600th TBM rolls off the line

French manufacturer DAHER-SOCATA has rolled-out the 600^th aircraft in the successful TBM turbo-prop range.

The aircraft, a TBM 850, was celebrated in a ramp ceremony on 20 October at the plant in Tarbes, France. It is due to be delivered to a customer in the north-western USA.

“With the roll-out of TBM no. 600, we celebrate the success of this program, which initially targeted building just 600,” stated Stéphane Mayer, President and CEO of DAHER-SOCATA.

“While this goal has now been achieved, we’re not stopping here, as the TBM represents a key product and an important asset for the DAHER Group.”

Nicolas Chabbert, the Senior Vice-President of DAHER-SOCATA Airplane Division and president of SOCATA North America, added that the global TBM fleet has now accumulated nearly 900,000 flight hours.

“The TBM family’s success can be explained by its designed-in cost/performance ratio, as well the commitment and passion of DAHER-SOCATA’s employee teams to providing high-quality aircraft,” Chabbert said.

The first TBM 700 was certified in 1990 and the product when through several development changes until superseded in 2006 by the TBM 850.

The milestone is timely as the company is celebrating their 100^th anniversary in 2011, having stemmed from the Aeroplanes Morane-Saulnier company, which was founded in 1911