The Socata TB is a series of light single-engine piston aircraft developed and manufactured by French aircraft company SOCATA . The letters TB within the designation stand for Tarbes , the French city where the aircraft series is manufactured. The TB series planes have come to be known as the "Caribbean Planes" due to the island naming convention adopted for the various models, though they are not often seen flown in that region.
61-447: All aircraft (with the exception of the TB9) have a constant-speed propeller . The TB series have become widely used in training and touring aircraft and are often used for instrument training. They are defined by their contemporary fit and finish as well as their interior size; compared to other four-seat single-engine aircraft, they are relatively roomy at roughly 49 inches (124 cm) at
122-405: A variable-pitch propeller is a type of propeller (airscrew) with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change the blade pitch . A controllable-pitch propeller is one where the pitch is controlled manually by the pilot. Alternatively, a constant-speed propeller is one where the pilot sets the desired engine speed ( RPM ), and the blade pitch is controlled automatically without
183-563: A 5-bladed propeller for the Short 330 . In 1978, the company produced a composite aramid fiber propeller for the CASA 212 . In 1989, Hartzell produced sixteen-foot propellers for the Boeing Condor , another record-breaking aircraft. Hartzell introduced "Top-Prop" replacement propellers for piston-engine aircraft in 1991 and sold 20,000 Top-Prop conversion kits through 2013. In 1994,
244-608: A block from Hawthorn Hill , where Orville Wright lived. From the 1890s until the late 1910s, Hartzell's father and grandfather operated a sawmill and lumber supply company in Greenville, Ohio (later moved to Piqua, Ohio) that also manufactured items such as wagons and gun stocks for World War I . On the side, Robert owned a small airplane and did maintenance on it as a young man. In 1917, Orville Wright suggested that Hartzell use his walnut trees to manufacture an aircraft propeller for his plane and others. Robert Hartzell founded
305-502: A certain RPM, centrifugal force would cause the weights to swing outwards, which would drive a mechanism that twisted the propeller into a steeper pitch. When the propeller slowed, the RPM would decrease enough for the spring to push the weights back in, realigning the propeller to the shallower pitch. Small, modern engines with a constant speed unit (CSU), such as the Rotax 912 , may use either
366-592: A detailed study was also conducted into the future of the TB family, including an examination of a projected all- composite derivative of the existing aircraft. During March 2004, SOCATA transferred all of its sales and marketing operations from its office in Paris to its manufacturing site in Tarbes as a cost-saving measure. During mid 2004, the company announced that it was considered available options for relocating portions of
427-412: A given aircraft after having already received an order for it. Basic airframes would be produced in advance and finished upon order, allowing for customer-specified modifications and optional equipment to be installed as per their demands. While the type was completed upon a single assembly line at the facility, all models, low and top end alike, were finished upon the same line. At the start of 1993, SOCATA
488-404: A higher gear, while still producing enough power to keep the vehicle moving. This is accomplished in an airplane by increasing the angle of attack of the propeller. This means that the propeller moves more air per revolution and allows the engine to spin slower while moving an equivalent volume of air, thus maintaining velocity. Another use of variable-pitch propellers is to feather the blades of
549-414: A range of conditions. A propeller with variable pitch can have a nearly constant efficiency over a range of airspeeds. A shallower angle of attack requires the least torque, but the highest RPM , because the propeller is not moving very much air with each revolution. This is similar to a car operating in low gear . When the motorist reaches cruising speed, they will slow down the engine by shifting into
610-404: A range of conditions. If the propeller blade angle is set to give good takeoff and climb performance, the propeller will be inefficient in cruising flight because the blade will be at too low an angle of attack. In contrast, a propeller set for good cruise performance may stall at low speeds, because the angle of attack is too high. A propeller with adjustable blade angle is more efficient over
671-568: A severe impact upon its American competitors, to which it was not affected by. A major customer of the TB family has been the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which deployed the type as a trainer aircraft. During the late 1980s, China was reportedly exploring the possibility of establishing its own independent production line to produce the TB-20 Trinidad model under licence . During December 1993,
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#1732783121604732-426: A special ball-bearing helicoidal ramp at the root of the blades for easy operation. Walter S Hoover's patent for a variable pitch propeller was filed in the U.S. Patent Office in 1934. Several designs were tried, including a small bladder of pressurized air in the propeller hub providing the necessary force to resist a spring that would drive the blades from fine pitch (take-off) to coarse pitch (level cruising). At
