Thu, Aug 28, 2003
Cirrus Reaches 1,000 Airplane Milestone
Cirrus Design, the
fastest-growing general aviation manufacturer in the industry, will
celebrate another significant milestone today as its 1,000th
airplane flies off the production line.
A thousand airplanes is a remarkable achievment, especially
considering that the first Cirrus SR20 was delivered in 1999.
The pace of Cirrus progress is easier to grasp when one considers
that the first 300 Cirrus planes took three years to deliver; the
next 700, 18 months. Another way to look at it: the first 200
Cirrus airplanes took 27 months; the latest 200, just four months.
Earlier airplanes took as many as 4000 hours to build; even with an
extended option list that includes such items as ice
protection, the labor time is now down to about 2000
hours.
When Aero-News was in Duluth just before Oshkosh, we
got a look at the 1000th Cirrus (pictured). It's going to be "even
prettier" on roll-out.
It's an SR22, fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment in
personal aircraft. Cirrus employees will gather for photograph by
the plane, and company management will make a brief
presentation.
The personal aviation industry has experienced years of stagnant
to negative sales. Cirrus Design's new technology aircraft is
recognized as re- energizing the industry, demonstrated by record
sales in July (51 planes). To meet demand, the company implemented
significant changes to its operations to increase production to
from approximately 1, to 2 aircraft daily. Within a year, it will
reach its production goal of between 3 - 4 aircraft daily.
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