Daher's (Booth C13112, Static IS12) new $4.13 million TBM 940 is making its NBAA-BACE debut this week. The aircraft is the first turboprop weighing less than 12,500 pounds to be equipped with a standard, factory-installed integrated autothrottle and automatic deicing.

According to Daher airplane business unit senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert, “The aircraft’s new features represent a further evolution of our TBM e-copilot concept, providing assistance in single-pilot operations.” The e-copilot system, available on the earlier TBM 930 and the current-production 910, uses guardrails built into the Garmin autopilot to maintain flight within the design envelope, automatically using pitch and bank-angle inputs to protect against excessive bank angles, speed departures, and hypoxia incapacitation; when cabin altitude exceeds 11,500 feet the emergency descent mode (EDM) automatically activates.

The Garmin autothrottle system on the 940 adds to e-copilot’s capabilities, using software that analyzes aircraft condition (angle of attack, density altitude, airspeed, and aircraft configuration, including flap and gear extensions) to automatically control engine power to produce a selected, safe airspeed. The 940 also gets a few modest cabin improvements such as more cabin sidewall insulation and additional 115-volt and USB ports. Chabbert has described the order book for the 940 as “brisk.”

Updated, but True to Roots

The TBM 700 first flew in 1988 and was certified in 1990. Since then, Daher has made significant cabin improvements on new-production TBMs, including restyled and heated seats. Other improvements include better environmental controls, vapor-cycle air conditioning, avionics upgrades, a small beverage cabinet, a wider main cabin entry door well-suited for loading outsized cargo, and an optional separate forward pilot’s door. 

With the advent of the 900 model in 2014, the aircraft received a host of aerodynamic improvements, including a quieter five-blade propeller, curved winglets, and a redesigned engine cowl and inlet crafted of carbon fiber that reduces drag and boosts cooling. The previously optional pilot exterior door became standard and its construction was much improved. In total, the conglomeration added 10 knots to cruise speed (330 knots at 28,000 feet), improved runway and climb performance, and extended range to 1,730 nm.

In 2016, Daher announced an “Elite Privacy” option for the aircraft that provides an electric flushing lav shielded in a pop-up surround with a privacy screen and an illuminated mirror. For the 2018 TBM 930 and 910, Daher added cockpit enhancements, including a backlit center console, new power and flaps levers, and override controls. The pilot’s oxygen mask also received a new high-fidelity microphone and standard color options were expanded. Through the end of 2018, Daher delivered 267 TBM 900-series airplanes.

Earlier this year Daher released the latest version of its Me & My TBM app, which adds new system parameters and flight analysis feedback features including aircraft status (fuel, oil, and battery voltage), flight reporting/enhanced logbook that provides a detailed flight analysis from engine start to shutdown, an analysis of landing approaches, computerized maintenance tracking, a direct link to product support, and the ability to share flight data on social media. All TBMs delivered since January 2018 are outfitted with wireless flight data retrieval and transfer compatible with the Me & My TBM app. Earlier-production TBMs can use the Bad Elf Wombat portable SD card reader to wirelessly transmit data for the app.

Also this year, Simcom fielded the first FAA-certified Daher TBM 910 simulator at its Scottsdale, Arizona training facility. The 910 is equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi digital avionics as opposed to the Garmin 3000 system in the TBM 940. The new simulator joins Simcom’s existing fleet of simulators for the TBM 700, 850, 900, and 930 at its Orlando, Florida training facility.