2001 Cirrus SR22

Even though the two airplanes look alike, they are actually quite different. The 22 wing has more span, which, with its higher maximum takeoff weight, requires a larger and stronger wing spar. More horsepower meant more fuel and that, too, required an internal change in the wing. The longer wing and the increased weight (the SR22 maximum takeoff weight is 500 pounds greater, at 3,400 pounds) are said to enhance the landing qualities of the airplane, but after flying both, all I can say is that both are nice airplanes to land.

The angle of incidence of the horizontal tail was changed on the SR22 to retain flying qualities with the increased horsepower. The elevator horns were also changed.

A big change is in the electrical system. The SR22 is almost unique in being an all-electric airplane. There is no vacuum system. The Porsche-powered Mooney PFM is the only other contemporary all-electric single.

There are good reasons for the choice of electric power. One is that vacuum pumps have been a high warranty item. The other is the coming of full authority digital engine control, FADEC, currently being tested at Continental and almost ready. Because FADEC requires electrical power, there is a requirement for dual systems and enough power to operate the FADEC after any imaginable electrical problem-at least until the fuel is exhausted. This might be done with a standby battery, but the most logical way to do it is with a dual electrical system, a nice thing to have with or without FADEC.

The SR22 has two batteries, two alternators and two buses. Cirrus calls the systems primary and secondary though the secondary system might also be called the essential bus, running as it does the flight instruments and selected avionics. This system will also run the FADEC if it is blessed to do so by the FAA. The dual system will also facilitate the installation of a glassier cockpit than is now installed in the SR22.

In normal operations everything operates off the primary battery and alternator and both batteries are kept charged by a 60 amp, 28 volt alternator. The secondary alternator, 20 amps, will provide charging only to the secondary battery, which is also held in reserve should both alternators fail and the primary battery become discharged. The 20-amp secondary alternator is from B & C Specialties and is a high-quality unit that is approved in a number of other airplanes as a standby charging system.

The SR22 comes with a choice of avionics packages, and most buyers will probably opt for the top-of-the-line "B" configuration, which has the big Arnav ICDS-2000 multifunction display, dual Garmin GNS 430s, an S-Tec/Meggitt Fifty Five X autopilot with altitude preselect and control, a Sandel 3308 EHSI, plus a Garmin transponder and audio panel. It is a complete airplane with the only option a WX-500 Stormscope that plays through the multifunction display. Cirrus will have the Goodrich Skywatch collision avoidance system approved shortly and expects to add more options to play through the multifunction display.

Despite all this built-in capability, the SR22 is quite user friendly. The grouping of switches and controls is logical and the operation of everything reflects the company's determination to make the airplane as easy to operate as possible.

After a long period of priming, common for this installation, the IO-550 started easily. The first impression of a Cirrus relates to the visibility. It is almost helicopter-like, and the high aspect ratio wing doesn't block a lot of the downward view. It's almost as good for sightseeing as a high wing.

Taxiing is nice, though there is no nosewheel steering. Just light differential brake pressures keep the airplane on the straight and narrow.

The complete checklist is in the multifunction display-programmed foreach airplane before delivery-and that makes it quite easy to ascertain that everything is properly set for a departure.

As power is applied for takeoff there is adequate airflow over the rudder for it to be completely effective for steering, though in some crosswind conditions a little differential brake pressure might be required right at the first of the run.

Both Cirrus models have a single-lever power control. The prop is constant speed, but what we think of as the throttle handles both the engine and the prop control and becomes a power lever. This simplifies the airplane, and when FADEC comes along the mixture control will become redundant.

The way the power comes on line as you advance the power lever is a little different, and if you are tending to track straight down the runway and you're not looking at the engine gauges the sound will be different. As the power comes up the prop gets to 2500 rpm, then the manifold pressure reaches the maximum value. Next, further power lever advancement increases the prop rpm to 2700, which also increases the sound by quite a bit. It is effective and simple and it just sounds different. New pilots will love it where experienced pilots might rather have control of the prop over a greater range than 2500 to 2700 rpm.

At liftoff, there's the first encounter with the control system. Trims, activated with a coolie hat on the stick, were checked before takeoff as putting the stick in the correct place. The trims actually operate springs that always center the controls at the position for which they are trimmed. After that it is a matter of operating the control for what it is-basically half a wheel with the control column moved to one side of the panel instead of centered. It's like a true sidestick in roll where wrist motion is used to control the ailerons, but it's like a control wheel in pitch where you have to pull or push with your arm. Adapting to the control system is no problem and most pilots will fly it naturally within a few moments.

The rate of climb is impressive. The specs show 1,400 feet per minute, but the day I flew it was cool and the weight was below the maximum, so it vaulted upward at better than 1,400 feet per minute using a climb speed of about 125 knots, which is well above the best rate of climb speed. Just flying the SR22 around is a lot of fun because the view is so spectacular. It rides good in the bumps, too, because of relatively high wing loading.

One of the strong points of the SR22 is speed, and it soon became time to quit sightseeing and check that value. At 5,500 feet the true airspeed was 178 knots while burning 18 gallons of fuel per hour. I knew the wind aloft because I had just flown in, and an upwind/downwind run revealed an average groundspeed of 178 knots. The specs show 180 knots at 75 percent power at 8,000 feet, and that number should be easily attainable on about 17.5 gallons of fuel per hour. The top of the green on the airspeed is 178 knots, and the airplane easily indicates within 10 or 15 knots of this value at lower altitudes. Fuel capacity is 80 gallons, so high-speed trips with generous reserves would have to be on legs of a bit less than four hours each. A low fuel warning light is provided.

