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Cirrus SR20
The Cirrus SR20 is an American piston-engine, four-or-five-seat, composite monoplane built by Cirrus Aircraft of
SR20
Duluth, Minnesota.

The SR20 was the first production general aviation aircraft equipped with a parachute to lower the airplane safely to
the ground after a loss of control, structural failure or mid-air collision. It was also the first manufactured light aircraft
with all-composite construction and flat-panel avionics.[3][4]

Contents
Design and development
Variants
Role Civil utility aircraft
Operators
Civil Manufacturer Cirrus Aircraft
Military First flight 21 March 1995
Accidents
Produced 1999–Present
Specifications (SR20-G3)
Number built 1,332 (through 2016)[1]
See also
Unit cost US$390,000 (2017)[2]
References
External links
Developed into Cirrus SR22

Design and development

The SR20 mock-up was unveiled in 1994.[5] The aircraft first flew on 21 March 1995 and FAA certification was achieved on 23
October 1998.[6][7] At the time of the airplane's release, the general aviation industry was struggling; the SR20 was one of the first of
its kind to earn FAA Part 23 certification in several years.[8] Over a thousand SR20s have been sold since deliveries began in 1999.
As of June 2015, more than 6,000 Cirrus aircraft had been delivered,[9] something that no other aviation company has done for
decades.[10]

One of the major selling points for the SR20 is its Garmin Cirrus Perspective avionics suite with dual 10-inch (250 mm) or 12-inch
(300 mm) screens: one primary flight display (PFD) and one multi-function display (MFD). This provides all standard
communication, navigation (GPS and conventional VHF), and surveillance (Mode S transponder) functions. Other avionics
features include in-flight weather information and TCAS-like traffic information. Early production model Cirrus SR20

SR20s made from 1999 to 2003 were equipped with traditional analog instruments and a 10" MFD. In July 2003, Cirrus made
PFDs standard on the SR20 and faster SR22, pioneering the use of glass cockpits in the light aircraft general aviation industry.[11]

The SR-series remains the only airplane in its class to include side stick flight controls that combine aspects of a traditional yoke
handle (this has been referred to in the industry as a "side yoke").[4]

The SR20 and SR22 are equipped with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), a large parachute that can be deployed in an
emergency to lower the entire aircraft to the ground safely.[7] As of 2015, the series has deployed the system 53 times carrying 107
survivors.[12]
SR20 landing

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.

In 2004, Cirrus introduced the SR20 G2 (Generation 2) and in 2008 the SR20 G3 (Generation 3). Both were defined by airframe
modifications, G2 by fuselage and G3 by wing/landing gear changes.

In 2012, "60/40 flex seating" was introduced, allowing up to three passengers in the rear with a split fold-down seat arrangement.
This five-seat configuration was optional in 2012 but became standard equipment for 2013 SR20 models.[13]

In 2016, Cirrus introduced enhancements to the SR Series, including Bluetooth wireless connectivity, a remote keyless entry,
convenience lighting system, and a new easy access door latch, among other interior and exterior improvements.[14][15]
SR20 GTS
In 2017, the company introduced the SR20 G6 (Generation 6), with several upgrades to the avionics, new navigation lights and an
increased useful load.[16]

Variants
SR20
Original version produced from 1999.

SR20 G2
Improved variant introduced in 2004.

SRV
Introduced at the 2003 EAA AirVenture Convention and brought to market in 2004, the Cirrus SRV was a VFR-only version of the SR20 for
the low-end private ownership and flight training market.[17] As such it omitted some standard equipment available on the SR20 such as
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wheel fairings.[18] For 2008 the SRV model was updated to G3 configuration, with the SR22 wing.[19]
Cirrus discontinued the SRV for the 2010 model year.

SR20 G3
Introduced in 2007, the "Generation 3" G3 has a lighter wing of greater area, incorporating a carbon-
fiber spar. The new wing increased the SR20's cruise speed by 6–7 knots (11–13 km/h). The G3 also
added a 50 pounds (23 kg) increased useful load by increasing the take-off weight to 3,050 pounds
(1,380 kg), a re-designed main landing gear that is 2 inches (5 cm) taller, giving greater propeller and
tail clearance, improved aircraft handling due to increased dihedral, improved aerodynamics including
new wing root fairings, new LED recognition lights, improved heat and ventilation, dual-redundant GPS Cirrus SR20 G2
WAAS-certified Garmin GNS 430W comm-navigators (that include a VHF radio and a VOR/LOC/ILS
receiver) and an S-Tec Autopilot.[20][21][22]

T-53A
In 2011, the SR20 was selected for cadet flight training with the 306th Flying Training Group at the
United States Air Force Academy and given an Air Force model/design/series (MDS) designation 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.[23][24]

