Cirrus SR22

The SR22, by Cirrus Design , is a single-engine, four-seat, composite aircraft. It is a more powerful version of the Cirrus SR20 , with a larger wing, higher fuel capacity, and a 310 horsepower (231 kW) engine. It is extremely popular among purchasers of new aircraft and has been the world's best-selling single-engine, four-seat aircraft for several years. Like the Cessna 400 , but unlike most other aircraft in its class, the SR22 has fixed (non-retractable) landing gear.

The aircraft is perhaps best known for being equipped with the Cirrus Aircraft Parachute System (CAPS) , an emergency parachute capable of lowering the entire aircraft (and occupants) to the ground in an emergency.

Design and development

The SR22 was certified in November 2000 and is a higher-powered version of the earlier SR20 . The SR22 is a low wing cantilever monoplane of composite construction with tricycle landing gear , featuring a castering nose wheel and steering via differential braking on the main wheels. It is powered by a nose-mounted 310 hp (230 kW) Continental IO-550-N piston engine. The cabin for four is accessed through a door on each side.

Turbo option

The SR22 turbo uses a Tornado Alley turbonormalizing upgrade kit featuring twin turbonormalizers and twin intercoolers. The turbo conversion will allow pilots to fly higher, faster, and farther. The Cirrus SR22 Turbo installation is similar to that in the Mooney Acclaim and the Cessna 400 . Also included with the conversion is built-in oxygen and a Hartzell 3-blade light weight composite propeller. The weight of the conversion will reduce the SR22's useful load. Air conditioning is available with the SR22 Turbo, but this further reduces the useful load. The turbo version has a certified ceiling of , a maximum cruise speed of 211 knots (391 km/h), and a top speed of . This is slower than the Mooney Acclaim, the fastest aircraft in this category (piston-powered propeller with turbocharged engine.)

Glass cockpit upgrading

SR22s that were built before 2003 were not equipped with the Avidyne Entegra primary flight display that was standard equipment on later SR22 model years. Retrofits are available for the older aircraft that replace the instrument panels with a new one that will include the PFD, a new multifunction display and the installation of back-up mechanical instruments.

On May 22, 2008, Cirrus Design and Garmin revealed a new kind of cockpit known as the Garmin Perspective. The previously offered Avidyne cockpit remains standard equipment, while the Perspective cockpit is an option on the SR22-GTS and SR22-GTS Turbo models.

Flight into known icing

The completion of testing for flight into known icing was announced by the company on 12 January 2009. The equipment change involved installation of a larger fluid tank for the TKS weeping wing system and more areas of the aircraft protected. The new installation was FAA approved in April 2009.

Variants

SR22

Original version

SR22 G2

Improved variant

SR22 G3

Improved variant for 2007 with increased fuel capacity and lighter wing.

SR21 tdi

Proposed diesel powered variant

SR22T

Version introduced in June 2010, with a ground-boosted Continental TSIO-550-K producing . The engine has low compression pistons, producing a 7.5 to 1 compression ratio to allow the engine to run on lower octane fuel.

SR22TN

Version with a Tornado Alley turbo-normalizing kit added to the Continental IO-550-N engine producing .

Aircraft type club

The Cirrus aircraft are supported by an aircraft type club , the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA).

Operators

The aircraft is popular with air charter and small air taxi carriers as well as private individuals and companies. Two air taxi companies operating the type are ImagineAir , which commenced operations 2007 and SATSair , which commenced operations 2004 and went out of business in 2009.

Accidents and incidents

Between 2001 and April 2009 62 Cirrus SR22 aircraft crashed, resulting in 48 fatalities.