Cirrus SR20

SR20
2005 Cirrus SR20
Role	Civil utility aircraft
Manufacturer	Cirrus Design
First flight	21 March 1995
Produced	1999-Present
Variants	Cirrus SR22

The Cirrus Design SR20 is a piston engine composite monoplane that seats four. The SR20 is noted for being the first production general aviation aircraft equipped with a parachute designed to lower the aircraft safely to the ground after loss of control or structural failure.

Design and development

SR-20 GTS

The SR20 was first flown on 21 March 1995.^[1] FAA certification was achieved on 23 October 1998.^[2] Hundreds of SR20s have been sold since the first was delivered in 1999. As of December 2006 over 2000 Cirrus aircraft had been delivered.

One of the major selling points for the SR20 is that it has a fully digital avionics suite with one 10-inch (250 mm) Avidyne FlightMax primary flight display and one multi-function display. A pair of Garmin GNS430s provide GPS navigation, conventional radio navigation, and radio communications.

The SR20, like the faster SR22, is equipped with the Ballistic Recovery Systems Cirrus Aircraft Parachute System, a large parachute which can be deployed in an emergency to lower the entire aircraft to the ground safely.^[2]

On 1 June 2004, the SR20 became the first aircraft to achieve the new European Aviation Safety Agency certificate for aircraft imported into the European Union.

Variants

SR20 G3 Model

In 2007 Cirrus introduced an updated model of the SR20 that incorporates changes from the SR22 G3 airframe, including installing the new lighter SR22 wing which has a greater wing area than the previous SR20 wing. The installation of the larger wing increased the SR20's cruise speed by 6–7 knots (11–13 km/h).^[3]

This improved model is called the SR20 G3 for "Generation 3". The new model includes:^[4]

• A lighter wing of greater area, incorporating a carbon-fiber spar^[5]
• Increased useful load by 50 pounds (23 kg) by increasing the take-off weight to 3,050 pounds (1,380 kg)
• Increased fuel capacity to 56 US gallons (212 l) using a wet wing
• Re-designed main landing gear that is 2 inches (5 cm) taller giving greater propeller and tail clearance
• New recognition lights using LEDs
• Improved aircraft handling, due to increased dihedral
• Improved aerodynamics, including new wing root fairings
• Improved heat and ventilation
• Dual-redundant GPS WAAS-certified Garmin GNS 430W comm-navigators (they include a VHF radio and a VOR device)
• S-Tec Autopilot

SRV model

The Cirrus SRV was a VFR-only version of the SR20 that was optimized for the low-end private ownership and flight training market. As such it omitted some standard equipment available on the SR20 such as wheel fairings.^[6] For 2008 the SRV model was updated to G3 configuration, with the SR22 wing.^[7] Cirrus discontinued the SRV for the 2010 model year and no longer offers an aircraft with analog instruments.^[8]

T-53A

In 2011, the SR20 was selected for flight training at the United States Air Force Academy as the T-53A. Twenty-five examples will be purchased to replace the Academy's current stock of 20 leased T-52As by May 2012.^[9]

Aircraft type club

The Cirrus aircraft are supported by an aircraft type club, the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA).^[10]

Operators

Civil

A Cirrus SR-20 belonging to Western Michigan University.

The SR20 is popular with many flying schools and is operated by private individuals and companies. The largest operators are Delta Connection Academy which operates 34, the Western Michigan University College of Aviation which has 28 and Purdue University with a fleet of 16.^[11][12][13]

Military

 United States

• United States Air Force Academy - 3 (22 more on order)^[9]
  

  United States Air Force T-53A

Specifications (SR20-G3)

Cirrus SR-20 in Avaré

Continental IO-360-ES fitted to a Cirrus SR20

Data from Cirrus SR20 Specifications Webpage^[7]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: three passengers
• Length: 26 ft 0 in (7.92 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 4 in (11.68 m)
• Height: 8 ft 11 in (2.71 m)
• Wing area: 144.9 ft² (13.71 m²)
• Airfoil: Roncz^[14]
• Empty weight: 2080 lb (945 kg)
• Loaded weight: 3050 lb (1386 kg)
• Useful load: 970 lb (441 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 3050 lb (1386 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental IO-360-ES, 200 hp (149 kW)

Performance

• Cruise speed: 155 knots (288 km/h)
• Range: 785 nautical miles (1454 km)
• Rate of climb: 828 ft/min (4.2 m/s)
• Wing loading: 21.0 lb/ft² (101 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 15.25 lb/hp (0.108 kW/kg)

See also

• Cirrus Aircraft Parachute System
• October 11, 2006 New York City plane crash
  

Related development

• Cirrus SR22
• Cirrus Jet
  

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Cessna 182T Skylane
• Diamond DA40
• Lancair Columbia
• Mooney M20
• Vans RV-10
  

References

1. ^ Aerofiles: Aircraft Ca to Ci Retrieved 24 July 2011.
2. ^ ^{a b} Federal Aviation Administration (May 2008). "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. A00009CH Revision 13". http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/0e89bd1a6ab4916c8625745d0047b84c/$FILE/A00009CH.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-14. 
3. ^ Niles, Russ F. (April 2008). "G3 SR20 Has New Wings, Refined Interior". http://www.avweb.com/news/snf/SunNFun2008_G3_CirrusSR20_NewWings_RefinedInterior_197645-1.html. Retrieved 2008-04-14. 
4. ^ Cirrus Design (2007). "Cirrus SR20 What's New". http://www.cirrusdesign.com/sr20/g3/default.aspx. Retrieved 2007-12-27. 
5. ^ Flying Magazine. February 2008. 
6. ^ Cirrus Design (undated). "Cirrus SR20 Models". http://www.cirrusdesign.com/sr20/default.aspx. Retrieved 2007-12-27. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Cirrus Design (2008). "SR20 Specifications". http://www.cirrusdesign.com/sr20/specifications.aspx. Retrieved 2008-04-14. 
8. ^ Cirrus Design (2011). "Cirrus Perspective Avionics Brochure (PDF)". http://cirrusaircraft.com/media/pricesheets/brochures/Perspective_Brochure_High_res.pdf. Retrieved 2011-09-27. 
9. ^ ^{a b} Associated Press (June 2011). "Academy gets 25 new trainer aircraft for $6.1M". Air Force Times. http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/06/ap-academy-gets-25-new-trainer-aircraft-061611/. Retrieved 17 June 2011. 
10. ^ Cirrus Owners & Pilots Association (2008). "COPA - Cirrus Owners & Pilots Association". http://www.cirruspilots.org/. Retrieved 2008-10-11. 
11. ^ Rachel (July 2008). "DELTA CONNECTION ACADEMY OFFERS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DISCOVERY FLIGHTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A NATIONWIDE ACE CAMP PROGRAM". https://www.deltaconnectionacademy.com/about/newsroom.aspx?year=2008&month=07. Retrieved 2009-06-11. 
12. ^ Western Michigan University College of Aviation (undated). "Aircraft - Cirrus SR-20". http://www.wmich.edu/aviation/sr20.html. Retrieved 28 March 2011. 
13. ^ "Purdue Acquires Cirrus Aircraft". January 2010. http://news.cirrusaircraft.com/post/2010/01/25/PURDUE-UNIVERSITY-ACQUIRES-FLEET-OF-CIRRUS-SR20-AIRCRAFT-FOR-DEPARTMENT-OF-AVIATION-TECHNOLOGY.aspx. Retrieved 2010-02-11. ^{[dead link]}
14. ^ Lednicer, David (October 2007). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html. Retrieved 2008-12-29. 

External links

• Official website