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.

FMI: www.cirrusdesign.com