It was originally collaboratively developed between the American Mooney Airplane Company and French light aircraft manufacturer SOCATA. The SOCATA TBM is a single-engined turboprop-powered low-wing monoplane, capable of seating a maximum of seven people. It is composed mainly of aluminium and steel construction, but with the tail surfaces built of Nomex honeycomb. The wing features a very effective Fowler flap, comprising 80 per cent of the trailing edge's span, for the purpose of lowering the aircraft's stall speed. The TBM 700 is outfitted with a retractable tricycle landing gear arrangement, newer models feature stronger main landing gear wheels and tougher tyres. The TBM 900 model features automatic torque limiting for “set and forget” power management, which is of particularly use during takeoffs; according to Aviation Week, while this function does reduce the high workload associated with managing the PT6A engine, it is not as capable as a full FADEC arrangement. For more details on the origins, development, design and 12 variants, click here. The specifications below are for the TBM 900 model.
