View source for Socata TB 30 Epsilon

{{Short description|French military trainer aircraft}}
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= TB 30 Epsilon
 |image= File:RIHB 2022 Epsilon TB-30.jpg
 |caption= Socata TB 30 Epsilon
 |type= Light [[military trainer aircraft]]
 |manufacturer= [[SOCATA]] ([[Aérospatiale]])
 |designer=
 |first_flight= 22 December 1979
 |introduction=1983
 |retired=
 |status= Active service
 |primary_user= [[French Air Force]] (historical)
 |more_users= [[Portuguese Air Force]] <br> [[Military of Togo|Togolese Air Force]] <br> [[Military of Senegal|Senegalese Air Force]] <!--up to three "more" total. please separate with <br/>.-->
 |produced=1979-1989
 |number_built=
 |variants=
}}
The '''Socata TB 30 Epsilon''' is a light military trainer aircraft produced by [[SOCATA]] (then part of [[Aérospatiale]]). It is a tandem two-seater with a metal airframe. The first prototype flew on 22 December 1979.

==Design and development==
[[File:Socata F-WOMG Oméga.jpg|thumb|left|TB 31 Oméga]]
In 1978, the [[French Air Force]] (''Armée de l'Air'') published a requirement for a new basic trainer aircraft to partially replace the [[Fouga Magister]] in the early parts of the syllabus for pilot training.  The new aircraft was expected to have tandem seating, be powered by a 224&nbsp;kW (300&nbsp;hp) piston engine and have a three-hour endurance.  Similar designs were proposed by the [[SOCATA]] subsidiary of [[Aérospatiale]] (based on their [[SOCATA TB family|TB 10 Tobago]] light aircraft) and by GEPAL (the [[GEPAL Mk II]]). The SOCATA proposal, the TB 30B, was chosen in February 1979.<ref name="AI Jackson p8">Jackson 1987, p. 8.</ref>

The first of two prototypes flew on 22 December 1979,<ref name="Janes 88 p56">Taylor 1988, p. 56.</ref> but testing showed that the Epsilon had poor handling and it was redesigned with a new swept back fin supplemented by a ventral strake and a larger [[tailplane]], while the wing was fitted with elliptical tips increasing the wingspan from 7.40&nbsp;m (24&nbsp;ft 3{{frac|3|8}}&nbsp;in) to 7.59&nbsp;m (24&nbsp;ft 11{{frac|3|4}}&nbsp;in). The first prototype flew again with these changes on 31 October 1980, and it was soon found that the handling problems had been fixed.<ref name="Jackson AI p9-10">Jackson 1987, pp. 9–10.</ref>

The Epsilon is a low winged [[Cantilever#Aircraft|cantilever]] [[monoplane]] of all metal construction. It is powered by a [[Lycoming O-540]] [[flat-six]] [[piston engine]] driving a two-blade propeller, and is fitted with a retractable [[Tricycle gear|nosewheel undercarriage]]. The pilot and instructor are sat in tandem under a sliding [[Plexiglas]] canopy, with cockpit layout designed to aid transition to the [[Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet]] to which French students graduate after completing the Epsilon part of their training syllabus.<ref name="Janes 88 p56"/><ref name="Jackson AI p10-1">Jackson 1987, pp. 10–11.</ref>

The first prototype was modified into a testbed for the [[Turbomeca Arrius|Turbomeca TP 319 Arrius]] [[turboprop]] engine, flying in this form on 9 November 1985.<ref name="Janes 88 p56"/> The testbed was then modified into a dedicated turboprop trainer, the '''TB 31 Oméga''', powered by a 360&nbsp;kW (483 shp) Arrius 1A2 and fitted with [[ejection seat]]s, returning to flight on 30 April 1989.<ref name="jawa90 p88">Lambert 1990, p. 88.</ref> While it was offered for the [[United States Air Force]]/[[United States Navy]] [[Joint Primary Aircraft Training System]] competition to replace the [[Beechcraft T-34 Mentor]] and [[Cessna T-37 Tweet]], it was rejected, with no sales resulting.<ref name="Janes 93 p92-3">Lambert 1993, pp. 92–93.</ref>

==Operational history==
The ''Armée de l'Air'' placed an initial order for 30 Epsilons in 1981, with further contracts following with a total of 150 ordered.<ref name="Jackson AI p9">Jackson 1987, p. 9.</ref> First deliveries started in 1983, with the first training courses based on the Epsilon starting in September 1984.<ref name="Jackson AI p11-15">Jackson 1987, pp. 11–15.</ref>

Export orders were received from [[Togo]] for three armed Epsilons in 1984, delivered in 1986 (with a fourth supplied later to replace a crashed aircraft) and from [[Portugal]] in 1987 for 18 aircraft, to be assembled in Portugal by [[OGMA]].<ref name="Janes 88 p56"/>