793-575: A suitable airspeed a disk on the front of the spinner would press sufficiently on the bladder's air-release valve to relieve the pressure and allow the spring to drive the propeller to coarse pitch. These "pneumatic" propellers were fitted on the de Havilland DH.88 Comet aircraft, winner of the famed long-distance 1934 MacRobertson Air Race and in the Caudron C.460 winner of the 1936 National Air Races , flown by Michel Détroyat [ fr ] . Use of these pneumatic propellers required presetting
854-667: A variable-stroke pump) in 1924 and presented a paper on the subject before the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1928; it met with scepticism as to its utility. The propeller had been developed with Gloster Aircraft Company as the Gloster Hele-Shaw Beacham Variable Pitch propeller and was demonstrated on a Gloster Grebe , where it was used to maintain a near-constant RPM. The French firm Ratier produced variable-pitch propellers of various designs from 1928 onwards, relying on
915-436: Is both necessary and furnished. The design of the cabin incorporates a spacious and comfortable interior, intentionally reminiscent of luxury road vehicles. It can be accessed via either side of the aircraft; the door is intended to be left ajar while on the ground so that the cabin is better ventilated. A large canopy provides the pilots with a generous external view; elements of the cockpit instrumentation and controls, such as
976-541: Is credited in Canada for creating the first variable pitch propeller in 1918. The French aircraft firm Levasseur displayed a variable-pitch propeller at the 1921 Paris Air Show . The firm claimed that the French government had tested the device in a ten-hour run and that it could change pitch at any engine RPM. Dr Henry Selby Hele-Shaw and T.E. Beacham patented a hydraulically-operated variable-pitch propeller (based on
1037-420: Is identical to the centrifugal governor used by James Watt to control the speed of steam engines . Eccentric weights were set up near or in the spinner, held in by a spring. When the propeller reached a certain RPM, centrifugal force would cause the weights to swing outwards, which would drive a mechanism that twisted the propeller into a steeper pitch. When the propeller slowed, the RPM would decrease enough for
1098-426: Is often cited by TB owners. During the 2000s, sales of the TB family suffered as a consequence of a worldwide aviation recession , leading Socata to seek to restructure the marketing and production aspects of the program. Leading on from several cost-cutting measures, such as reorganisations of staff, negotiations with suppliers, and outsourcing , between 2004 and 2008, the company sought to transfer all production of
1159-399: Is pumped through the propeller shaft by the governor to push on a piston that drives the mechanism to change pitch. The flow of oil and the pitch are controlled by a governor, consisting of a gear type pump speeder spring, flyweights, and a pilot valve . The gear type pump takes engine oil pressure and turns it to a higher pressure which is in turn controlled in an out of the propeller hub by
1220-423: Is stationary with the propeller spinning (in calm air), the relative wind vector for each propeller blade is from the side. However, as the aircraft starts to move forward, the relative wind vector comes increasingly from the front. The propeller blade pitch must be increased to maintain optimum angle of attack to the relative wind. The first propellers were fixed-pitch, but these propellers are not efficient over
1281-776: The Hamilton Standard Division of the United Aircraft Company , engineer Frank W. Caldwell developed a hydraulic design, which led to the award of the Collier Trophy of 1933. de Havilland subsequently bought up the rights to produce Hamilton propellers in the UK, while Rolls-Royce and Bristol Engines formed the British company Rotol in 1937 to produce their own designs. The French company of Pierre Levasseur and Smith Engineering Co. in
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#17327831216041342-422: The annunciator panel , central pedestal, and individual elements like the nav / com and the circuit breakers , have been positioned to enable their easy overview as well. To aid in achieving fuel-efficiency, a simple fuel tank selection arrangement, augmented by digital gauges, is present upon most models. The TB series all share the same basic fuselage and interior configuration. The primary differences between
1403-752: The continuously variable transmission is to the motorcar: the engine can be kept running at its optimum speed, regardless of the speed at which the aircraft is flying through the air. The CSU also allows aircraft engine designers to keep the ignition system simple: the automatic spark advance seen in motor vehicle engines is simplified, because aircraft engines run at a roughly constant RPM. Virtually all high-performance propeller-driven aircraft have constant-speed propellers, as they greatly improve fuel efficiency and performance, especially at high altitude. The first attempts at constant-speed propellers were called counterweight propellers, which were driven by mechanisms that operated on centrifugal force . Their operation
1464-703: The CAAC confirmed its order with SOCATA for 43 aircraft, comprising 38 TB-200 Tobago XLs and 5 TB20 Trinidads; at this time, this was the largest ever single order to be received for the TB series. Nigerian College of Aviation Technology [REDACTED] Uruguay Data from www.socata.org SOCATA TB user group and TB21 POH General characteristics Performance Avionics Option for full EFIS Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83 General characteristics Performance Avionics to customer specifications Related lists Constant speed propeller In aeronautics ,
