Cirrus jet makes maiden flight

The-Jet, Cirrus Design’s single-engine, V-tail airplane, made its first flight on Thursday, July 3, from Duluth International Airport in Minnesota.

The first test version, V1, “performed flawlessly” during its 45-minute flight, the company announced.

“This ‘first flight’ is a historically significant moment for Cirrus and the opening of a new chapter for all of aviation,” said Advanced Development Group Vice President Steve Serfling. “With this successful flight today, we initiate the next program phase that will support the more rigorous certification program.”

With its single engine and simplified operations, The-Jet is designed to fly 300 knots and 25,000 feet with a range of more than 1,000 nm, and like other Cirrus aircraft, it will carry a full airframe parachute. The five-seat jet’s cockpit layout and approach speeds are similar to piston-powered SR22 and SR20 models.