==Variants==
* '''TB 30 Epsilon''': Military trainer aircraft
* '''TB 31 Oméga''': Proposed turboprop powered version of the TB 30 Epsilon. Only one aircraft built

==Operators==
===Current===
[[File:FAP 11415.JPG|thumb|right|A [[Portuguese Air Force]] TB 30]]

;{{POR}}
* [[Portuguese Air Force]]<ref name="World Air Forces 2023">{{cite news |last = |first = |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/download?ac=90688|title = World Air Forces 2023|newspaper = Flight Global|publisher= Flightglobal Insight |year= 2022 |doi = |access-date= 8 March 2023}}</ref>
;{{SEN}}
* [[Military of Senegal|Senegalese Air Force]]<ref name="World Air Forces 2023"/> 
;{{TOG}}
* [[Military of Togo|Togolese Air Force]]<ref name="World Air Forces 2023"/>

===Former operators===

;{{FRA}}
* [[French Air Force]]<ref name="Flight dir2012 p50">Hoyle ''Flight International'' 2012, p. 50.</ref>

==Specifications==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft'',<ref>Donald 1997, pp. 19–20.</ref>''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89''<ref name="Janes 88 p56"/>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=2
|length m=7.59
|length note=
|span m=7.92
|span note=
|height m=2.66
|height note=
|wing area sqm=9
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=7
|airfoil='''root:''' RA 1643 (16%) ; '''tip:''' RA 1243 (12%)<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |accessdate=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight kg=932
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=1250
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=
|eng1 name=[[Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5D]]
|eng1 type=6-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine
|eng1 hp=300
|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2
|prop name=constant-speed propeller
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=378
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=358
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=115
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=520
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=1300
|range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=7010
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=9.4
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=<!--<br />
*'''Take-off run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Take-off run to {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing run from {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}-->
<!--
        Armament
-->
|armament=
*Up to 480 kg (1,100 lbs) on four underwing hardpoints (export versions)

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|France|Aviation}}
{{aircontent|
|related=
* [[Socata TB 10 Tobago]] 
|similar aircraft=
* [[ENAER T-35 Pillán]]
|lists=
* [[List of civil aircraft]]
|see also=

}}

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* "Directory: World's Air Forces". ''Flight International,'' 11–17 November 2008, pp.&nbsp;52–76. 
* Donald, David. ''The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. Etobicoke, Ontario: Prospero Books, 1997, pp.&nbsp;19–20. {{ISBN|1-85605-375-X}}.
* Hoyle, Craig.  [https://web.archive.org/web/20130722064448/http://www.scribd.com/doc/37542514/Flight-International-14-20-September-2010 "Directory: World Air Forces".] ''Flight International'', Vol. 178, No. 5257, 14–20 September 2010, pp.&nbsp;26–53.
* Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". ''[[Flight International]]'', Vol. 182, No. 5370, 11–17 December 2012. pp.&nbsp;40–64.
* Jackson, Paul. "Epsilon ... The Tractable Trainer from Tarbes". ''Air International,'' Volume 32, No. 1, January 1987, pp.&nbsp;7–15. ISSN 0306-5634.
* Lambert, Mark. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1990–91''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 1990. {{ISBN|0-7106-0908-6}}.
* Lambert, Mark. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–94.'' Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. {{ISBN|0-7106-1066-1}}.
*{{cite journal |last1=Langeard|first1=Olivier|title="Zébulon" autour des pylônes: un Français à Reno sur "Epsilon" |journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=May 2019 |issue=594 |pages=42–47 |issn=0757-4169 |language=fr|trans-title=Zebulon Through the Pylons: A Frenchman at Reno on the Epsilon}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Méal|first1=Xavier|title=Socata TB 30: une nouvelle vie pour l'"Epsilon" |journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=May 2019 |issue=594 |pages=39–41 |issn=0757-4169 |language=fr|trans-title=Socata TB 30: New Life for the Epsilon}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Méal|first1=Xavier|title=TB 30 "Epsilon": voltige en patrouille sur la Bourgogne |journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=May 2019 |issue=594 |pages=49–51 |issn=0757-4169 |language=fr|trans-title=TB 30 Epsilon: Aerobatics with the Patrouille sur la Bourgogne}}
* Taylor, John W.R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89.'' Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 1988. {{ISBN|0-71060-867-5}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Socata TB-30 Epsilon}}

{{Sud/Aérospatiale aircraft}}
{{SOCATA/Daher aircraft}}

[[Category:SOCATA aircraft|Epsilon]]
[[Category:1970s French military trainer aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1979]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]
[[Category:Single-engined piston aircraft]]