-and-high takeoff in a PC-12 pulled the airplane off
the ground too soon in an attempt to avoid a low stone
wall at the end of the runway.
The PC-12, carrying an undisclosed number of
passengers in addition to the pilot, mushed along a few
feet above the runway. The nose gear barely cleared the
wall, but the strut on one of the mains hit the wall and was
driven literally through the top of the wing. Miraculously,
the PC-12 continued to y, striking a wire fence some
distance from the wall. The pilot was able to keep the
airplane aloft, however, and ew it some 60 miles to
another airport -- dragging a section of the fence behind
it -- and made a successful landing. Unscathed, pilot and
passengers walked away; the PC-12 was repaired and
returned to service. Because the nose gear remained
extended, the prop was undamaged. In the two years
since deliveries began, Pilatus has placed 65 PC-12s in
the eld, 49 of them based in the United States. Finnoff
was unable to provide eet total time, but said the
high-time airframe, one of ve operated in the Australian
outback by the Royal Flying Doctors association, had
logged some 2,000 hours. Contending with some of
the harshest conditions on the globe, including ambient
surface temperatures as high as 135F, the Flying Doctors
use the airplanes for medevac missions. Meanwhile, nearly
all of the U.S.-based PC-12s are being used for corporate
transportation. The basic aircraft is sold with a nine-seat
executive interior; however, the aft-mounted cargo
dooralso allows the PC-12 to be used in a combi
conguration, carrying freight in the back of the cabin

and passengers forward. The long cabin also
accommodates a fully enclosed ushing lav, the only one
of the three single-engine turboprops offering this option.
One entrepreneur who owns a portfolio of small
manufacturing companies uses his PC-12 to visit and
transport employees between his factories, Finnoff said.
Weve placed one with a heavy equipment distributor
in North Dakota who ies his customers around in it.
Three PC-12s are also being used in a fractional
ownership scheme by Alpha Flying, Inc., of Norwood,
Mass. According to Alpha President George Antoniadis,
the multiple owners are mostly self-employed
professionals who use the aircraft primarily for business
travel in New England. While the PC-12 would seem to
be an ideal package express feeder, a la the Caravan,
Pilatus has been unable thus far to penetrate what Finnoff
termed the FedEx market. Where the aircraft really
shines as a freighter, Finnoff pointed out, is on long,
thin route segments where you dont need a Boeing
727 but have a ton of payload to haul a long distance.
This, and possibly island-hopping, is where we expect
to pick up some business. Its a niche airplane in these
applications. You could y these missions with a 727, but
you have to consider the costs as well as the occasional
necessity to operate out of small, undeveloped elds.
The basic PC-12 goes out the door for $ 2.299 million
including EFIS and IFR avionics. Weather radar runs $
38,000, and the nine-seat executive interior with lav
adds $ 149,500 to the price tag. As big as the PC-12
is, it still has to meet the FAR Part 23 61-knot singleengine stall speed (as do the Caravan and TBM 700) in
order to be certicated in the United States. In and of
itself, this represents a safety factor, Finnoff claimed.
No one has had to test the theory so far, though, since
no unscheduled inight engine failures have been
reported. Perhaps this, and the impressive safety record
racked up by the small package freighters, will sway the
FAA to adopt its proposed rule to allow single-engine
IFR passenger operations under Part 135. The comment
period for the proposed rule (Docket 96-14) ended in

early March, and the feds are expected to issue their
decision sometime this year.
Dependable Engines
The phenomenal reliability of the single-engine
turboprops featured in this report really represents a
tripartite relationship between the engine manufacturer,
airframe builders and operators, according to Pratt &
Whitney Canada PT6A program director Bill Lynam.
We have a very good basic engine -- reliable, well proven,
and that gets you to the party. The next level is how you
operate and maintain it, he said. This involves training
of both pilots and mechanics and religious adherence
to operating limitations and inspection schedules;
however, trend monitoring can play an important role, too.
P&WC offers a trend-monitoring program for the PT6A
dubbed ECTM (engine condition trend monitoring) in
which it provides operators with software enabling them
to track engine performance on their desktop computers.
(Data are entered manually and the program displays
trending curves.) In addition, P&WC has approved a
network of independent trend-analysis centers
throughout the United States and Canada that offer the
service on a subscription basis. The operators provide
the data, Lynam said, and the centers do the analysis,
alerting the operators to negative trends. P&WC also
employs more than 100 eld reps worldwide who are
available to provide operators with advice and product
support, and offers a 24-hour help desk operators
can call for technical support and parts services. The
way the airframe manufacturer installs the engine is
also an important part of the three-way relationship,
Lynam said; specically, the design of the particleseparation system. P&WC provides a basic design
philosophy for the par-ticle-separator gaps and steps
that are adopted by the airframer and in-tegrated into
the nacelle system. From that point, P&WC can provide
backup testing to validate the design. Although the
PT6A variants P&WC sells for single-engine installations