1525-459: The CSU will typically use oil pressure to decrease the pitch. That way, if the CSU fails, that propeller will automatically feather, reducing drag, while the aircraft continues to be flown on the good engine. An "unfeathering accumulator " will enable such a propeller to return to fine pitch for an in-flight engine restart. Operation in a single engine reciprocating aircraft is as follows: Engine oil
1586-668: The Hartzell Walnut Propeller Company in Piqua that year, and the company provided "Liberty" aircraft propellers for World War I warplanes. After the war, Hartzell Propeller built its own airplanes, including the FC-1 (the first aircraft made entirely of plywood). The FC-1 took first place in the Flying Club of St. Louis Trophy Race at the 1923 International Air Meet. An alteration to the wings resulted in
1647-448: The TB series out of France, selecting Romania to produce the type. However, sales of the type failed to recover, resulting in the end of series production in favor of built-to-order manufacturing instead and, eventually, the termination of all marketing and production activities by 2012. Support remains for existing customers, and new upgrades had been introduced for these aircraft, such as the option to retrofit glass cockpits . During
1708-550: The TB series; this aircraft would most likely have been similar to the TB20 Trinidad, except for being powered by a Diesel engine instead. As late as 2007, SOCATA were reporting that they anticipated a production rate of up to 100 aircraft per year to be attained at the new Bacau facility. During 2006, it was alleged by a Dutch news site, that all production activity of the TB series would soon be terminated. At this point, while no such official announcement had been issued by
1769-669: The United States also developed controllable-pitch propellers. Wiley Post (1898–1935) used Smith propellers on some of his flights. Another electrically-operated mechanism was developed by Wallace Turnbull and refined by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation . This was first tested in on June 6, 1927, at Camp Borden, Ontario, Canada and received a patent in 1929 ( U.S. patent 1,828,348 ). Some pilots in World War II (1939–1945) favoured it, because even when
1830-538: The United States. A number of early aviation pioneers, including A. V. Roe and Louis Breguet , used propellers which could be adjusted while the aircraft was on the ground . This was also the case during World War I with one testbed example, "R.30/16" , of the Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI German four-engined heavy bomber. In 1919 L. E. Baynes patented the first automatic variable-pitch airscrew. Wallace Rupert Turnbull of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
1891-452: The aircraft, designated as the TB20 , was awarded its type certification by the French aviation authorities. During March 1981, the first delivery of a production TB20 was completed to a German customer. Various improved models of the TB series were subsequently developed. SOCATA adopted a straightforward assembly philosophy at its final assembly facility in Tarbes, choosing to only complete
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1952-420: The aircraft. This is achieved by use of a constant-speed unit (CSU) or propeller governor , which automatically changes the propeller's blade pitch . Most engines produce their maximum power in a narrow speed band. The CSU allows the engine to operate in its most economical range of rotational speeds , regardless of whether the aircraft is taking off or cruising. The CSU can be said to be to an aircraft what
2013-627: The company held the first Friends of Hartzell Air Show in Piqua, Ohio for which Hartzell developed its first aerobatic system. In 2013, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship chose Hartzell to provide 3-blade composite propellers, carbon-fiber composite spinners, and governors to race teams. In 2006, the FAA granted Hartzell the first certification for an Advanced Structural Composite (ASC II) propeller for general aviation. In July 2021, Hartzell Propeller purchased
2074-513: The company, it was apparent that the order book for the TB family was vacant of any aircraft of the type at this time; the last three TB aircraft to have been ordered had already been delivered two years prior. During 2008, SOCATA announced that from that point onwards, the TB GT Series would be built to order only. By 2012, the TB GT series had disappeared as an order option altogether. However,
2135-426: The conventional hydraulic method or an electrical pitch control mechanism. Hydraulic operation can be too expensive and bulky for microlights . Instead, these may use propellers that are activated mechanically or electrically. A constant-speed propeller is a variable-pitch propeller that automatically changes its blade pitch in order to maintain a chosen rotational speed, regardless of the operational conditions of
2196-426: The decision was made to suspend serial production of the type and substantial efforts were launched to establish new outsourcing arrangements, particularly focused upon companies within eastern European companies. By mid-2004, SOCATA expected to produce a maximum of 30 aircraft that year, substantially lower than the capacity available. In addition to cost-saving efforts, aimed at reducing costs by at least 30 per cent;