SR20 G6
Introduced in January 2017, the G6 model adds a Lycoming IO-390 engine of 215 hp (160 kW), an
enhanced Garmin Perspective-Plus flight deck, LED wingtip lights and a useful load increase of 150 lb United States Air Force T-53A
(68 kg).[16]

Operators

Civil
The SR20 is popular with many flying schools and is operated by private individuals and companies. The largest operators are
CAFUC (Civil Aviation Flight University of China) operating 40 aircraft, Aerosim Flight Academy which operates 34, Western
Michigan University which has 26, Lufthansa Flight Training with a fleet of 25 and Purdue University with 16.[25][26][27][28]

Military

France

French Air Force and French Navy Academies (operated by Cassidian) – 23 aircraft (mixed fleet of 16 SR20s and 7 A Cirrus SR20 belonging to Western
SR22s).[29] Michigan University

United States

United States Air Force Academy – 25 T-53A aircraft (version of SR20)[30]

Accidents
On March 23, 1999, Duluth native Scott D. Anderson was killed in a plane crash while flight-testing the first production model SR20 before it went on sale. Anderson was a
pilot, author, engineer and adventurer who served as Chief Test Pilot at Cirrus in the mid- to late-1990s, performing all the inflight test-deployments of the CAPS. His plane,
which had not yet been equipped with CAPS, experienced an aileron jam during experimental stress-testing and went down in a field near the Duluth International Airport.
Anderson was inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in 2010 and is often praised as a hero by the local community.[31][32][33][34]

New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and certified flight instructor Tyler Stanger were killed in the 2006 New York City plane crash on October 11, 2006, when their SR20
crashed into the Belaire Apartments located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The aircraft struck the north side of the building, causing a fire in several apartments. The
accident was the result of high winds and pilot error.[35][36][37][38][39]

In 2011, the accident record of the SR20 and -22 was the subject of a detailed examination by Aviation Consumer magazine. The review concluded that the series has an
overall accident record that is better than average for light aircraft, exceeded only by the Diamond DA40 and DA42. However, its fatal accident rate is much worse at
1.6/100,000 hours, placing it higher than the U.S. general aviation rate of 1.2 and higher than the Diamond DA40 (.35), Cessna 172 (.45), Diamond DA42 (.54), Cessna 182
(.69) and the Cessna 400 (1.0), despite the Cirrus's full aircraft parachute system.[40]

By 2014, the accident rate had been dramatically reduced, with a 2013 fatal rate of 1.01 per 100,000 flight hours. This was attributed to better training, particularly in when to
deploy the ballistic parachute system.[41]

By 2015, the accident rate had continued to decrease, with a 2014 fatal rate of .42 per 100,000 flight hours, making it one of the best safety records in the industry. This
marked the fewest fatalities in a single year for Cirrus since 2001, and the first year where the number of CAPS deployments (12) exceeded the number of fatal accidents
(3).[42][43][44]

Between 1999 and 2015, the SR20 was involved in 27 known fatal accidents.[45]

Specifications (SR20-G3)
Data from Cirrus SR20 Specifications Webpage[19]
General characteristics

Length: 26 ft 0 in (7.92 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 4 in (11.68 m)
Height: 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)
Empty weight: 2,126 lb (964 kg)
Gross weight: 3,050 lb (1,383 kg)
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Powerplant: 1 × Continental IO-360-ES six cylinder, horizontally-opposed piston aircraft engine, 200 hp (150 kW)
Propellers: 3-bladed
Performance

Cruise speed: 155 kn (178 mph; 287 km/h) TAS

Stall speed: 56 kn (64 mph; 104 km/h) CAS
Service ceiling: 17,500 ft (5,300 m)
Rate of climb: 828 ft/min (4.21 m/s)
Avionics Continental IO-360-ES fitted to a
Cirrus SR20
Garmin Cirrus Perspective glass cockpit
GMA 350 All-digital Audio Panel
Dual WAAS GPS/Comm/Nav Radios
Garmin GFC700 Autopilot with Electronic Stability and Protection
Dual attitude and heading reference system
406 MHZ ELT
ADS-B transponder

See also
Ballistic Recovery Systems
Klapmeier brothers

Related development

Cirrus SR22
Cirrus Vision SF50

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Diamond DA40
Lancair Columbia 300
Tecnam P2010
Vans RV-10

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External links
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Used Aircraft Guide: Cirrus SR20 (http://www.avweb.com/news/features/Used-Aircraft-Guide-Cirrus-SR20-225354-1.html) on AVweb
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cirrus_SR20&oldid=827976281"
This page was last edited on 27 February 2018, at 21:02.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy
Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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