are essentially the same as those destined for twins, the
company does provide some hardware options and
recommended maintenance procedures for
single-engine applications:
-- A manual fuel control override throttle allowing the
pilot to take direct control of fuel scheduling in the event
the PT6As automatic fuel control system fails. It gives
the pilot additional control over the engine, Lynam said,
enabling completion of the mission and landing. . .
-- A drain-valve kit for the P3 lter system. According to
Lynam, P3 is Pratts designation for a pneumatic line that
provides signals to the fuel control. The lter supplies
clean air to the sensor, and the drain allows the engine
to be washed without having to remove any hardware,
thereby reducing exposure to a possible maintenance
error. The penny valve-type drain is entirely automatic.
-- A fuel nozzle maintenance schedule that it
recommends initially as a base from which operators
can extend inspections with experience. Nevertheless,
Lynam said, it has been our experience that the
prudent single-engine operators tend to pay attention
to the factory-recommended inspection schedules far
more closely, keeping them at the lower intervals.
Lynam said the PT6A-114 engine used by the Cessna
Caravan is accumulating 400,000 hours per year of eet
utilization and since 1992 has experienced an inight
shutdown rate of one per 1.6-million hours of operation.
Since the early 1960s, when P&WC launched the PT6
product line, it has produced 26,000 engines that have
logged 183-million operating hours aboard 13,000
aircraft. The high-time engine has 46,000 hours on its
Hobbs meter. Averaged over the total eet of 26,000
engines, the inight shutdown rate is one in 200,000 hours.
David Esler,
Business and Commercial Aviation, August 1997
The Propeller Makes

a ComebackAgain
Just a couple of years ago they were about to
close the doors on the facility that makes the
ATR line of turboprop regional airliners. Total
orders for the ATR 42 and 72 made by the
European consortium had dropped to six, and no
new customers were on the horizon.
The regional jets (RJs) had won, and the era of the
turboprop was over, again. But a funny thing happened
on the way to the funeral for the propeller. Oil prices
skyrocketed, the nancial performance of the worlds
airlines crashed, and suddenly airlines needed a more
efcient and cost-effective way to move passengers
over distances of several hundred miles.
Now, ATR has nearly 300 orders from airlines all over the
world for its high-wing turboprop twins and it is doing its
best to ramp up production. The same is true in Canada
where Bombardier builds its Dash series of turboprop
airliners derived from the Havilland line. The turboprop
is back. For at least 30 years aviation-both airline
and business ying has been announcing the
end of the turboprop, but reality keeps intruding.
The rst end of the turboprop that I remember was in
the early 1970s when Cessna introduced the original
Citation. That original Model 500 Citation cost about
the same as the leading turboprops to buy, and Cessna
guaranteed that the jet cost less per mile to operate. At
the time Beech, Piper, Aero Commander, Swearingen
and Mitsubishi were all building turboprops for business
and personal ying. The Citation wasnt fast for a jet, but
it was faster than any of the turboprop, and it was easy
to y. It looked like Cessnas prediction would come true.
But the turboprops, at least the popular ones didnt go
away. The citation was successful, but so was the
King Air family. Instead of killing the turboprops,

Cessna joined their side with the model 441 Conquest I
introduced in 1978 and the 425 Conquest II entering the
market in 1981. The Conquest I is among the fastest
and longest-range business or personal turboprops ever
built, and remains in high demand on the used market
today. The Conquest II was among the most basic and
modest in performance of any turboprop, and it remains
very popular with many used models typically selling for
as much as or more than they did new.
If the Conquest family wasnt proof enough that the
turboprop lives, Cessna introduced the Caravan in 1985,
and it became the best selling single-engine turboprop
ever. Caravan sales continue at a brisk pace today, and
the big, bulky single toils at all manner of tasks in every
corner of the globe. Even the most ardent jet believer
cant nd an alternative to the Caravan that doesnt
have a propeller.
It is true that the Conquests went out of production,
perhaps because building Citations is a better business
for Cessna than out of lack of demand. The Cheyennes,
Aero Commanders, Merlins and MU-2s are also
long out of production, but that may say more about
the operations of their parent companies than about
demand for turboprops. After all, the King Airs y on
with steady and, recently, markedly increased demand.
And, remember, the King Airs were always the most
expensive and typically the slowest and least fuel
efcient in the turboprop competition, but they clearly
deliver what pilots and passengers wantcomfort,
quality, performance and the biggest cabins.
Though the production life of many turboprop models
did end, the turboprop itself still succeeds. In place of
the out of production twin turboprops there are three

