Cirrus has been flying a Vision jet since 2008, but the latest version, which flew for the first time on Monday afternoon, is the first of three conforming flight-test aircraft for the final production jet, which is expected to start deliveries late next year. Cirrus Aircraft’s chief test pilot Mike Stevens flew the jet for an hour after takeoff from Duluth (Minn.) International Airport, and said it “handled and performed very well and all systems functioned properly, just what you want in a first flight.” The flight included systems checks of controllability, maneuverability and flight envelope testing, and speed performance at an intermediate altitude, the company said. The SF50 is a seven-seat, pressurized, single-engine jet, with a price of $1.96 million.
“Today’s successful test flight marks another significant step toward our goal of elevating the personal flying experience with a clean sheet airplane design,” said Dale Klapmeier, CEO and co-founder of Cirrus Aircraft. “In the last 12 months we have made such great progress in all areas of the program and we anticipate fulfilling the first of our 500-plus customer reservations late next year.” AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli took a look at the Vision jet last October at AOPA Summit; here is that video report.
