Many of us who regularly pilgrim to major aviation shows in the U.S. and Europe have seen the sleek and fast TBM turboprop aircraft. Those who have recently visited the TBM exhibits may have noticed another name in front of TBM, the name DAHER. So who is Daher and what does this new name stand for?
Many still may remember the name Socata as somehow belonging to this same company. For some there may be an unclear understanding of the company and its activities, which has changed deeply in the last decades. This “uncertain” perception pushed me to dig deeper in order to better understand this aerospace giant.
One of first actions was to visit the Daher facility in Tarbes, France where all TBM aircraft are manufactured, followed by a visit to the Daher facility in Pompano Beach, FL. Those visits were for me an impressive boost of knowledge and changed my perception about the TBM and Daher radically.
It was soon obvious to me that the perception of many airmen, media and even mine was wrong, or better to say it was incomplete and even incorrect. In a few words, the TBM is just one small part of activities united under the name of Daher, the company which this year is celebrating its 155th birthday. Daher is today much more than “only” TBM. It’s an equipment supplier which already has and is further developing, integrated industrial systems for aerospace and advanced technologies.
Daher Today
Daher today designs and develops solutions for itself and for its industrial partners by combining its know-how in industrial manufacturing, in product and process engineering, logistics and transport, and other industrial services. Daher has grown into a leader in five fields of activity in aircraft manufacturing, aero structures and systems, integrated logistics, nuclear services, and specialized valves, generating a turnover in excess of 1 billion Euros, with an order book corresponding to more than three years of turnover.
Daher is the world’s oldest aircraft manufacturer in operation today which has built airplanes for more than a century. It is a builder of the popular single-engine turboprop airplanes named TBM. The roots are in the pioneering Morane-Saulnier aviation company – and more recently in SOCATA.
Daher TBM Family
Not many know that the design of the TBM airplane family is connected to the Mooney 301. TBM originated from the initials “TB” for Tarbes and “M” stands for Mooney. After Mooney’s acquisition by French owners,
Mooney and SOCATA were discussing a co-development of a new enlarged turboprop design derived from the earlier 301. This resulted in the formation of a joint venture for developing and manufacturing the
envisioned aircraft, designated as the TBM 700. The aircraft was considerably heavier than the original 301 but powered by more than twice the engine power. In 1987, a joint-venture named TBM International was
established with the aim of completing the 700’s development and manufacturing. The ownership was divided between Mooney and SOCATA’s parent company Aérospatiale. By mid-1990 Mooney withdrew from
Source: NEXEO solutions