Building It: Daher TBM 960

Daher evolves its flagship TBM series with an eye towards a greener tomorrow.

Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 02:28 PM ET

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An esprit de corps flows through the Daher workforce, as well as an emphasis on taking risks and responsibility accordingly. [Credit: Stephen Yeates]

Key Takeaways:

Daher's aviation heritage began in 1911 with Morane-Saulnier in France, evolving through several ownership changes before Daher acquired controlling interest in SOCATA in 2009.
Daher has significantly expanded its global aerospace footprint, notably acquiring Quest Aircraft (Kodiak) in 2019 to establish a strong trans-Atlantic presence and a corporate philosophy emphasizing entrepreneurial spirit.
The article details the integrated and evolving production process for Daher's TBM 910/960 single-engine turboprops, from precision part fabrication and airframe assembly to final outfitting and testing.

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Editor’s Note: This article is part of a three-part series on the Daher TBM 960. Read more about the aircraft, as well as a first-hand account by Editor-in-Chief Julie Boatman of a TBM 940 ferry flight across the North Atlantic.

Just three years after the Wright brothers’ Flyer took a trip over the sands of the Kill Devil Hills, Alberto Santos-Dumont made his longest public flight stretching more than 700 feet from a field near Paris, France, in 1906. Just five years later, the precursor to Daher—the company that would one day build the TBM 960/910 single-engine turboprops capable of deftly spanning an ocean—was born.