Cirrus SR20

Total SR20 production exceeds 3,000 aircraft, and the type remains in current production. It is the aircraft of choice for several large Part 141 schools (notably ATP Flight School), which keeps parts and mechanic familiarity strong even though the airplane costs more to acquire and fly than a comparable Cessna or Piper trainer.

CAPS -- the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System -- is not an option or an STC on any SR-series airplane; it is a Special Condition on the type certificate itself (23-ACE-88), which is why every Cirrus ever built carries one and why its scheduled replacement is not a deferrable maintenance item.

The certificate's own weight blocks: 2,900 lb (S/N 1005-1147), 3,000 lb (most of the 1148-2338 range), 3,050 lb (S/N 1878, 1886-2219, 2221-2338), and 3,150 lb (S/N 2220, 2339 and subsequent -- this page). Highest to lowest is 8.6%, comfortably inside the splitting rule's 15% gross-weight threshold, so the generations share one page. Usable fuel is 56 gallons on every SR20 ever built; only the TOTAL capacity changed (60.5 to 58.5 gal) when the wing was redesigned.

The cruise/burn/range triple above is ONE ROW of ONE table: POH 11934-005's Range/Endurance Profile at 4,000 ft pressure altitude, 75% power, 3,000 lb -- 149 KTAS on 12.0 gph for 588 nm. 4,000 ft is the highest altitude the 75% block publishes; above it, a normally aspirated IO-390 cannot sustain 75% power, and the chart prints those cells blank rather than a number. The 65% economy row at the same altitude is 8 kt slower, burns 1.5 gph less, and goes 41 nm further -- 140 KTAS / 10.5 gph / 629 nm.

The SR20 cannot climb to its own certificated ceiling at gross weight. TCDS A00009CH limits the airplane to 17,500 ft MSL, but the POH's enroute (flaps-up) climb table gives 180 fpm at 12,000 ft and only 66 fpm at 14,000 ft on a standard day at 3,150 lb -- and continues falling above that. This is a real, certificate-stated LIMIT rather than a performance figure, and it is genuinely higher than the airplane's practical ceiling at max gross. service_ceiling_ft is left blank on this page rather than storing either number under the wrong label; see the full climb table in data/vault/performance/cirrus-sr20.climb.json.

Takeoff and landing distances were badly wrong on this page before this pass -- it carried 1,040 ft and 1,580 ft, which describe neither this airplane nor any SR20 serial block. The real figures, POH Figure 5-4 at 3,150 lb, sea level, standard day: 1,685 ft ground roll / 2,530 ft over a 50 ft obstacle for takeoff (flaps 50%), and 853 ft / 2,636 ft for landing (flaps 100%). The landing obstacle figure is 3.1x the ground roll -- far outside the 1.4-2.2x band most airplanes show -- because Cirrus computes it from a 3° POWER approach carried to the 50 ft point rather than a short-field technique.

Best glide is 100 KIAS at 3,150 lb (92 KIAS at 2,600 lb), a ~9:1 ratio. The catalogue previously stored 88, which matches neither published speed.

The stall speeds above (Vs0 62 / Vs1 70) are the FORWARD-CG, wings-level figures from POH Figure 5-3 -- the conservative case for a heavy, forward-loaded airplane. Cirrus's own current spec sheet advertises "Stall Speed with Flaps 57 KCAS," which is the AFT-CG cell, five knots below the number a training airplane loaded to the front of its envelope will actually see.

G6/G7 (Lycoming IO-390-C3B6, 215 hp, 56 gal usable, 3,150 lb gross):

A 1,003 lb useful load is adequate for two adults with full fuel and useful range; four average adults with full fuel leaves very little baggage allowance. The G6/G7's 150 lb useful-load gain over the earlier G1-G5 generations (roughly 850-900 lb) is the single biggest ownership difference between the two eras beyond the engine itself.

• Flight Training (6): Widely used by ATP and other Part 141 schools. The side-yoke, CAPS and glass cockpit provide a modern training platform, but the acquisition and operating cost are high for primary training and CAPS repack reserves add a cost line most trainers do not carry.
• Backcountry (2): Fixed gear but low-wing with vulnerable speed pants on unimproved surfaces. Not designed for backcountry operations.
• Business Travel (6): A capable IFR platform, but 149 KTAS and four seats make the SR22T a materially better business airplane at a real cost premium.
• Aerobatics (1): Not aerobatic certified; CAPS complicates any unusual attitude recovery attempt.
• Cross-Country (7): Good. 149 KTAS with 588 nm at 75% power (629 nm at 65%) and full IFR capability. The SR22/SR22T go further and faster at a higher price.
• Cargo Hauling (3): Four seats with a reasonable baggage area, but a 1,003 lb useful load limits real cargo utility once fuel is aboard.
• Local Fun Flying (7): Comfortable, modern cockpit, good handling. The composite airframe and glass panel make every flight feel premium.
• Surveying (4): Low wing limits downward visibility; modern avionics support survey operations otherwise.

