Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA, July 27, 2010 – A symbolic clock marking the countdown for next year’s 100th anniversary celebration of Aeroplanes Morane-Saulnier – the predecessor of DAHER-SOCATA – was formally started at the EAA AirVenture fly-in today.
The countdown kick-off was initiated by Patrick Daher, CEO of the DAHER Group, and Nicolas Chabbert, president of SOCATA North America, during a press conference at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.
Aeroplanes Morane-Saulnier was created in 1911 by two French pioneer aviators and brothers, Leon and Robert Morane, with engineer Raymond Saulnier. During its operation, the company and its aircraft were responsible for numerous aviation milestones, including: winning the first World Air Race in 1911; performing the first Mediterranean aerial crossing in 1913; developing the first four-seat business jet in 1954; and producing and the TBM 700 – the first pressurized civilian single turboprop aircraft, which was certified in 1990.
Through its 99 years of existence, the company continuously built airplanes reputed for their high quality of manufacturing and high maneuverability. This legacy has been continued by DAHER-SOCATA with its latest production aircraft, the TBM 850 very fast turboprop.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary, DAHER-SOCATA will introduce a special anniversary edition of its TBM 850, and is to hold a 100th Anniversary Fly-In event as part of the EAA AirVenture gathering in 2011.
"This celebration of aviation excellence will highlight the prestigious roots of our aircraft manufacturing activity, and underscore our company’s confidence in the business aviation market – despite today’s difficult economic times," Patrick Daher stated. "We are committed to the further development of our TBM 850, which is true asset for the DAHER Group, and we look forward new aircraft projects in the near future."
Nicolas Chabbert, the president of SOCATA North America, said today’s anniversary countdown start-up is a symbol of DAHER-SOCATA’s continuous dedication to customer satisfaction through 99 years of history, from the early Morane-Saulnier monoplanes to the current TBM 850.
"We are supporting an active fleet of nearly 6,000 airplanes all over the world, including 1,000 in North America," Chabbert explained. "These range from the latest TBM 850 versions to some aircraft that are 50 years old. This is why DAHER-SOCATA is dedicated to developing service activities for our customers, including avionics retrofit and other modernization packages."
As the world’s fastest single engine turboprop, the TBM 850 has a maximum cruise speed of 320 ktas. at 26,000 ft. (in ISA conditions). It is an 850-shp. version of SOCATA’s proven six-seat TBM 700 turboprop business aircraft, and it combines the cruising speed and travel times typical of light jets with economical direct operating costs, while offering the range and excellent payload capacity of turboprop aircraft.
The TBM 850 is available via DAHER-SOCATA’s existing direct sales and distribution network, and is supported by its extensive worldwide system of service centers. Since its launch in 2005, the TBM 850 has become an international success – with more than 220 aircraft sold, and 199 delivered to date to customers around the globe.
