Light · ICAO SR20

Cirrus SR-20

The Cirrus SR20 was the aircraft that introduced the whole-airframe parachute system to mainstream general aviation, letting the entire aircraft descend safely under canopy in a genuine in-flight emergency. Its composite airframe and modern glass cockpit were a significant step up from the riveted-aluminium, analogue-gauge trainers that dominated flight schools when it launched in the late 1990s. It's the smaller, more affordable sibling of the far more popular SR22, aimed at flight training and lower-budget owner-pilots. Its parachute system and modern design helped push the entire light aircraft industry toward safer, more advanced designs.

Cirrus SR-20, example photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know?

The SR20 introduced the whole-airframe parachute system to mainstream general aviation, letting the entire aircraft descend safely under canopy.

Specifications

Length7.9 m (26 ft)
Wingspan11.7 m (38 ft)
Height2.7 m (9 ft)
Maximum passengers3
Persons on board4
Maximum take-off weight1.3 t
Range709 NM (1,313 km)
Maximum speed155 kt (287 km/h)
Stall speed57 kt (106 km/h)
Service ceiling17,500 ft (5,334 m)
Optimum ceiling14,000 ft (4,267 m)
Rate of climb781 ft/min (4 m/s)
Take-off distance514 m (1,686 ft)
Landing distance650 m (2,133 ft)
Fuel capacity110 l
Engines1x Continental IO-360
Units built1,459

Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.

In CatchFlights

In CatchFlights the Cirrus SR-20 starts as a Common catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.

A catch counts for the manufacturer Cirrus, the SR-20 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.

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