Another Step In A Very Evolutionary Program

Flight Test Report and Analysis by ANN Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell

• Read Part One
• Read Part Two
• Read Part Three
• Read Part Four
• Read Part Five (Final)

Finally... the LAST part of this sordid little saga is revealed, as ANN wraps up our long-drawn-out look at the Cirrus SR-22 G3.

Getting Down To Earth

All good things come to an end (or reach the point at which a bathroom break becomes 'imperative'), and coming back to Earth is no sweat in the G3. Best approach protocols suggest using about 100-105 kts on the downwind, 90-95 on the base and 80-85 on short final, with 70-80 in the short flare. If you're just flying with folks in the front, you'll want to carry a tad more speed and a little power to make the flare a more comfortable affair. The speed profile works well here with either flap position, while no-flap landings are going to require some challenging speed management.

Approach handling is simply superb. Visibility over the nose remains outstanding. But… please get a feel for the energy of your airplane or you're going to spend a little time chasing yourself in the flare until you understand how this airplane decelerates and accelerates in the approach configuration. Mind you; there is nothing tricky here… but there is a lot of horsepower and mass up front. Still... I'd love for Cirrus to make spoilers available... it's NOT that they're necessary (far from it, in fact), it's just that they make life SO much eaiser when it comes to head for terra firma.

The best G3 landings seem to come with the addition of just a little power, late in the flare, to offer some additional pitch authority, arrest residual sink, and with the bird trimmed well aft. DO NOT fly the final part of the approach at less than 75 knots until you get a feel for the bird. It'll fly all day at 70-75 kts… but if you get sloppy, you can induce a heckuva sink with bad energy management and hit the deck as if you were making a carrier landing.

We've noted that there is an initial tendency to flare high, but a little practice will give one the sight picture needed to properly judge their altitude and attitude in the final stages of arrival. This is the only point when control pressures get ponderous since you'll use a lot of pitch to work the flare. As soon as you plant the mains, come off the power, maintain heading and brake as necessary. With good speed management and moderate to heavy braking, the SR22 will easily show it's ability to get itself stopped in 1100-1500 feet. You'll need at least twice that when dealing with the stereotypical 50 foot obstacle.

You'll find the lateral authority to be outstanding right through the touchdown and beyond, with a little roll input countering some pretty stiff crosswinds, easily. In elder SR22s, I've easily dealt with 25-35 knots, directly abeam, and still had sufficient rudder authority to keep things straight while retaining enough roll to counter lateral drift. The new wing configuration is just as talented... maybe even a smidge better. Braking action is very good, and there is little difficulty keeping things lined up (even without brakes) until you slow to about 15-20 kts when rudder effectiveness is curtailed andsoem weathervaning may occur. The slightly taller gear seems just a tad stiffer on a hard touch down, arresting the energy a little more speedily, than the previous gear... and surprsingly, I found out that assymetrical touchdowns are actually (slightly -- probably due to the additional rigidity) less apt to go skittering off to either side than the previous iteration. 

All in all, the taller gear is a very nice update to an already impressive set of legs.

ANN Test Pilot's Summary

We noted, several years ago, in our original flight test of the first SR22s that the SR22 was a helluva bird… but the G3 got rid of most of the "yeah, buts" we'd had over the years (pretty much all but the placement of the secondary flight instruments). The bird boasts great visibility, superb handling and is a truly manageable GA transportation system that I have no qualms about handing over to a properly trained low-timer. It simply doesn't have any bad habits or obvious 'gotchas' that'll bust your butt unless you really aren't paying attention…

That said, as Cirrus has added capability, the mission has become more complex... especially in terms of the addition of a turbo-normalized engine and all the additonal flying that this will mean. This is NOT an "all-weather" platform but today's SR22s are going a LOT more places than the earliest iterations. The addition of the latest Revision (Rev 7) for the Avidyne PFD/MFDs has come a lot slower than the pilot community would have preferred... especially in terms of bring WAAS capability to the mix, but that situation is finally getting resolved.

Still, as the aircraft evolve, it would behoove Cirrus to make sure that the panel is keeping up.

And with the advent of solid high-altitude capability, I think spoilers or a spoiler option makes tremendous good sense. The airplane WILL head down at a good clip, but every now and then, ATC wants to pull the rug out from under you... and spoilers can only aid the flight management chores that come with operations in the flight levels.

Mind you, I'm nit-picking... and as Cirrus continues to evolve their airplanes at a pace unequaled by any competitor, it makes it more and more difficult to critize the bird. For right now, the Cirrus SR22-G3 is easily one of the best brids to ever be made available to the GA biz.

And once again, we must note that we can't wait to see what follows this. I'm so damned impressed with an industry that can produce products this good... and that includes those who complete with it -- we all benefit as a result.

Pros:

Speedy airplane with excellent load hauling capability over a good piece of real estate.
Great handling, fine-tuned nicely for cross-country missions anf the enhanced stabiluty and control profile makes it a better flying airplane than ever before.
We LOVE all the new color selections.
The Avidyne EFIS system remains intuitive and easy to learn/operate. 
Say what you will, the addition of the 'The Chute' is a life-saver... and well worth the cost. 
We applaud the constant evolution in this design... few copmpanies are committed to such aggressive product upgrades.
An outstanding company backs this airplane with EXCELLENT (and still improving) customer service (Test Pilot's Note: DO NOT discount the importance of this).

Cons:

Secondary flight instrument placement could be better positioned for actual use in the case of a partial panel situation.
The SR22-G3 remains a little hotter, landing-wise, than the SR20 -- so be aware of this when you make the upgrade. 
Doors remain somewhat problematic and require good fitting/rigging to keep from being an issue.
Spoilers would make for an excellent addition or option to this airframe... especially for those birds operating regularly in the flight levels.
Known Ice (FIKI) certification (or one of the variations suggested by CD's Alan Klapmeier), if possible, would signficantly improve the utility of this airplane... if pilots can be trained and disciplined to operate such aircraft properly.
Thye bird remains a little pricy… especially with deicing and all the goodies, but a thoroughly solid transportation system, thus equipped.

FMI: www.cirrusdesign.com, www.cirruspilots.org