successful singlesthe Pilatus PC12, TBMs (700
and 850), and the Piper Meridian. All are racking up
solid sales even though all three cost more than the
advertised price of the Eclipse 500 very light jet. Eclipse
development has been delayed several times since the
original announcement, and fully operational air-planes
are not yet being delivered, so that could explain why
pilots pay nearly twice the price for a TBM 850. But the
Citation Mustang sells for a little less than the TBM, and
its here, fully functional, on schedule, and meets all of its
performance and payload projections. Clearly the TBM
is attracting pilots with something more than availability.
And now two companies that owe their entire existence
to propeller air-planesPiper and Cirrushave
announced development of single-engine jets. Is this yet
another death knell for the propeller? I dont think so.
The reasons the propeller will endure in personal and
business aviation are the same that have caused the
resurgence in propeller driven regional airlinerscosts
and exibility.
Historically, and logically, a usable amount of power
will cost less to buy in a turboprop engine than in a
turbofan. That situation is somewhat skewed now
at the lower power end because Pratt & Whitney and
Williams, and soon the Honda/GE partnership, have all
designed modern small turbofans, while nobody has
modernized the smaller turboprop engine for many
years. The only realistic engine choice for a business or
personal turboprop is the PT6 series engines from Pratt
& Whitney, which are extremely reliable but expensive to
build. The new small turbofan engines use turbines and
compressors machined from a single piece, for example,
while the PT6 has costly wheels with individual turbine
or compressor blades tted into them. The individual
parts count and man hours involved in building a PT6
are higher than in the small new jets. And Pratt also has
a near monopoly in the turboprop market with the PT6
while it must compete ercely with Williams, and soon

Honda, for the small jet engine business. We all know
how those situations go.
The same is not true at the regional airline level. A
turbofan engine with enough thrust to move an RJ costs
more than a turboprop for a similar size airplane. Part
of the reason is that a propeller is more efcient at
converting horsepower into thrust at low airspeeds, such
as on takeoff, so you need less total power than with a
jet. Regional airlines need to use some shorter runways
to be successful, and the turboprop wins that game.
Another issue is that a jet must y substantially higher
than a turboprop to operate efciently. That means
the air-plane and its systems quickly become more
complicated in a jet. Higher altitudes mean greater
pressurization differentials, which requires stronger and
heavier structure and more complex systems. As a jet
speeds up, the loads on its airframe grow, so it must
be stronger and heavier. And the loads on the controls
increase and soon hydraulics are required to give the
pilots some power steering help. Each of those systems
costs money to buy and, more importantly, add things
that must be maintained and can fail, all of which cuts
into dispatch reliability and adds to operating expense.
Bottom line, the public has it right. Jets are more
luxurious than propeller air-planes, and luxury always
costs more. For a time, with the airlines buying RJs like
crazy, it looked like everybody could afford to ride in ajet.
But that situation didnt last with fuel price increases and
airline costs going through the roof. I predict the same
in personal and business ying. The jets are and will
continue to be in great demand, but they will cost more
to y than a similar size cabin and payload over the same
distance in a turboprop. The propeller has had a good
run for more than 100 years, and it has a long way to go.
J. Mac McClellan,
Editor-in-Chief, Flying Magazine, April 2007
The ultimate personal

