French turbo-prop manufacturer Daher announced last week that it has superceded the successful TBM 930 with a new aircraft, the TBM 940
Joining the TBM 910 in the range, the TBM 940 comes equipped standard with an auto-throttle and is the premium aircraft offered in the 900 series.
"The TBM 940 redefines the ultimate private aircraft: user-friendly, safe and efficient for both pilots and passengers," said Nicolas Chabbert, Senior Vice President of the Daher Airplane Business Unit.
"This newest TBM family member underscores our firm commitment to constant improvement for the ownership and operational experience with our very fast turboprop aircraft.”
The key TBM 940 feature is its automated throttle, which Daher says is the first ever installed on a standard production turbo-prop aircraft weighing less than 5700 kg. Fully integrated with the autopilot, the single power lever autothrottle automatically adjusts the aircraft’s speeds based on the preset flight profile – from climb-out to the landing approach.
Having an autothrottle has the potential to reduce pilot workload and enables the aircraft to be operated to the edge of approved power regimes for its Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66D engine, providing optimum performance and efficiency.
Daher has also added automation to the de-icing system. When icing is detected and if the pilot does not take action the system will automatically activate to de-ice the airframe, windshield, propeller and the engine’s particle separator.
Daher expects that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will hand-over the type certificate for the TBM 940 at Aero Friedrichshafen next month.