Waypoints

Dale Klapmeier turned the tables by firing a question right back at me. I had been querying him and his brother, Alan, about the Cirrus SR20 prototype I was about to fly. The brothers Klapmeier are owners of Cirrus Design, the company that began life building the VK30 high-performance pusher kitplane. Cirrus has since stopped selling new VK30 kits but is fulfilling the orders received for the attractive, composite airplane.

Cirrus recently completed the design work on the ST50 pusher turboprop it developed for a consortium of Israeli companies. The ST50 will be built and certified in Israel. The design of the ST50 and SR20 began when the company was located in Baraboo, Wisconsin. In early 1994, employees began moving into a new office and hangar building located on the Duluth (Minnesota) International Airport.

The SR20 is Cirrus' first attempt at certifying an aircraft. In its promotion of the SR20, the company promises a lot from the composite, 200-horsepower, fixed-gear, four-seater. And, based on my one-hour flight in the "nonconforming prototype," at least, it looks like they will be able to deliver. The big question for any airframer these days — new or old — is whether they can endure the FAA's rigorous certification process.

One of the unique features of the SR20 will be the factory installation of a Ballistic Recovery Systems parachute that, in the event of an emergency, will carry the entire aircraft safely to the ground. Firing the rocket that propels the parachute from the SR20's lower right empennage ought to be a last resort, since it is likely that the subsequent landing will destroy the airplane. Nonetheless, tests show that the occupants should survive with minimal injuries. The system has already been certified on the Cessna 150/152 as an aftermarket modification (see " Ballistic Recovery Systems: Lifesaving Landings," June 1994 Pilot).

It was my question about who would buy the new airplane that sparked Dale's query to me. "Would you buy an airplane equipped with a BRS?" he asked, catching me a bit off guard.

I thought for a moment and, with a bit of pilot machismo, replied that, well, it would be nice to have, but I wouldn't be willing to pay much extra for it or to sacrifice much payload for it.

"Do your wife and kids fly with you much?" Dale queried soberly, not needing to put any more of a fine point on it than that. "Wouldn't they be more comfortable knowing it was available? Wouldn't you?"

I conceded the point, especially when I remembered seeking out a new minivan that had dual airbags and antilock brakes as standard equipment.

In fact, the BRS is only a part of the safety being built into the SR20. The mounts holding the Continental IO-360 engine in place are designed to fold upward in the event of a crash, in hopes of keeping the cockpit intact. Further, the composite firewall is integrated into the fuselage in such a way that the force of the crash is deflected into and then under the floor. The belly of the airplane is designed to act as a toboggan in a crash, allowing loads to be dissipated more slowly.

The seats will exceed the latest amendments for crashworthiness under FAR Part 23. The structure between the floor of the cockpit and the belly of the aircraft is designed to crush, reducing loads transmitted to the cabin.

Finally, the instrument panel is farther from the front-seat occupants than in about any other aircraft I can think of. There's even a small shelf in front of the pilot, with the panel itself beyond that. The idea is to keep the pilot from crashing his head into the panel. The side-stick controller removes yet another dangerous obstacle, the control yoke. No more impaled pilots.

The Klapmeiers spent a lot of time studying what it is that keeps people from flying and the resounding answer was safety. Making people, especially prospective pilots and their spouses, more at ease with flying is a mandate for the next generation of aircraft. The built-in safety could also reduce Cirrus' product liability insurance premiums and the customers' insurance bills, as well.

In the past, training and system redundancy have been used to reduce the number of accidents — a tack that has worked well in the military and airlines, Alan acknowledges. But it won't work as well in general aviation because pilots flying personal aircraft can't and won't take the time or spend the money to maintain the same level of proficiency. "Redundancy and training are important in GA, but we need more," Alan believes.

Besides the built-in safety, Cirrus' answer is to employ computers on the aircraft where they will do the most good — in monitoring the engine and aircraft systems the way a copilot does on a two-crew airplane. Cirrus is working with Arnav Systems and NASA to develop a system of sensors and recording equipment that serve both to alert the pilot to potential problems and to record system parameters for downloading on the ground. The data could be useful for maintenance troubleshooting and for crash investigations. The company's flying prototype, N200SR, has an experimental version of such a system installed to measure elevator position and a few engine parameters. Cirrus expects that the SR20 and all future aircraft will have similar but more sophisticated systems on board.

The SR20 is a comfortable airplane with lots of head and shoulder room. Visibility out the big windows is remarkable. The wing is placed well behind the front-seat passengers, providing them with an excellent view straight down.

Dubbed "N1," N200SR first flew on March 31. The second airplane (N2), which was scheduled to make its first flight in late September, is also a nonconforming prototype. "N1 is basically a flying wind tunnel model," explains Dean Vogel, company test pilot. N2 includes a larger tail, mostly for cosmetic reasons, and an improved flight control system.

The Continental in N200SR spins a short, three-blade MT propeller. Cirrus is also testing a two-blade McCauley prop. The castoring nosegear is similar to those on Grumman (and later American General) singles. A touch of the brakes and the SR20 will spin around in its own wingspan.

Ready for takeoff at Duluth, Vogel advises that I just press my left elbow into the arm rest rather than giving the control lever a pull for rotation. At about 60 knots I oblige and the airplane lifts off without a tendency to overrotate. Instantly, I like the side stick controller. I've flown the Questair Venture and Spirit kitplanes, which employ similar systems. The side stick controller requires no getting used to. It feels very natural.

We head north and climb to 3,500 feet msl at a rate of about 1,100 fpm. (At the time, the flight envelope was limited to between 90 knots and 140 knots, so we would do no serious air work.) At 21 inches and 2,300 rpm, the airplane indicates 140 knots, making the company's promise of a 160-knot max cruise true airspeed a good probability.

The SR20 is stable around all axes and quite conventional in handling. Put it in a turn and dial in the right amount of trim and it will fly around in a circle all day long, much like a Mooney.

In the pattern, we fly downwind at about 100 knots, easing the power back early to allow the slippery airplane to slow down to about 90 knots on base. I make the first two landings with half flaps and set it down with only a little bounce on the first one. On the third approach, I put in full flaps, which results in a steep but easily controlled descent and an easy landing on the main gear. Almost any pilot will feel at home in this airplane after an hour's practice.

A pilot who has about the most varied experience of any agrees. Robert Overmyer, a former space shuttle commander and military test pilot, has been performing some of the flight testing on the SR20. "There's nothing in the testing that gives me any concerns at all," he said recently after completing the first stall series and opening up the lower end of the flight envelope. Since my visit to Cirrus, he's done 2-G accelerated stalls and wingovers. "It feels like a little fighter, it's so fun."

Developing a winning design is the easy part for Cirrus. Now, the trick is to pull off the certification and marketing of the design and to keep the costs under control. Cirrus hopes to deliver a well- equipped airplane for $130,000. Even if the sticker price climbs a bit, the SR20 brings a lot of value and innovation to the general aviation market.