Daher, the French manufacturer that builds the TBM 900 single-engine turboprop, has made several safety improvements for 2016, the company announced during the recent Singapore Airshow. This workload-reducing technology “…can be compared to bringing an ‘e-copilot’ into the cockpit,” said Nicolas Chabbert, the senior vice president of Daher’s Airplane Business Unit, in a news release. Part of this package is Garmin’s latest software release for the G1000 V15 avionics suite, which comprises the TBM 900’s three-screen, all-glass cockpit configuration.
The enhancements include flight envelope monitoring and stability augmentation through “Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP)” and “Under-speed Protection (USP),” which have been added to the airplane’s GFC 700 autopilot and flight control system. These systems prevent overbanking and stalls by automatically commanding corrective inputs.
New aural alerts replace simple sounds for stall, overspeed, landing gear extension and oxygen mask alerts. These new alerts provide better warning identification, Daher says.
An angle of attack (AOA) sensor is also part of the package, with a corresponding visual depiction on the primary flight displays.
In addition, the new TBM 900 can link its G1000 avionics to a mobile device using the Garmin Pilot app via a Bluetooth connection to Garmin’s Flight Stream 210 wireless gateway. This allows users to send, receive, and sync flight plans, as well as stream Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast weather, traffic, and other information to and from the G1000.
L-3 Aviation Products’ L-3 lightweight (five pounds) voice and flight data recorder is also included. Garmin’s GRA 55 all-digital radar altimeter is being offered as an option.
Daher delivered 55 TBM 900s in 2015, and total TBM series deliveries over the years have amounted to 767 airplanes, with the global fleet posting more than 1.3 million flight hours as of December 31, according to Daher.