2257-409: The engine was no longer running the propeller could be feathered . On hydraulically-operated propellers the feathering had to happen before the loss of hydraulic pressure in the engine, unless a dedicated electrically-operated feathering pump was installed to provide the necessary oil pressure to feather the propeller. Hartzell Propeller Hartzell Propeller is an American manufacturer that
2318-476: The existing aircraft of the type have continued to be supported by the company; more recently, the option of retrofitting a Garmin -built glass cockpit has been made available to customers. The SOCATA TB family is a series of single-engine light aircraft developed for general aviation and training purposes. Some versions, such as the TB-200 model, were specifically produced to meet the varied requirements of
2379-504: The flyweights to move inward due to a lack in centrifugal force, and tension will be released from the speeder spring, porting oil out of the propeller hub, decreasing pitch and increasing rpm. This process usually takes place frequently throughout flight. A pilot requires some additional training and, in most jurisdictions, a formal sign-off before being allowed to fly aircraft fitted with a CSU. CSUs are not allowed to be fitted to aircraft certified under light-sport aircraft regulations in
2440-693: The improved FC-2 model, which won competing over aircraft from the Waco Aircraft Company and the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company at the 1924 International Air Races in Dayton, Ohio . Hartzell stopped producing aircraft to avoid competing with its own propeller customers. In 1926, Hartzell began building propellers for the Aeronca C-2 . During World War II the company produced metal propellers for Hamilton-Standard . After
2501-533: The manufacturing chain for the TB family abroad, the move was attributed to the associated savings in labour costs that such a move would result in. During June 2005, it was revealed that SOCATA was in the process of evaluating between two prospective new manufacturing locations in Canada and Romania , having ruled out an arrangement with EADS PZL Warszawa-Okęcie SA in Poland after the collapse of negotiations between
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2562-456: The mid-1970s, French aircraft company SOCATA commenced design work on what would become the TB family of general aircraft ; a key ambition of this new product line was to entirely replace the firm's existing and highly successful Rallye series of aircraft. The first prototype, powered by a 119 kW (160 hp) Avco Lycoming O-320 engine, flew on 23 September 1977 but was lost during spin testing on 15 December that year. A second prototype
2623-461: The models typically found in areas such as the landing gear, engine, and propeller. The SOCATA TB family has been heavily used for general aviation purpose, for which it was originally designed. While typically operated by private individuals, it has been relatively popular with both civil and military training schools across various countries. According to aerospace publication Flight International , by around 1993, flight schools were accounting for
2684-506: The most noticeable differences between the first and second generation models are the redesigned wing tips, which are noticeably rounder upon the older models, and the shape of the vertical stabiliser , which is curved on the lower front on the GT models. The styling of the rear windows have also changed, being more blended with the fuselage on the GT models; an optional three-bladed Hartzell , which reduced cabin noise and increased ground clearance,
2745-423: The pilot valve, which is connected to the flyweights, and a seeder spring which presses against the flyweights. The tension of the spring is set by the propeller control lever, which sets the RPM. The governor will maintain that RPM setting until an engine overspeed or underspeed condition exists. When an overspeed condition occurs, the propeller begins to rotate faster than the desired RPM setting. This would occur as
2806-598: The pilot with more options for the location of a forced landing . Three methods are used to vary the pitch: oil pressure, centrifugal weights, or electro-mechanical control. Engine oil pressure is the usual mechanism used in commercial propeller aircraft and the Continental and Lycoming engines fitted to light aircraft. In aircraft without a constant speed unit (CSU), the pilot controls the propeller blade pitch manually, using oil pressure. Alternatively, or additionally, centrifugal weights may be attached directly to
2867-586: The pilot's intervention so that the rotational speed remains constant. The device which controls the propeller pitch and thus speed is called a propeller governor or constant speed unit . Reversible propellers are those where the pitch can be set to negative values. This creates reverse thrust for braking or going backwards without the need to change the direction of shaft revolution. While some aircraft have ground-adjustable propellers , these are not considered variable-pitch. These are typically found only on light aircraft and microlights . When an aircraft
2928-428: The plane descends and airspeed increases. The flyweights begin to pull outward due to centrifugal force which further compresses the speeder spring, which in turn ports oil to the hub back to the engine, decreasing engine rpm and increasing pitch. When an underspeed condition occurs, such as a climb with a loss of airspeed, the opposite takes place. The airspeed decreases, causing the propeller to slow down. This will cause
