BRENDAN SOBIE / DULUTH
Ice protection system and engine and fuel monitoring upgrades also being offered
Cirrus Design has added three new options, including an ice protection system, for the 2003 model SR22 four-seat light aircraft. With the options, the aircraft can be equipped for the first time with a full glass cockpit.
Cirrus has chosen Avidyne to provide a primary flight display (PFD) incorporating all instruments required for instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. Aircraft already come equipped with Avidyne's multi-function display (MFD), which starting with 2003 models can be upgraded to include integrated engine monitoring.
Bigger and easier to see, the flat-panel PFD replaces several flight instruments, including attitude, horizontal situation, altitude, airspeed and vertical speed indicators.
"One of the most significant things in this industry is making IFR simpler," says president Alan Klapmeier. "The single biggest thing in this industry is to have a simple, intuitive PFD." With the $24,500 PFD option, the SR22 becomes the only aircraft in its class with a full glass cockpit.
The anti-icing system from UK-based Aerospace Systems and Technologies protects the wing by oozing fluid from microscopic holes in the leading edge. The system is not certificated for flight into known icing, but "helps in those 'what if' situations" when pilots cancel flights because there is a chance of encountering icing conditions," says Klapmeier.
The icing system costs $19,700 and is available only on SR22s. The $5,750 engine and fuel monitoring upgrade, also available for the lower-performance SR20, helps maximise fuel consumption and extend engine life. Cirrus hopes to offer a digitally controlled engine, but testing has not yet yielded the results needed for certification.
Cirrus, which just delivered its 500th aircraft, has a year's worth of backlogged orders.
Source: Flight International
