Daher-SOCATA TB 30 Epsilon

Daher-SOCATA · France · first flew 1979 · fighter

The SOCATA TB 30 Epsilon is a French military piston-engined trainer designed to teach basic and aerobatic flying to student pilots, bridging the gap between elementary trainers and jets. It offers tandem seating under a large bubble canopy.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.59 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Low-wing tandem-seat military trainer
Retractable undercarriage
Side-by-side cockpit with bubble canopy

Compact low-wing monoplane with retractable gear and a prominent bubble canopy over tandem seats; the round cowling and metal propeller give a clean, purposeful appearance similar to a scaled-down warbird.

Specifications

The Daher-SOCATA TB 30 Epsilon has a length of 7.59 m (25 ft).
It has a wingspan of 7.92 m (26 ft).
Its maximum speed is 378 km/h (235 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed from SOCATA's TB light aircraft family to meet an Armée de l'Air requirement, the Epsilon first flew in 1979 and entered service in 1983 as the standard French air force basic trainer. It replaced older piston trainers and allowed students to develop handling skills before progressing to the Alpha Jet. Portugal also adopted the type for its air force.

Variants

The standard TB 30 Epsilon is the principal version; a turboprop-powered TB 31 Omega was developed but not ordered in quantity.

Where you'll see it

Serves with the French Armée de l'Air as a basic and aerobatic trainer, and with the Portuguese Air Force; remaining in limited use in France into the 2020s.

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