shape that changes almost continuously along
the span of the wing. To reduce stalling speed
the wing flap extends for about 80 percent of
the 41.6-foot wingspan, leaving very little
trailing edge space for ailerons.
Wings with nearly full-span flaps are
common on jets, and so is the solution to provide good roll control with the small ailerons
using the little space left on the trailing
edge—spoilers. As on many jets, the TBM
uses its rather small ailerons to initiate rolling moment, and then a spoiler rises on the
down-going wing to augment the authority
of the aileron. Socata engineers devised a
purely mechanical system that links the
spoilers and ailerons with very little friction
and the proper control authority for each so
there is no “dead band” you can feel when
making roll control inputs.
Over the years Socata added a large aft
door to make entry and loading baggage
behind the rear seats more convenient. The
company also offers an optional pilot door
ahead of the wing on the left side that about
half of TBM customers buy.
The “700” in the TBM 700 model name
comes from the shaft horsepower rating of
the PT6 engine. The 700 shp is a flat rating
for the engine, meaning that no matter how
hot the air temperature, or high the airport
elevation, the PT6 can deliver that much
power to the propeller. The engine is actually
capable of putting out much more power, so
as you climb, and engine output is degraded
by the lower air density, you still have full
rated horsepower to the prop.
To meet FAA minimum require-
ments to fly the TBM 850 a pilot
only needs a private certificate
with CFI endorsements for
complex and high-performance
single-engine airplanes and
a signoff for training in flying
above 25,000 feet. In other
words, if you are qualified to
fly a Bonanza all you legally
need to add for the TBM is the
high altitude signoff.
By keeping the TBM
as a personal-size
The current TBM 850 uses the more powerful PT6A-66D, which produces 1,825 shp at
sea level with a standard day temperature of
15°C. For climb and cruise the TBM 850 uses
only 850 of the potential shp, so you can see
how much is held in reserve to maintain
power at high cruise altitude. That’s why the
TBM 850 can hit 320 knots in cruise at
26,000 feet.
airplane, Socata
FLYING THE 850
was able to deliver
However, to obtain insurance
for the 850 a pilot will almost
certainly need to attend the
Socata-approved simulator
course at SimCom. The initial
course is five days of combined
ground school and sim instruction. For pilots new to the G1000
avionics system there is an
optional two-day course dedicated to operating that system.
Most pilots will want to attend
recurrent training annually, and
their insurance companies will
reward that with better rates.
the speed and range
owners
and pilots
demand.
In 2007, Socata made the Garmin G1000
avionics system with 10.4-inch primary
flight displays (PFDs) and a huge 15-inch
multi-function display (MFD) standard
equipment in the 850. Not only does the
G1000 show you everything you need to
control the airplane—including synthetic
vision on the PFD—but it also displays
engine and system data along with CAS
(crew alerting system) messages that
replace the individual warning (idiot) lights
with plain language alerts.
IT’S A PERSONAL AIRPLANE
The TBM was designed primarily for owner-pilots so Socata patterned the cabin after
other airplanes that had been successful in
that segment. The cabin seats six with the aft
four seats in the facing club configuration
with an overall cabin size similar to the
Beech Bonanza 36, Baron 58, and the Piper
PA-46 Malibu/Mirage series. By keeping the
TBM as a personal-size airplane, Socata was
able to deliver the speed and range owner-pilots demand.
The avionics system in the TBM 850 meets
all current navigation precision requirements
and is designed to accommodate future
requirements such as ADS-B that European
authorities demand starting in 2015, and will
be required by the FAA by 2020. The TBM
850 also qualifies for RVSM (reduced vertical
separation minimums) so that it can fly at its
certified ceiling of 31,000 feet. Development
of RVSM, which requires a much higher standard of altitude-keeping precision above flight
level 290, allows airplanes to fly with only a
1,000-foot vertical separation instead of the
2,000 feet that had been used for years.
Without RVSM approval an airplane is
