Socata’s TBM 700C2 Receives Certification
On Monday, EADS Socata announced its TBM 700C2 had received FAA certification. Socata spent 10 years refining the original TBM — produced in 1990 — resulting in this new variant. The C2 follows on the successes of the TBM 700B with a large door and optional pilot door in 1999, and the Freighter version developed in 2001.
On Monday, EADS Socata announced its TBM 700C2 had received FAA certification. Socata spent 10 years refining the original TBM -- produced in 1990 -- resulting in this new variant. The C2 follows on the successes of the TBM 700B with a large door and optional pilot door in 1999, and the Freighter version developed in 2001. Its most pronounced new feature is its strengthened airframe (spar box and wing attachments) allowing a maximum takeoff weight of 7394 pounds (3,354 kg) instead of 6,578 pounds (2,984 kg). This allows the new version to deliver bigger payload and range performance. A 1,074-nm maximum range with 45-minute fuel reserves has been calculated for the C2 with a 1,347-pound (611 kg) payload at 300 KTAS. Socata claims that a C2 will carry an 805-pound payload with full fuel and fly over a 1,565-nm distance with a 45-minute fuel reserve. Technical teams at EADS Socata worked 18 months to complete the certification program. As of March 1, a total of 230 TBM 700s have been delivered worldwide, of which 134 are registered in the U.S.
