General Aviation

Cirrus Sr20

Manufacturer: Cirrus

The Cirrus SR20 is an American piston‑engined, four‑ or five‑seat composite monoplane built since 1999 by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota.

Aircraft Facts

Type Key
cirrus-sr20
Class
General Aviation
Registry Count
1,563
Example Registration
N100XZ

Specifications

Wingspan
11.68 m / 38 ft
Length
7.92 m / 26 ft
Height
2.72 m / 8 ft
Max Speed
104 km/h / 64 mph
Cruise Speed
287 km/h / 178 mph
Ceiling
5300 m / 17500 ft
First Flight
1995-03-21
Production Start
1999
Total Built
2084

Aircraft Overview

History

The SR20 was unveiled in 1994, first flew in March 1995, and received FAA Part 23 certification in October 1998. Deliveries began July 1999, and by 2015 more than 6,000 units had been delivered, a record for a light aircraft.

Design

The SR20 features all‑composite construction, side‑stick controls, and the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). Its cockpit uses a Garmin Cirrus Perspective glass cockpit with dual 10‑inch displays, providing integrated navigation, communication, and traffic information. The aircraft also incorporates a ballistic parachute and a modern avionics suite.

Variants

Variants include the original SR20, G2 (2004), G3 (2007), G6 (2017), G7 (2024), and G7+ (2025) with autoland. The SRV was a VFR‑only version for training, and the T‑53A was the Air Force Academy training model.

Operations

The SR20 is widely used by flying schools, private owners, and companies. Major civil operators include United Aviate Academy, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, and several U.S. universities. The U.S. Air Force Academy operates the T‑53A variant, and France’s Air and Space Force uses a mixed fleet of SR20s and SR22s.

Notable Facts

  • First general‑aviation aircraft equipped with a ballistic parachute system.
  • First mass‑manufactured light aircraft with all‑composite construction.
  • First aircraft to receive an EASA certificate for imported aircraft.
  • By 2015, more than 6,000 SR20s had been delivered, a record for a light aircraft.
  • Introduced side‑stick flight controls, the only class‑mate with a side‑yoke.
  • The 2025 G7+ variant added Garmin’s Safe Return autoland system, the first for a piston aircraft.

Variants

  • SR20- 1,563 registrations - Example N100XZ

Machine-Readable Resources

Sources