Daher’s latest-generation TBM turboprop single—the TBM 960—received FAA validation on Friday, just two months after the airplane was certified by EASA. The French airframer unveiled the upgraded airplane in early April at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, and by the end of that month had handed over the first production example to a customer in Germany.
Following Friday’s FAA approval, Daher ferry pilots flew two factory-new TBM 960s to the U.S. over the weekend. A company spokesman told AIN that more details about these airplanes will be provided this week, implying that TBM 960 deliveries to U.S. customers are imminent.
Replacing the TBM 940 in the company’s lineup, the approximately $4.57 million aircraft sports a more efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-66XT engine with a five-blade composite propeller and digital e-throttle. An optional Prestige cabin package ups the price to about $4.8 million and adds a new environmental control system, LED ambiance lighting, and electronically-dimmable windows, among other upgrades.
With the new model, Daher’s TBM family is now offered in two versions—the TBM 910 and 960.