Cirrus Aircraft delivered the first Vision Jet on 19 December to private owner and long-time customer, Joe Whisenhunt.
The handover also marked the opening of the company’s 68,00ft2 (6,320m2) finishing centre at its headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota.
The Vision secured US Federal Aviation Administration certification in October, capping a 10-year development effort involving more than 1,700h of flying on its four test aircraft.
Cirrus Aircraft
Cirrus is the first to secure validation for a Part 23 single-engine jet. Other programmes – such as the Diamond D-Jet, Eclipse 400 and Piper Altaire – have been cancelled or are dormant.
Cirrus has secured around 600 orders for the $1.96 million Williams International FJ33-5A-powered Vision. The majority of position holders are present and former owners of the SR-piston single series, the bulk of whom are based in the USA, says the company.
The Vision has been a key focus for Cirrus since its launch as the SF50 in 2006. Even during the economic crisis, the manufacturer continued to work on the development. The acquisition of Cirrus in 2011 by China Aviation Industry General Aircraft gave the programme new momentum. The Vision is equipped with a Garmin G3000-based Cirrus Perspective Touch flightdeck and an emergency parachute system. It has a maximum take-off weight of 2,730kg (6,000lb), a range of around 1,000nm (1,850km), and a stall speed of 67kt .
Source: Flight International
