TBM 850 Receives FAA Certification
Certification received on the same day as the first flight of the first production TBM 850.
Tarbes, 27 January 2006
EADS Socata announces the certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on January 23, 2006 of the newest member of its family of high performance pressurized turboprops - the TBM 850. This certification was received only 6 weeks after the FAA started its work on the reports presented by EADS Socata.
On the same day, the first production TBM 850 flew for the first time with Christian Briand, chief pilot of EADS Socata at the controls accompanied by Alain Arnaud, flight test engineer. This flight of 2 hours 50 consisted in tests across the TBM 850’s flight envelope including climbs to its maximum certified altitude of 31,000 ft (9,449 m), operation at its maximum cruise speed and high speed descents at the aircraft’s maximum operating speed.
“The launch of the TBM 850 has been extremely well received by both existing and new customers and our growing order book bears this out.” said Stéphane Mayer, chairman and CEO of EADS Socata. “To receive FAA certification and also to see the first production aircraft fly on the same day is more great news for Socata and I applaud the determination and energy of our engineering, flight test and certification teams in reaching these two milestones within what was a very tight schedule.”
“We recognize and appreciate the spirit of co-operation of the FAA certification team, who handled the task of certifying the TBM 850 in only six weeks and were available to work with our staff even on weekends to achieve this goal.” said Jacques Lordon, Vice President General Aviation of EADS Socata.
Built on the success of the TBM 700, the TBM 850 offers its pilots and operators a maximum cruising speed of 320 KTAS at flight level 260 (in ISA conditions) combining the cruising speed of a light jet with the economic direct operating costs of a single-engined turboprop.
The powerplant of the TBM 850 is Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6A-66D, the latest addition to the world’s most popular family of turboprop engines, (with over 32,000 engines produced to date). The PT6A-66D delivers 1,825 eshp flat-rated to 850 shp for the TBM 850. Its single-crystal compressor blades enable higher turbine temperatures and coupled with a new first-stage compressor design gives the TBM 850 its enhanced high-altitude performance.
29 TBM 850 have been ordered to date and are planned for the end of February 2006. The new aircraft will be available via EADS Socata’s existing direct sales and distribution network, and will be supported by its extensive worldwide network of service centers.
EADS Socata is one of the world’s leading general aviation manufacturers, with more than 6,000 aircraft flying in 65 countries. The company continues a tradition initiated by Morane-Saulnier in 1911, which includes the MS 760 ParisJet – the world’s first business jet. Today, EADS Socata manufactures the TBM family of high-speed turboprops, along with the TB GT range of piston touring and training aircraft. It also produces aerostructures for use on Airbus aircraft (including the new A380 and A400M military transport), the Dassault Falcon 7X, Eurocopter helicopters and Embraer regional jets.
The company is headquartered in Tarbes, France, and its North American operations are located Pembroke Pines, Florida. EADS Socata is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS – the second largest aerospace and defense company in the world. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the MBDA joint venture, the international leader in missile systems. EADS is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.
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