Lowest, Slowest, Shortest Range Jet... Oh Yeah!

Photo illustration of the production version of the Cirrus SJ50 Vision jet

The Cirrus jet at Oshkosh 08... less than a month after making its first flight

 Hmmm... lowest, slowest, shortest range jet?  Doesn't exactly sound like the best thing for a jet airframers CEO to say about their biggest product in development.  But the reality is, according to Cirrus CEO Alan Klapmeier, that the Cirrus SJ50 Vision jet is actually shaping up to be a great performer.

 The first 120 hours of flying have shown that the production version should be able to achieve a high speed cruise of 300 KTAS.  Pretty impressive when you consider just how roomy the cabin is.  Did you climb in that static display at Oshkosh?  Wow is that thing ever huge on the inside!  

 Several design changes are being incorporated as they move toward the production aircraft.  The illustration at the top shows some of these differences.  Some subtle changes are being made to the front end to make more room for the nose gear and control systems, as well as a smoother transition into the windshield.

 The fuselage will get a more circular cross section, and there won't be a door on the right side.  Instead, there will be an emergency exit in its place.

 The Williams FJ33 engine mounted in the piggy-back position is getting a redesigned exit nozzle to adjust the thrust line in an effort to minimize pitch changes with power changes.

 And the V-tail is having some of the sweep removed, which for a variety of reasons will actually lead to a weight reduction.  The ventral fin is also being tweaked.

 More updates coming soon on this impressive aircraft.  Til then, check out these links for more info.

 http://www.the-jet.com/news/index.html

http://www.cirrusdesign.com/future/