Cirrus SR22

The Cirrus SR22 is a single-engine, four- to five-seat composite light aircraft built by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. Certified in November 2000 and in production since 2001, it was developed from the Cirrus SR20 as a civil utility and training aircraft, and has been adopted by several air arms as a primary trainer. It was the first light aircraft offered with a full glass cockpit and is fitted as standard with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), a whole-airframe recovery parachute.

Development

The SR22 differs from the SR20 in having a larger wing, greater fuel capacity and a 310 hp (231 kW) engine. It has been the world's best-selling general aviation aircraft every year since 2003; 8,246 were delivered between 2001 and 2024, and 8,785 through 2025. Combined SR20/SR22 output reached 10,178 aircraft, and Cirrus announced the 11,000th SR-series airframe in December 2025. Generational updates followed at intervals: G2 (2004, revised fuselage), G3 (2007, new wing and longer landing gear), G5 (2013, gross weight raised to 3,600 lb), G6 (2017), and G7 (January 2024). Flight into known icing approval, using an enlarged TKS fluid tank and expanded protected areas, was granted by the FAA in April 2009.

Design

The SR22 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane of composite construction with fixed tricycle landing gear, a castering nose wheel and differential braking for steering. Power is from a nose-mounted Continental IO-550-N of 310 hp; turbocharged models use the Continental TSIO-550-K of 315 hp with a 7.5:1 compression ratio, permitting 94-octane fuel and a certified ceiling of 25,000 ft. Flight controls use a side-stick "side yoke". Avidyne Entegra glass cockpits were introduced in February 2003, replaced from 2008 by the Garmin-supplied Cirrus Perspective, then Perspective-Plus in 2017 and Perspective Touch+ in 2024. A dual-wavelength enhanced vision system with infrared and synthetic vision was offered from 2009, and Garmin ESP envelope protection was announced in 2010. The G7+ of May 2025 added Garmin Safe Return emergency autoland, the first fitted to a piston aircraft.

Operational History

The French Air and Space Force operates six SR22s as trainers, and the Royal Saudi Air Force took 25 in 2013 to replace Cessna 172s at the King Faisal Air Academy. Other operators include the Chilean Air Force (8), Portuguese Air Force (12), Salvadoran Air Force (2) and the Emirates Flight Training Academy (22). The Minnesota State Patrol and Harris County Sheriff's Office each operate a Cirrus Perception special-mission SR22 for surveillance and search and rescue. Civil fleets included SATSair (26 aircraft, 2004–2009) and ImagineAir (2007–2018). Between 2001 and May 2014, 147 US-registered SR22s crashed with 122 fatalities; the fatal accident rate fell from 1.6 per 100,000 flight hours in 2011 to 0.42 in 2014. By September 2018 the SR-series parachute had been deployed 79 times, with 163 survivors.

Variants

• SR22: Original 310 hp production version, certified November 2000.
• SR22TN / SR22 Turbo: Tornado Alley turbo-normalizing kit fitted under supplemental type certificate from 2006, with twin turbonormalizers, intercoolers and built-in oxygen.
• SR22T: Introduced June 2010 with the 315 hp TSIO-550-K, 214 kt maximum cruise, 25,000 ft ceiling and 1,046 nmi range.
• SR22/22T G5: 2013 model with 200 lb higher takeoff weight, five-seat cabin, larger CAPS canopy and electronic rocket ignition.
• TRAC22/22T: Training version announced September 2019 with durable interior, rear-seat transmit switch and simulated retractable landing gear controls.