EADS Socata has confirmed it is continuing to consider the development of a new twin-engined general aviation aircraft to fill a void in its product range.
Jean-Michel Léonard, chairman and CEO, speaking at AirVenture, says the proposed sale of Socata by parent company EADS to French aerospace group Daher is a strategic stepping-stone towards the production of a larger capacity airplane.
“EADS announced earlier this month that we’ve entered into exclusive negotiations with Daher. I am hopeful we may reach an agreement before the end of the year. Part of these negotiations is the evaluation of another aircraft in the Socata range and Daher’s support of this. It would be bigger than the TBM 850, have twin-engines and a capacity to carry more passengers.”
 |
|---|
Léonard underlined the concept while announcing very strong sales figures for its TBM 850 single-engine turboprop aircraft, which reached 200 orders since it was launched in December 2005. Of these, 49 are allocated for delivery next year. “This is a confirmation that our TBM850 was the right product at the right time, which is not always easy in the aviation industry,” he says.
The backlog for the TBM 850 now stands at 92 aircraft and Nicholas Chabbert, Socata’s vice-president, sales and marketing, adds it is a difficult balancing act to ensure not too many orders are taken in order to avoid customer disappointment – particularly in the current economic climate. “Several factors explain our growing success. Some small and medium bizjet owners are now considering the TBM as a viable alternative to a very light jet – or even a larger jet-powered aircraft – which are more expensive to operate. The increase in fuel prices is also influencing decisions in favor of the TBM 850,” he says.
The TBM 850 can achieve 50gph and is able to fly into high elevation airfields and short runways.
Source: Flight Daily News