turbine single, now with
Garmin panel power
SOCATAs TBM turboprop singles have undergone a
series of improvements since the airplanes introduction
in 1989, but none as dramatic as the latest. With the
introduction of Garmins G1000 integrated avionics, ight
display, and control system, todays TBM 850s promise
lower pilot workload, better situational awareness, and
an optimized ight control system. Garmins GFC 700
autopilot is mated to the new TBMs G1000 avionics
suite, and has a number of new capabilities. Among
them are the ability to load airways into ight plans,
and fully automated missed approach procedure ight
guidance. At the missed approach point or decision
height, you simply push the Nav button on Garmins
glareshield-mounted GMC 710 autopilot mode controller
panel, and in autopilot mode the airplane will climb
and track the published missed approach procedures.
Theres also a center console-mounted FMS (ight
management system) control panel that lets you enter
mode commands and ight plan entries.
Before the GFC 700, TBM 700s, and -850s used
Honeywell/Bendix-Kings KFC325 autopilot. Although
the KFC325 is a great ight control system, the GFC
700 has an edge in that its pitch compensation allows
full aps to be selected while coupled to an ILS glide
slope. The GFC 700 can also intercept and execute an
ILS approach at any airspeed; the KFC325 was limited
to 160 KIAS.
The G1000 isnt the only new feature of the latest
TBM 850s. XM datalink weather and entertainment is
standard with the G1000, for example. And theres a
newly designed, composite-construction interior with
LED lighting; recessed side pockets; a table that stows

ush with the sidewall; iPod jacks; and het jacks located
away from the armrests. With earlier TBMs, it was too
easy for passengers elbows to damage the jacks. The
ush styling gives the cabin a few more inches of interior
room, as does the one-piece composite headliner.
Another bonus is the airplanes new air conditioning
system. Gone is the old, 14,000-BTU, electrically
powered vapor-cycle system. Replacing it is a
mechanically powered 24,000-BTU compressor design
that uses R134a refrigerant, draws less power, cools the
cabin much quicker, and occupies less space. Using the
space savings, the forward baggage compartment was
enlarged, and the aft external baggage compartment
eliminated. The interior baggage area behind the
aft seatscapable of carrying up to 220 pounds of
cargois the same as in previous TBMs.
Passengers are sure to like the new, two-zone
temperature control system. Passengers and pilots can
each select their own temperature levels. Passenger
controls are located on the left sidewall, just aft of the
rear-facing seat behind the pilot.
Rounding out the upgrades is an 11-gallon fuel capacity
increasefrom 281 to 292 gallonsmade possible by
using more internal wing volume and moving the fuel
caps outboard on the wings. This provides about 15
minutes more ight time, SOCATA says, but the extra
74 pounds worth of fuel somewhat offsets the G1000s
112-pound weight savings, and the savings from the
new cabin and compressor. In the nal analysis, there
is a 50-pound gain in useful load compared to older

TBMs, SOCATA saysunless you order the optional
$89,350 pilot access door, which weighs 75 pounds.
Base price of the G1000 TBM 850 is $2.9 million;
average-equipped price is $3.082 million, excluding the
pilot door.
The G1000 brought about a thorough study of the
educational standards required for both initial and
recurrent pilot training. The rst evaluations of the
G1000 installation and operating procedures took place
at the SOCATA factory in Tarbes, France last fall (see
First Look: G1000 Training for the TBM 850, page
77). Subsequently, SimComthe TBMs designated
training centerbegan generating G1000 training
materials and course requirements. As of this writing,
a G1000-equipped simulator was under construction,
and it should be completed and installed at SimComs
Orlando training center by July.
Plans call for pilots to be evaluated for their competence
with Garmins GNS 430/530 Nav/Com/GPS units before
formal training begins. What follows should be a oneto three-day course devoted to G1000 operations,
depending on pilot prociency. Then its on to the more
traditional components of simulator-based training:
instrument procedures, practice approaches, and study
of the airplanes systems.
The G1000 marks yet another milestone for both
SOCATA and Garmin. For Garmin, its another step
forward in its march toward industry dominance. For
SOCATA, it signies the optimization of the TBM design,
what with its already exemplary 320-knot/1,410 nm
max cruise specs. It will be interesting to see what
SOCATAs next offering will be. The open secret is that
it will be a twinjet rivalling Cessnas Mustang light jet.
Stay tuned, and visit the Web site (www.TBM 850.com)
for more information.
Thomas A. Horne
TBM 850 Still Fast

With Glass
Quickest turboprop single now has three-display
G1000 avionics system as standard.
Could an airplane hit the bulls-eye more squarely in

