Those are long range cruise #'s. I doubt anyone flies that airplane at long range cruise airspeed. Still it's a VERY impressive improvement.

To digress a bit from the original post - How can you beat the cost vs. performance of this aircraft?

http://www.controller.com/listingsdetai ... 270997.htm

Keep a million plus $ in your pocket and go 100 knots faster.

We've beaten that horse to death.

Everyone loves the P180 except the company that built it. No parts. Mo MX. There's a reason they're bankrupt. Don't buy that thing.

You will need that million to keep it in the air. Check the operations cost.

I finally got approval to start posting on this forum. I usually don't get on forums, but I had to for this subject. I went to a seminar for Socata in Florida and they announced this airplane to us at in the end of January, I was very excited. From what I understand the most important modification they made to enable the 850 horsepower at takeoff was adding the small strakes just in front of the wing root on both sides. They went through many flight tests along with some super-duper high tech fluid dynamics computer simulations. They allow for the proper stall characteristics by optimizing the airflow over the wing roots. I am sure there are other changes that allowed for the new power configuration, but the engineers were very persistent about the importance off these strakes.

I work on all TBM's as an AMT, I have seen their progress through the different models and have always been impressed with their continual improvement. It is the easiest high-tech aircraft I have ever worked on.

The TBM 900 is what the 850 should have been all along.
I think they have a winner. Max production is 50 units a year that they ever produce.

Someone ask what they did to get full 850 hp power on takeoff.
-bigger vertical tail fin
-winglets for more stability
-strake on left wing for stalls

Selected Specifications:
Maximum Cruise at FL280: 330 KTAS
Range with 45 min reserves: 1440-1730nm
Take-off distance: 2,380 to 50ft AGL
Landing dist. w/o reverse: 2,430 to 50ft AGL
Full fuel payload: 891lbs.

Marc, you need to stop reading about this bird. Ignorance is bliss. All this reading and admiring is going to cost you some serious AMUs...

I was in France and Italy a few weeks ago with a friend that races cars (among other things). We watched a Ferrari pass and he casually made the statement: if you want it to be beautiful: buy Italian. If you want it to work well, go German (g).

Best,

Dave

I finally got approval to start posting on this forum. I usually don't get on forums, but I had to for this subject. I went to a seminar for Socata in Florida and they announced this airplane to us at in the end of January, I was very excited. From what I understand the most important modification they made to enable the 850 horsepower at takeoff was adding the small strakes just in front of the wing root on both sides. They went through many flight tests along with some super-duper high tech fluid dynamics computer simulations. They allow for the proper stall characteristics by optimizing the airflow over the wing roots. I am sure there are other changes that allowed for the new power configuration, but the engineers were very persistent about the importance off these strakes.

I work on all TBM's as an AMT, I have seen their progress through the different models and have always been impressed with their continual improvement. It is the easiest high-tech aircraft I have ever worked on.

I finally got approval to start posting on this forum. I usually don't get on forums, but I had to for this subject. I went to a seminar for Socata in Florida and they announced this airplane to us at in the end of January, I was very excited. From what I understand the most important modification they made to enable the 850 horsepower at takeoff was adding the small strakes just in front of the wing root on both sides. They went through many flight tests along with some super-duper high tech fluid dynamics computer simulations. They allow for the proper stall characteristics by optimizing the airflow over the wing roots. I am sure there are other changes that allowed for the new power configuration, but the engineers were very persistent about the importance off these strakes.

I work on all TBM's as an AMT, I have seen their progress through the different models and have always been impressed with their continual improvement. It is the easiest high-tech aircraft I have ever worked on.

Will,

I tough there was only a strake under the left wing?

For the 850 hp on takeoff Socata also says,

-bigger vertical tail fin
-winglets for more stability






I finally got approval to start posting on this forum. I usually don't get on forums, but I had to for this subject. I went to a seminar for Socata in Florida and they announced this airplane to us at in the end of January, I was very excited. From what I understand the most important modification they made to enable the 850 horsepower at takeoff was adding the small strakes just in front of the wing root on both sides. They went through many flight tests along with some super-duper high tech fluid dynamics computer simulations. They allow for the proper stall characteristics by optimizing the airflow over the wing roots. I am sure there are other changes that allowed for the new power configuration, but the engineers were very persistent about the importance off these strakes.

I work on all TBM's as an AMT, I have seen their progress through the different models and have always been impressed with their continual improvement. It is the easiest high-tech aircraft I have ever worked on.

Thanks for the kind words. As for this quote form Mr. Bourdon, I believe the vertical fin is not larger, but it may be, the engineers did not speak of this. The dorsal fin access panel has been re-shaped to contour the with same radius as the winglets so there is a fluid appearance. The winglets are designed to help with the top speed and fuel economy and as he mentioned, the strakes, are pretty much the sole reason for full power all the time. Its amazing how such a major performance difference can come from two small little strips. And, apparently they have a sharp radius at the corners, mechanics, and pilots for that matter, will have to watch their heads during inspections. Also one important thing, I think, on your torque indication, now its a scale of 0 to 100 percent instead of fooling around with going into 850 mode and having to be careful not record a torque exceedance. It is nice and governed now. One thing I really liked was the new lights, all LED's, no taxi light, very slick. I got a long list of changes

I just read through this thread after reading the AOPA article on the TBM 900. This TP is way out of my price range but you have to love the efficiency of 37 GPH for "long range" cruise. That's what my Bonanza burns during a climb.

By the way, what TAS would long range cruise be for a TBM?

[quote="Marc Bourdon"]Will,

I tough there was only a strake under the left wing?

For the 850 hp on takeoff Socata also says,

-bigger vertical tail fin
-winglets for more stability



No, I'm pretty sure the strakes are on both sides. They had some really neat video of flight testing and watching the airflow over the roots. Without the strakes the air was doing something the engineers did not like and prevented the proper stall characteristics. Now, having said that, I could be wrong, maybe it does only have one. Most of the images I have seen are airframe left. If there was only one, maybe the are trying to get the airplane to roll over one direction instead of flat stalling. I'll look through the assembly pics I have and see if I could find more info. One of the 4 airframes coming over from France is coming to my facility that our sales guys is marketing. But, I am getting to train with the Socata techs, I can't wait.

It's taking a minute for this TBM 900 info to sink in. This new TBM is gonna crush a lot of airplanes right out of the market including Cirrus Jet. I'd say Cirrus missed their window.