Socata Tb-21 Trinidad

Single Piston

The Socata TB-21 Trinidad is a French-built single-engine touring aircraft that emerged in the 1980s as part of Socata's successful TB family of all-metal low-wing designs. Powered by a fuel-injected Lycoming IO-540 producing 250 horsepower, the Trinidad was positioned as a high-performance cross-country machine for owner-pilots seeking speed and comfort without the complexity of retractable gear. Its fixed tricycle landing gear trades a few knots for simplicity and lower insurance costs, while the spacious four-seat cabin and generous baggage capacity made it a popular choice for serious touring in Europe and North America. What distinguished the Trinidad from its TB-20 Trinidad sibling was the more powerful engine and refined aerodynamics, delivering cruise speeds around 155 knots true airspeed at altitude—competitive with many retractable singles of the era. The aircraft's handling is crisp and responsive, with well-harmonized controls that appeal to pilots transitioning from trainers to high-performance singles. Its 1,000-nautical-mile range and relatively benign stall characteristics made it a capable instrument platform for long cross-country flights, though the type never achieved the market penetration of American competitors like the Bonanza or Cirrus. Production of the TB-21 ran from 1988 through the late 1990s, with several hundred examples built before Socata shifted focus to composite designs like the TBM turboprop series. Today the Trinidad remains a respected choice in the used high-performance single market, valued for its solid construction, European engineering, and distinctive ramp presence. SkyMeter has tracked 2 flights across 1 airframes and 1 operators, with SCHROEDER PRESTON T the largest observed operator.