todays environment than the TBM 850? I dont see
how. The turboprop single burns about half again as
much fuel as a typical piston twin, but it ies at least
100 knots faster on that fuel. And its range easily
stretches out over 1,200 nm even with a little headwind.
And now it has the latest in avionics technology with
a three-display Garmin G1000 integrated system that
features the giant 15-inch multifunction display (MFD)
in the center.
The TBM has been popular as a rapid personal
transportation airplane for years, but with the 850s top
cruise of 320 knots while burning 65 gallons an hour of
fuel that more and more costs $8 and up per gallon, the
airplane offers an almost unbelievable speed return for
the fuel. Pull the power back a little and you can cruise
at 280 knots or so on about 50 gallons an hour. But
around the airport it slows down to the same airspeed,
and thus same pilot demands, as a high-performance
piston single.
SOCATA introduced the 850 in 2006 when it increased
cruise shaft horsepower from 700 to 850. That extra
power added about 20 knots to top cruise speed and
made the airplane even more desirable. But it was not
possible at that point to also update the avionics to a
fully integrated glass cockpit because the technology at
the right price and size didnt exist. Now it does, in the
form of the G1000 system.
The 850 is actually one of the last production singleengine airplanes, piston or turboprop, to convert to a
glass cockpit, but unlike some others, the conversion is
complete with a crew advisory system (CAS).
Turbine-powered airplanes have a warning and caution
panel made up of individual annunciator lights, and
master warning and caution lights. Each light is there
to alert the pilot to a problem or to indicate the status
of airplane systems. Warning lights, in red, are reserved
for urgent information such as low oil pressure. Amber
lights indicate an abnormal condition such as pitot heat
not energized. The master warning or caution light comes
on to alert the pilot to look at the individual lights in the
annunciator panel. Each of these lights is fundamental
to the airplane certication, so an equivalent method of
alerting the pilot must be demonstrated before anything
can be changed.
Because of the complexity of the warning and caution
annunciation system, most turbine airplanes have kept
the old-fashioned lights in place when they converted to
a at glass display for ight and engine instruments. But
not SOCATA with the TBM 850. The company spent the
many months and much money to convert the system to
a plain language CAS that shows warnings and cautions
on the at-panel displays. This is a big deal in terms
of effective crew alerting, and also in cleaning up the
cockpit. In the new 850 the three big at glass displays
show everything needed to y and monitor the airplane
in plain language, leaving only the master warning and
caution lights to call attention to the messages. Thats
why the 850 glass cockpit looks so clean and modern
compared to some others that have converted from
steam gauges to glass.
The TBM also has complete redundancy in attitudeheading reference (AHRS) and air data computers,
as well as in displays. With dual AHRS and air data
computers they can monitor each other and warn of
discrepancies that would indicate a failure. If a sensor
quits, the pilot, and autopilot, can y on by using the
operating sensor from the other side of the cockpit that
can display accurate information on both PFDs. And, of
course, an independent attitude gyro, airspeed indicator
and altimeter are located right in front of the pilot to
backup everything.
pilot baking in the sun wont need to freeze a rear-seat

passenger who is sitting in the shade.
Following the best human factors, the TBM 850 has

its ight guidance panel mounted in the center of the
glareshield. The ight guidance panel contains the
controls to select heading, altitude and all autopilot
modes and is a place you look very frequently in busy
airspace, so you want it up where you can see it without
diverting your attention from the PFD and the view out
the windshield.
Despite its enormous capabilityor more accurately

because of itthe new G1000 system saves a little
more than 100 pounds of weight in a typical 850. Some
of the weight savings comes from the consolidation of
dozens of ight and engine instruments into the three
glass displays, but much of it results from savings in
wire weight. Most of the sensors in the G1000 systems
are modules that connect to the rear of the displays. In
the previous system each sensor, whether it be for GPS/
nav/comm or attitude, had to be linked to a dedicated
display by wire bundles. In the earlier airplanes the
autopilot is a distinct system with need for wires to
connect it to all sorts of equipment including air data,
attitude, nav sources and so on. Now the GFC 700
autopilot is essentially built into the G1000 system with
need for wires to link it to only a few remote elements
such as the servos.
As with other systems in the G1000 family, the avionics

in the TBM 850 can be operated using knobs and
buttons on the edges of the displays. But the 850 also
has a remote keyboard control unit that, by pressing
buttons and turning knobs on the unit, can be used to
operate most functions of the system. I like having both
data entry methods. For some chores, such as entering
the alphanumeric characters that dene a waypoint, the
keyboard is fast and handy. For other chores, such as
selecting display modes or map range, I nd the knobs
work better. And in bumpy air, a knob is almost always
easier to grasp and use accurately than a keyboard.
SOCATA also used the production block point change for
the avionics to convert the air conditioning system to an
engine-driven compressor from an electrically powered
unit. The engine-driven compressor delivers dramatically
improved cold air ow immediately after engine start.
The cold airor warm air, as requiredis controlled
by separate systems for the cockpit and cabin. Now a
The newest 850 also has just over 100 pounds more fuel
capacity because of some changes around the ller port.
The landing gear has also been beefed up to handle the
twisting loads of tight turns on the ramp. There havent
been gear problems in previous versions of the airplane,
but ways to strengthen the gear to withstand fast, sharp
turns on the ramp without a signicant weight penalty
were identied.
As I walked around the new 850 preparing for ight I was

