31 October 2016
After ten years of hard slog, Cirrus Aircraft has finally received the type certificate for its Vision SF50 single-engine personal jet.
The certificate was announced at the annual National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) convention being staged in Orlando, Florida this week, and opens the way for the first delivery to a customer in December. More than 600 orders for the Vision jet have been placed.
“What an amazing and impactful day for Cirrus Aircraft and the entire aviation and aerospace industry,” said Cirrus Aircraft co-founder and current CEO Dale Klapmeier.
Cirrus Vision jet receives type certificate
Dale and his brother Alan, no longer with Cirrus, started the company building kitplanes, moved to certificated aircraft with the SR20 and SR22 single-engine piston aircraft, and first announced the Vision jet in late 2006.
“Just as the SR series of high-performance piston aircraft has forever changed aviation, the impact of the Vision Jet on personal and regional transportation is going to be even more profound,” continued Dale Klapmeier.
“Never before has a turbine aircraft solution come along that rewrites the rules in so many ways – iconic design, ease of operation, smart economics, simplified ownership and more.”
Cirrus Vision jet has single Williams FJ-33 turbofan engine with FADEC controls.
Cockpit of the Cirrus Vision jet. Note controls in similar places as on SR22 piston aircraft to make transition easier.
Cabin has large windows and a total of seven seats.
Key features of the Vision jet include:
Pat Waddick, President of Innovation and Operations at Cirrus, has led the Vision jet project for the past ten years. He said, “Not only did our development team deliver on the target, we put an exclamation point on it by designing a highly reliable airplane and going a step further by incorporating the lifesaving Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS).
“Innovation, safety, ease of use, and comfort have always been hallmarks at Cirrus, and combining these with the performance of a strong, lightweight carbon fiber airframe and 300+ knot cruise speed over-delivers. This is not just a product, it’s an experience.”
