This milestone aircraft is a TBM 930 - the latest addition to the TBM family of very fast turboprop aircraft, which is in production along with the TBM 900 version.

"The 800th TBM represents another important achievement and highlights the success of our very fast turboprop aircraft family, whose first model - the TBM 700 - entered into production 25 years ago,” said Nicolas Chabbert, Senior Vice President of the Daher Airplane Business Unit. “We remain confident in the TBM family’s future, backed by continuous developments that brought us to the latest TBM 930 and TBM 900 versions today, creating a strong foundation for the years to come.”

For the 800th TBM rollout, Daher employees involved in the TBM program gathered around the aircraft for a photo before the TBM 930’s departure to the United States, where it will be received by Elliott Aviation in Des Moines, Iowa, which is Daher’s authorized TBM distributor for North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa.

"We owe this success to the commitment of our teams to meet the expectations and the passion of our customers for this unique aircraft," Chabbert added. “Year after year, our customers and operators appreciate the TBM’s speed, comfort, operating efficiency and excellent handling characteristics.”

The TBM 700 was the first civilian pressurized single turboprop aircraft to be certified, entering full production in 1991. Strong growth in sales was experienced beginning from 2006 with availability of the TBM 850, powered by an 850-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engine that replaced the original 700-horsepower PT6A version utilized on TBM 700s.

Enhancements of the TBM’s avionics resulted in the all-glass integrated Garmin G1000 avionics suite’s introduction on the TBM 850, continuing the aircraft’s market attractiveness.

The milestone 500th TBM was a TBM 850 version that rolled out of the factory in 2009, followed by the 600th at the end of 2011 (also a TBM 850). The 700th TBM was a TBM 900 completed in 2014. As the latest TBM family members, Daher’s TBM 900 and TBM 930 already have logged more than 150 orders since their launch in 2014, with 132 delivered as of September 15, 2016.

In developing the TBM 900, Daher integrated further improvements for its very fast turboprop aircraft family that included aerodynamic optimization through the addition of winglets, a vertical tailfin strake and new tail cone; the use of a five-blade composite propeller and redesigned spinner; enhanced human-machine interface features, and a restyled cockpit panel for increased visibility and interaction with secondary system controls.

The TBM 900 utilizes Garmin’s G1000 avionics system - incorporating a pair of 10- inch screens and a multifunction display sized at 15 inches, along with a physical keyboard for navigation and communication functions.

With the TBM 930, Daher retained the TBM 900’s airframe enhancements while integrating the Garmin G3000 avionics suite – the first touchscreen-controlled glass flight deck ever designed for light turbine aircraft, with three wide-format WXGA displays. In terms of aesthetics, Daher’s enhanced interior for the TBM 930 features redesigned seating and headrests, along with a new choice of wood or carbon finishes. For an additional touch of style, polished metal is used for handles, door sills and steps.

To date, TBM aircraft have logged a combined total of 1.37 million flight hours, which is equivalent to 8,500 around-the-world flights. The global fleet of TBM 700s, TBM 850s, TBM 900s and TBM 930s are flown by more than 730 customers in 35 countries on six continents.

See also: Daher delivers first UK-based TBM 930