again impressed by the obvious strength and purposeful
nature of the design. The wing is quite thick with a
nearly constant chord. But with a span of more than
41 feet the aspect ratio is high. Thats what you want
for an airplane to climb quickly to its certied ceiling
of 31,000 feet, but still deliver predictable low-speed
ying qualities and stall characteristics. The wing was
designed from scratch for a specic altitude and speed
prole and delivers with minimum compromise.
The large cabin door that was originally designed as
a utility door offers easy access to the cabin. Seats

even though they meet all of the latest crashworthiness
G-loading standardscan be removed by pulling a
couple of pins. Many TBM owners nd it convenient
to y without the left-side rear-facing center row seat,
making it easier to reach the pilot seats and giving rearseat passengers more room. SOCATA is building some
TBMs with a forward pilot door, which some people love
and others are happy to do without. The pilot doors
weight chews up nearly all of the gains from the G1000
system and adds nearly $90,000 to the price. I would
happily live without it. The already comfortable interior
of the 850 has been upgraded in the new model with
excellent leathers.
SOCATA chose to use the pilots PFD in a composite
mode as the initial startup display. In composite mode
both engine and ight instruments are combined on a
single display just as they would be if a display failed in
ight. With this display you see the engine instruments
to monitor the start, while the AHRS is aligning. When
you turn on the avionics power, the rest of the system
comes to life. The big MFD can display system synoptic
pages so you can check the operation of the electrical
system with its multiple buses and dual generators, or
look at a detailed fuel status page. The CAS messages
tell you whats left to do before takeoff, such as turn on
pitot and stall warning heats.
For takeoff in the new 850 it is recommended that you
still trim the rudder pretty far right to an index mark on
the scale using a rocker switch under your thumb on
the control wheel. This counteracts propeller effects on
takeoff and initial climb. However, once in ight with
the rudder trimmed a new automatic rudder trim feature
of the G1000 yaw damper takes over and keeps the
rudder trimmed for the remainder of the ight.
The TBM 850 ies like any other powerful single, except
that it has more power than most. With 130 knots
selected in the FLC (ight level change) mode the long
nose points to the sky and keeps going up. On a standard

temperature day the airplane can get to 25,000 feet in
about 14 minutes. Pretty good for only one engine. And
all 850s are eligible for RVSM approval so they can y
up to the certied ceiling of 31,000 feet instead of the
maximum 28,000 feet for non-RVSM airplanes.
SOCATA converted the 850s cabin pressurization
controls to an electronic system, but for some reason
kept the mechanical dial where you set cruise altitude
and eld elevation. All other pressurization information
such as cabin altitude, rate of climb and PSI are shown on
the MFD, so its odd that the system wasnt completely
automated, but the workload is hard to complain about
with only one required setting.
good start on understanding the new avionics.

The TBM has long been attractive for its speed,
range and good ying qualities, but when you add its
remarkable fuel efciency at high speeds it really is the
airplane to beat in todays world of sky high fuel prices.
With its G1000 cockpit, the last wish I had on the list
has been checked off.
J. Mac McClellan
Editor-in-Chief, Flying Magazine, August 2008
I dont know what to say about the operation of the

G1000 system that you havent read before. I watched
it y a full RNAV approach including procedure turn,
glidepath capture and miss to a holding pattern entry.
I could look at a Jeppesen chart of the procedure, or
a map over topographical colors, or XM Weather and
all of the things we have come to expect from current
avionics systems. The 850 does not yet have Garmins
synthetic vision technology (SVT) but will as soon as
it is approved in Europe and then the United States. It
will be a software change to that exciting new safety
capability.
SimCom, the training provider for the TBM, will be training
pilots on the G1000 system as well as basic airplane
systems in its simulator. There is also a procedures
trainer with a functioning G1000 system so pilots can
practice using the new avionics suite in addition to the
sim. Because the 850 weighs less than 12,500 pounds
no type rating is required, but every pilot will want to
complete the G1000 training to become comfortable
with the system and to learn how to extract the most
useful of its capabilities. The previous models had
electronic attitude and HSI displays along with Garmin
GNS 530s, so pilots from those airplanes will have a
Getting Around in Style