• G1-G2 (Avidyne): Avidyne Entegra PFD/MFD. Capable but increasingly dated. Upgrade to Garmin Perspective+ is possible but expensive.
• G3-G5 (Garmin Perspective/Perspective+): Garmin G1000-based integrated cockpit. A highly capable IFR platform.
• G6-G7 (Perspective+/NXi, this page): Latest Garmin avionics with synthetic vision, ADS-B In/Out and enhanced situational awareness. The NXi upgrade and the Lycoming IO-390-C3B6 arrive on the SAME serial block (S/N 2220, 2339 and subsequent) -- TCDS A00009CH amends the certification basis for both at once.
• Key point: avionics come with the airplane on a Cirrus. The generation determines the avionics; there is no separate retrofit market of the depth a Cessna or Piper owner would expect.

The composite airframe severely limits the STC ecosystem:

• TKS known ice: Factory option on later models; retrofit available.
• Speed mods: Very limited -- composite construction makes aerodynamic modification impractical.
• Engine upgrades: Not practical; the airframe is designed around its specific engine.
• Interior upgrades: Leather, soundproofing and cosmetic upgrades are available through Cirrus service centers.

• Annual inspection: commonly $1,500-$3,500 base, Cirrus-specific items add to a standard inspection.
• CAPS repack reserve: budget roughly $1,500-$2,000/year against the $15,000-$20,000, ~10-year repack cited above.
• Parts availability: excellent -- the type remains in production with a factory-backed service center network.
• Mechanic familiarity: common at Cirrus-authorized service centers; composite construction means not every general A&P shop can work on the airframe.
• COPA (Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association): the essential type club.

Market snapshot, ASKING, dated 2026-07-14 (Trade-A-Plane + GlobalAir, 160 listings spanning G1 through G7): $111,752-$859,900, average $418,598. See the Current Listings block below for individual observations. Per runbook rule 27, an asking figure is the TOP of a realistic range, not a settled sale price.

• G1 (1999-2003): roughly $150,000-$220,000. Avidyne avionics; aging but functional. (Carried forward from the prior valuation pass, not independently re-verified this session.)
• G2 (2004-2007): roughly $180,000-$280,000. (Same caveat.)
• G3 (2008-2012): roughly $220,000-$350,000. Garmin G1000 avionics bump. (Same caveat.)
• G5 (2013-2016): roughly $280,000-$400,000. (Same caveat.)
• G6/G7 (2017-present, this page): the actual observed asking range above, running to $859,900 for the newest G7 airplanes.

CAPS repack timing is a real valuation factor. A recently repacked CAPS adds value; an overdue or approaching repack is commonly discounted $15,000-$20,000 against an otherwise comparable airframe. Generation and avionics suite are the primary price driver otherwise.

Common Problems:

• CAPS repack: The parachute system requires a scheduled repack, commonly cited by Cirrus service centers and COPA at roughly $15,000-$20,000 -- a mandatory, recurring cost unique to Cirrus ownership. The specific interval and price are set in the Airplane Maintenance Manual (Cirrus doc 12137-001/002 per TCDS A00009CH Note 3), which is not freely published, so this figure is a well-established secondary-source estimate rather than a house-verified one.
• Composite repair: Impact damage requires certified composite repair facilities. Repairs range from a few thousand dollars to a total loss depending on severity.
• Gear leg fairings: Speed pants crack and require periodic replacement.
• Continental IO-360-ES / Lycoming IO-390-C3B6: Both are generally reliable but require regular oil analysis and cam/lifter monitoring, as with any direct-drive Lycoming or Continental four-cylinder.

Per reference/insurance-underwriting.md: the SR20's 215 hp and constant-speed propeller put it in the high_performance category (>200 hp), the same category the reference file names the SR22 under -- corrected on this page from the previous standard_fixed_gear, which understated the risk class.

• Hull insurance: roughly 1.1%-1.4% of hull value per year -- on a typical ~$420,000 airframe, about $4,600-$5,900/year.
• Pilot minimums: insurers commonly want 200+ total hours and an instrument rating; Cirrus-specific transition training (CSIP -- Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot) is often required or strongly incentivized.
• CAPS effect: the parachute system is broadly viewed by underwriters as a net positive -- a survivable deployment costs less than a fatal accident.