Cirrus SR20
_(5056614400).jpg) Cirrus SR20. Photo: Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Cirrus |
|---|---|
| Model | Cirrus SR20 |
| Type | Light aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 21 March 1995 |
| Built | 1999–present |
| Number built | 2,084 (through 2025) |
| Registered in the US | 1,552 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 1 pilot, 3 passengers (4 using 60/40 flex seating in post-2012 models) |
| Engine | Continental IO-360-ES, 200 hp |
| Cruise speed | 155 kn (SR20-G3) |
| Service ceiling | 17,500 ft (SR20-G3) |
| Max weight | 3,050 lb (SR20-G3)
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The Cirrus SR20 is a four- or five-seat, single-engine airplane made of composite materials, built since 1999 by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota. It was the company's first type-certified airplane, certified in 1998.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,552 with a valid registration.[2]
It was the first production general aviation airplane with a parachute to lower the whole airplane to the ground after a loss of control, structural failure or midair collision, and the SR series was the first mass-produced light airplane with all-composite construction and flat-panel avionics. The SR20 was developed into the larger Cirrus SR22 in 2001.[1]
History
A mock-up was shown in 1994, the SR20 first flew on March 21, 1995, and the FAA certified it on October 23, 1998, at a time when few new general aviation airplanes were being certified. Deliveries began in July 1999, and from 1999 to 2015 Cirrus delivered more than 6,000 SR-series airplanes.[1]
The 2007 G3 gained a lighter, larger wing with a carbon-fiber spar, adding 6 to 7 knots of cruise speed. From 2004 to 2009 Cirrus also sold the SRV, a simpler, VFR-only SR20 for private owners and flight schools.[1]
Safety record
A 2011 review of SR20 and SR22 accident records by Aviation Consumer found an overall accident record better than average for light airplanes, but a fatal accident rate of 1.6 per 100,000 hours, above the U.S. general aviation rate of 1.2. By 2013 the fatal rate had fallen to 1.01 per 100,000 flight hours.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,552 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| SR20 | 1,552 |
Specifications (SR20-G3)
| Item | SR20-G3 |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 pilot |
| Passengers / capacity | 3 passengers (4 using 60/40 flex seating in post-2012 models) |
| Length | 26 ft |
| Wingspan | 38 ft 4 in |
| Height | 8 ft 11 in |
| Empty weight | 2,126 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 3,050 lb |
| Engine | Continental IO-360-ES, 200 hp (six cylinder, horizontally-opposed piston aircraft engine) |
| Cruise speed | 155 kn |
| Stall speed | 56 kn |
| Service ceiling | 17,500 ft |
| Rate of climb | 828 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Cirrus SR20, no Aeroporto de Avaré, São Paulo, Brasil. Photo: José Reynaldo da Fonseca, CC BY 2.5 -
Cirrus SR20 #1694 (registration G-TAAC) at Denham Airfield, England. Photo: MilborneOne, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
A Cirrus SR-20 belonging to Western Michigan University taxis along the ramp. Photo: Tcmdkzoo, Public domain -
Purdue Cirrus SR20. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
A Continental IO-360 engine mounted on a Cirrus SR20 single-engine aircraft. Photo: YSSYguy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Cirrus SR20 landing. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Cirrus SR20. Photo: Megan Davis, Public domain -
An SR20 aircraft descends to the ground, supported by a ballistic parachute. Photo: NASA, Public domain
_(5056614400).jpg){kind=link}
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Cirrus SR20
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Wikipedia, "Cirrus SR20", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.