What to say when the owner of a twin turboprop of a
certain age gets to y a new TBM 850? That it is a
remarkable airplane; at once familiar in its systems yet
exotic in its performance? That the glass makes the
experience, from the sounds of the turbine winding up
to the smell of jet-A, all the more intoxicating?
All this and more raced through my mind as I got to
y not just any TBM 850, but the one actually pictured
in Mac McClellans accompanying article. Mike Shealy,
SOCATAs North American sales director, picked me up
in Palm Beach, Florida, (PBI) and shepherded me on
ights to Tampa, Kissimmee and back to Palm Beach.
An active thunderstorm pattern gave a chance for the
glass to shine, so to speak.
First impressions: a huge ight deck that looks a lot
more like a new 737 than a single-engine turboprop,
the smell of a new airplane, and a long snout, at least
much longer than my Cheyenne.
Start-up was pretty normal for a turboprop: get the
compressor going, add fuel, disengage the starter and
watch the engine settle down. Once the avionics were
on, though, the show got very impressive. The MFD in
the center of the panel is huge. SOCATA says it is only
15 inches, but it looks like the 42-inch screen youll nd
in high-end hotel rooms. There is glass, glass and more
glass.
As we taxied out with the MFD on the airport page, I
noticed the names of the FBOs dance by. Runway
incursion hot spots were marked with red circles. The
whole thing looked huge compared to the small screen
in my airplane.
Mike had led for Flight Level 220, even though the
distance to Tampa was only 155 nautical miles, just a
subtle reminder of this airplanes eagerness to climb. We

were led to a short runway with a 12-knot cross/slight
tailwind. The use of beta (a kind of prop reverse) made
the need for braking minimal. As we took the runway,
Mike removed the last of the CAS lights by making sure
the pitot heats were on and the inertial separator was
stowed. (Sometimes called an ice door, the inertial
separator keeps bad things from nding their way into
the engine: FOD on the ground, ice in the air.)
Off we went, separator and yaw damper on, in and out of
bumpy clouds, climbing at 1,500 feet per minute at an
airspeed of 160 knots. The ight guidance panel looked
to me indistinguishable from the Boeing 737-700,
except it appeared more substantial in the turboprop,
devoid of any shuddering or vibration.
As we climbed, the Nexrad seemed to ll the cockpit
with ominous splotches of red and yellow, and as we
switched back and forth to the radar display I was once
again reminded as to how complementary the two
weather information systems are. The radar depiction
was huge and, given the weather, very helpful.
The ight guidance panel has both VS (vertical speed)
and FLC (ight level change) functions. With the former,
the rate of climb or descent can be captured; with
the latter, a steady air speed can be selected. These
functions, as well as heading, nav and approach,
operated in a manner so smooth that I felt like I was in
some sort of simulator except for jolts provided by the
convective weather. These jolts made the heftiness of
the TBM pretty obviousshe has a tank-like approach
to turbulence, leaving the pilot and passengers secure
in her structural integrity.
Our landing in Tampa reminded me that most airplanes
require a few tries before you get the hang of it. Mike
was generous, saying You landed on the mains rst

and on the center line. That is all I ask. He did admit
that TBM landings usually take some practice and that
twin turboprop pilots like me take a while to get used
to the slow landing speeds. Piston pilots, on the other
hand, arent used to using beta for slowing after landing
and jump on the brakes, he said.
Off to Kissimmee, the G1000 navigation seemed just
like the little Garmin in the Cheyenne, except the data
could be entered by key as well as by rotating knobs.
We set the autopilot up for the WAAS GPS approach to
Runway 33, sat back and watched a awless rock-solid
approach that required only approach aps and gear
deployment by the crew. If you deleted the altitude
preselect for the MDA, Mike said, Youd crash right
on the centerline!
magnicent machines a year. He says that he and his

colleagues at SOCATA North America know almost all of
the U.S. TBM owners personally. We keep $3 million in
parts in our facility, he said. We stay in touch.
As we came in for a smooth landing in air that had been
claried by a just departed thunderstorm, I marveled
at the fact that our approach to landing was 20 knots
slower than a twin turboprop would traditionally y. Yet
we were settling to earth in an airplane that could outrun
a Cheyenne by 65 knots in cruise, while burning less
gas. Amazing.
Dick Karl
August 2008
On the trip back to Palm Beach, I asked Mike to y so