The low-speed handling qualities of the airplane are excellent. The airplane can be stalled in a turn and as it stalls the low wing can be picked up with aileron alone. There is a cuff on each wing ahead of the aileron and this helps keep the ailerons effective during a stall.

The SR22 is a clean airplane and speed has to be minded on a descent. The airplane is actually as aerodynamically clean as most any retractable, and it has to be treated about the same. No speed brakes are fitted, so descending becomes a matter of managing power and airspeed. The S-Tec autopilot flew the airplane very well in a coupled ILS approach in light turbulence.

I have no idea why the Cirrus is so nice to land, but it is. I also flew an SR20, and it is equally nice to fly and land, and that 200-horsepower airplane would make an ideal trainer. Not only are the flying qualities ideally suited for that role, but a pilot would, when trained in an SR20, be proficient at operating the latest in electronics, including the autopilot. The avionics packages for the 20 are about the same as for the 22.

OK, you are sitting there reading and wondering when this clown is going to talk about the parachute, officially dubbed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, CAPS for short. This is standard equipment in the airplane and is part of the certification basis, so it does not show up as a separate item anywhere. One Cirrus official did say that the system adds about 80 pounds to the weight of the airplane and $15,000 to the cost of the airplane.

The parachute has a maximum demonstrated deployment speed of 133 knots and should deploy properly if the airplane is at least 600 feet above the ground and in straight and level flight at the time of deployment. Descending under the parachute, the airplane would "land" with a computed maximum vertical speed of 27 feet per second, or, 1,620 feet per minute. The strength of the hit would depend on the weight of the airplane at the time and, because it is heavier than the SR20, the SR22 has a bigger chute.

No Cirrus has yet come to earth under its parachute as this is written. One hundred forty-five total Cirrus airplanes had been delivered by April 3, 2001, and there had been two recorded engine failures. In neither case did the pilot use the chute. There had also been one fatal accident in an SR20. That was a continued VFR weather accident in mountainous terrain, so there was not likely any opportunity to pop the chute. The thorough testing of the chute system was just that-testing with no descent to the ground. So, the first person to remove the protective plate on the roof and pull the handle will be a true aviation pioneer, at least in FAA-certified higher-performance airplanes.

Cirrus stresses that the parachute is to be used as an ejection seat might be used in a jet fighter-a true last resort. It is my opinion that until it is used a few times in actual conditions the parachute is an unknown quantity. Cirrus expects that with the number of airplanes that are out there, and with that number increasing every day, it won't be too long before chutes start popping and we learn how they work in the real world. Incidentally, the airplane would not be repairable after a chute lowering, but in drop tests with crash dummies, the dummies have fared well.

Cirrus stresses that the parachute is to be used as an ejection seat might be used in a jet fighter-a true last resort. It is my opinion that until it is used a few times in actual conditions the parachute is an unknown quantity. Cirrus expects that with the number of airplanes that are out there, and with that number increasing every day, it won't be too long before chutes start popping and we learn how they work in the real world. Incidentally, the airplane would not be repairable after a chute lowering, but in drop tests with crash dummies, the dummies have fared well.

Cirrus feels that the parachute has marketing advantages and that some buyers are attracted to the airplane because of the parachute. The possibility of pilot incapacitation looms large in the minds of the mates of some Cirrus buyers and for them the chute has been a deal maker. If the first few actual uses do something like lower the airplane into a parking lot next to a saloon and the occupants jump out and run in for a cool one, the chute will certainly be validated.

In the spring Cirrus was at a production rate of about four airplanes per work week with the goal to steadily increase that rate. At that time the order book showed deposits on 444 undelivered SR20s and 212 SR22s. Some of those SR20 orders will no doubt move to SR22s as soon as the people savor the airplane with more horses. The deposits are substantial-about 10 percent of the purchase price-and they are neither kept in escrow nor refundable under the terms of the contract.

The capitalization of Cirrus Design is still a work in progress, which is required because the airplanes were still selling for less than they cost to build in the spring of 2001. One big problem has been the man hours required to build the airplane. The goal was to get that down to 2,500; it was substantially higher than that when I was there. Even the 2,500 hour number is high when compared with like airplanes, and Cirrus will no doubt strive to lower that number.

One thing that will help Cirrus is the fact that it planned to build nothing but SR22s for the months of May, June and July. The plan was to have 65 SR22s out the door by the end of July. The margins are higher in the 22, so that move will make the cash flow better. In August, the plan is to split the production 50-50 between the two models. The fuselages and many parts are built at a Cirrus plant in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and wing and other parts construction is at the Cirrus headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota. Final assembly is also at Duluth.

The two Cirrus airplanes bring an attractive package to the general aviation piston market. The interior styling is quite automotive and modern. The airplanes are roomy and comfortable and the sound level is well managed, though there is more low-order vibration than there should be in both models. The airplanes fly so much alike that little transition time will be required for a pilot to move from an SR20 to a 22.

The company has done a fine job of certifying these next-generation airplanes and making them as pilot friendly as possible. It has learned, though, that designing, certifying and selling the airplanes is the easy part. Building them at a profit is the hard part.