Socata TB-20

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shyampatel94

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Shyam Patel
I know that they don't build these planes anymore but still have some used ones on controller? How do they fly? I love the looks of it? Any thoughts?
 
I flew 36 hours in its non-retracting brother the TB-10 Tobago...Cool plane, high wing loading so it took bumps well, stable, pull back the power and it had a prodigious sink rate. As I remember, easy to land. Though I really don't know if the Trinidad had the same qualities.
 
I've probably got about 5-10 hours in the right seat of AdamB's TB21, the turbo cousin. I've found it to be a very comfortable airplane. Think of it as the predecessor to the Cirrus as far as general layout, gullwing doors, wide cabin, etc. I always found it to be nice to fly, although I wouldn't call it particularly nimble.
 
shyampatel94 said:
I know that they don't build these planes anymore but still have some used ones on controller? How do they fly? I love the looks of it? Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Shyam,

Below is a copy of a post in POA I made back in February re: the TRIN. Regarding speed, expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 to 165 True for the 20 with the 21 (Turbo charge version better up higher). Very stable instrument platform, a little heavier in roll than in pitch. Very comfortable seats, flaps and trim wheel where your arm rests/center console), great visibility, great derated lyc engine...

Previous Post:
Owned a TB20 for approximately 5 years/600 hours or so.... If I were looking to go back to a high performance piston single, I would go back to another TRIN.

Great airplane!

Strong airframe, single spar wing, X-wind component I believe is 25Knots, push pull rods vs. cables, lyc io540 derated to 250hp, wide (50") comfortable cabin, great visibility for the pilot and passengers, two doors, trailing link landing gear makes for nice landings, great instrument platform, high wing loading helps alot in turbulence.

Cockpit arrangement at first seems odd, but once you are in it-fly it, you wonder why other airplane mfg's don't put stuff where Socata does.

Never had an issue with parts availability and there is a very strong owner group on Socata.org. Very professional group of passionate owners...

I don't recall what serial number (forward) represents the 28 volt airplanes but it was somewhere around 1990 when they made the switch. I have heard some taller pilots have issues with headroom in the non GT (newer) models. ...and as I recall, your A and P will have to have a set of metric tools for the airframe.
 
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