I could watch a professional. Hes been with
SOCATA for 12 years and has over 700 hours in the TBM.
It showed. Climbing out of 8,000 with thunderstorms all
about and a mass of them moving out into the Atlantic at
27 knots according to our G1000, Mike was clear with
Miami Center: We werent going offshore. The center
got the message and we were soon cleared to cross 20
north of Pahokee at 6,000 feet. This gave Mike a chance
to show off the VNAV function and allowed us to make
the crossing restriction with a minimum of fuss. As our
radar was on a 40-mile range, I asked what the orange
arc meant just outside our range. It means there are
intense echoes further out there, was all Mike said.
Very impressive.
As we descended I got a sense of loss. Soon Id be
out of the new airplane smell and back in a 28-yearold turboprop. Mike reminded me that I t the TBM
demographics. The glass has helped our sales, he
said. I think most owners were worried about resale
until we got the glass just right. Mike personally sells an
average of ve new and three or so used copies of these
P e r s o n a l N o t e s
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Performance TBM Comprehensive Guide

Caricato da

Informazioni sul documento

Copyright

Formati disponibili

Condividi questo documento

Condividi o incorpora il documento

Opzioni di condivisione

Hai trovato utile questo documento?

Questo contenuto è inappropriato?

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Performance TBM Comprehensive Guide

Caricato da

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Comprehensive Guide

The TBM 850, with a cruise speed of 320 KTAS at

The TBM 850 can carry six adults in quiet, air-conditioned

Key Features of the TBM 850:

Couple these features with the TBMs

DAHER-SOCATA has a long

Almost one hundred years of general aviation experience

First air crossing of the Mediterranean Sea (1913)

MS 760 Paris Jet

The DAHER Group

activities to support its growing eet of TBMs and offer

Airbus A380 Nose Lower Structure

Dassault Falcon 7X Fuselage

In addition, major business aviation supplier, Dassault

TBM 850 Range vs Runway Length

TBM 850 @ ISA * 20

TBM850 Max Cruise

NBAA IFR Range (mm)

The TBM 850 offers the cruising speed typical of a light

3. TBM 850 Performance

Runway Distance Available (ft)

31,000 ft, it is 315 KTAS. Another key feature of the

The TBM 850 offers excellent range and short eld

TBM 850 Time to Climb

From Sea Level, 130Kts climb, MTOW, ISA

Trip Distance Flight Time

Time from Sea Level (mins)

PT6A-66D Thermodynamic Power.................... 1,825 SHP

Max Cruise Flight Proles

Time to climb to 26,000 ft/31,000 ft................. < 15 min/<20 min

The TBM 850 provides greater range and load carrying

Maximum cruise speed at 26,000 ft.................. 320 KTAS

NBAA Reserve Max Cruise IFR Range with 4 Adults

Range at economy cruise (252 Kts)................... 1,585 NM (ISA 45 min reserve)

NBAA Reserve Long Range Cruise with 4 Adults

Basic empty weight.......................................... 4,589 lbs.................................... 2,081 kg

Power at Max Cruise as defined in the TBM 850 POH.

Economy cruise speed at 31,000 ft................... 252 KTAS

Range at maximum cruise (320 Kts).................. 1,410 NM (ISA 45 min reserve)

Maximum Zero Fuel Weight.............................. 6,032 lbs.................................... 2,735 kg

TBM 850 Range vs Payload

Takeoff Weight includes the fuel required to complete

NBAA IFR Reserves, ISA, Max Cruise

Maximum Takeoff Weight................................. 7,394 lbs.................................... 3,353 kg

Maximum Payload............................................ 1,443 lbs.................................... 654 kg

Maximum payload with maximum fuel............... 931 lbs....................................... 422 kg

No allowances have been included for taxi time or

Maximum Landing Weight................................ 7,024 lbs.................................... 3,189 kg

The TBM 850 shows the excellent load and passenger

Maximum Usable Fuel Weight (291.6 USG)........ 1,910 lbs.................................... 867 kg

masks) the service ceiling of the TBM 700B was raised

Certied in 1999, the TBM 700B model added a larger

most challenging requirements in terms of comfort and

reel. Accommodating six passengers, including one pilot,

designers carefully chose a variety of aluminum alloys,

Fail-safe Spar Design

Over the past 10 years, DAHER-SOCATA has thoroughly

Fatigue Test Results

Positive G-Force Limit................................... +6.1 g

Extreme Positive G-Force Limit...................... +9 g

Wings and Aerodynamics

The PT6A-66D model used on the TBM 850 has a

a compressor turbine with enhanced CT wheel and rst

rudder, elevator, spoilers and ailerons. Primary pitch