2989-481: The propeller as in the Yakovlev Yak-52 . The first attempts at constant-speed propellers were called counterweight propellers, which were driven by mechanisms that operated on centrifugal force . Their operation is identical to the centrifugal governor used by James Watt to limit the speed of steam engines . Eccentric weights were set up near or in the spinner, held in by a spring. When the propeller reached
3050-619: The propeller to fine pitch prior to take-off. This was done by pressurizing the bladder with a bicycle pump, hence the whimsical nickname Gonfleurs d'hélices (prop-inflater boys) given to the aircraft ground-mechanics in France up to this day. A Gloster Hele-Shaw hydraulic propeller was shown at the 1929 International Aero Exhibition at Olympia. American Tom Hamilton of the Hamilton Aero Manufacturing Company saw it and, on returning home, patented it there. As
3111-406: The propeller, in order to reduce drag. This means to rotate the blades so that their leading edges face directly forwards. In a multi-engine aircraft, if one engine fails, it can be feathered to reduce drag so that the aircraft can continue flying using the other engine(s). In a single-engine aircraft, if the engine fails, feathering the propeller will reduce drag and increase glide distance, providing
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#17327831216043172-477: The shoulder. In part, this is due to the fuselage having a pronounced "round out" above the wing. Adding to the actual spaciousness, the side windows extend up well into the roof line, giving the Socata an airy feeling. Due to the larger fuselage and relatively heavy weights, TB series aircraft have lower performance figures than a similarly sized and powered but narrower aircraft, and the trade-off of speed for comfort
3233-413: The spring to push the weights back in, realigning the propeller to the shallower pitch. Most CSUs use oil pressure to control propeller pitch. Typically, constant-speed units on a single-engine aircraft use oil pressure to increase the pitch. If the CSU fails, the propeller will automatically return to fine pitch, allowing the aircraft to be operated at lower speeds. By contrast, on a multi-engine aircraft,
3294-401: The trainer aircraft role. The type is often known for its favourable, easy to handle flight characteristics, such as its appropriate handling and control sensitivity, vice-free flying attitude, and being readily recoverable with ease from a typical stall , which lend themselves to less experienced pilots. Due to the absence of violent low-speed behaviour, the presence of a stall warning indicator
3355-554: The two parties. During 2007, it was announced that SOCATA was in the process of organising the transfer of the final assembly line of both the TB20 and TB21 models, together with a tentative model known mostly as the TB2X , to a new manufacturing site in Bacau , Romania, and operated by Aerostar as part of an industrial offset agreement . The TB2X was the working designation for a new model in
3416-453: The vast majority of orders for the type and that, by this point, 520 TB family aircraft had been sold to a total of 24 schools across the world. The North American market proved to be of vital importance to the TB series; by 1993, SOCATA had received orders for in excess of 1,500 aircraft from various different customers within the region. Flight International attributed some of this success being due to product liability legislation having had
3477-601: The war, Hartzell produced the first composite propellers for the Republic RC-3 Seabee . Hartzell began making aluminum propellers in 1948 and developed the first full-feathering propellers for a light twin-engine aircraft in the 1950s. These were used in the Aero Commander , Piper Apache , Cessna 310 , and Beech Twin Bonanza . Hartzell introduced a turboprop propeller in 1961 and, in 1975, certified
3538-461: Was also made available. During February 2000, SOCATA officially launched its Generation Two range, having received a major US order for 79 aircraft from West Coast distributor New Avex . During the early 2000s, a major worldwide downturn in the aviation industry resulting from the 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States had severely impacted sales of the TB family. During 2003,
3599-654: Was fitted with a 134 kW (180 hp) engine. As intended, throughout 1979, production of the Rallye family began to draw down as production of the new family; In initial entry models of which were designated as the TB-9 Tampico and the TB-10 Tobago , with type certification by the French Directorate General for Civil Aviation on 26 April 1979. On 18 December 1980, an improved model of
3660-468: Was founded in 1917 by Robert N. Hartzell as the Hartzell Walnut Propeller Company. It produces composite and aluminum propellers for certified , homebuilt , and ultralight aircraft. The company is headquartered in Piqua, Ohio . Hartzell also produces spinners , governors , ice protection systems , and other propeller controls. Robert Hartzell grew up in the village of Oakwood, Ohio , just
3721-566: Was manufacturing around 12 aircraft of the TB series per month, by the middle of the year, this had dipped to roughly 8 aircraft per month. During the 1990s, an improved model of the TB family, designated as the TB20 Trinidad was developed. Around 2000, all aircraft in the TB series underwent modernisation; to reflect this upgrade, the letters GT (standing for Generation Two ) were applied to applicable models. The GT versions feature an enlarged cabin and various aerodynamic improvements;
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