Cirrus SR22
Piston single engine • Low Wing • Fixed gear
Range Visualization
• nm at current load
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Payload vs. Range
Configure weights
Default: 190 lbs
Default: 30 lbs
Fuel on board
Extra weight
Range
Mission Profile
- • High-Performance
About the Cirrus SR22
Overview
The Cirrus SR22 is the best-selling general-aviation airplane of the 21st century, and the airplane that made the Cirrus formula mainstream: a five-seat composite single with fixed gear, side-stick controls, a full Garmin Perspective+ flight deck, and the whole-airframe CAPS parachute as standard equipment. The normally aspirated Continental IO-550-N makes 310 hp and pulls the airframe to about 183 KTAS while burning 16 gph, and the 1,354-pound useful load with 92 gallons of fuel gives it genuine four-seat, full-fuel cross-country capability the smaller SR20 cannot match. It is the volume center of the SR line, between the entry SR20 and the turbocharged, known-ice-capable SR22T.
For most owners the normally aspirated SR22 is the sweet spot: it delivers the brand’s safety case and avionics at the lowest operating cost of any 310-hp-class Cirrus, and below about 12,000 feet it is both faster and more efficient than the turbo. The compromise is altitude. Without the turbocharger it cannot hold power into the high teens and twenties, so it spends more of a long trip in weather than the SR22T does. Choose the SR22 when you want a fast, modern, parachute-equipped four-seat tourer for typical low-to-mid-altitude missions and you do not routinely need to top weather or fly from high-elevation airports.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- CAPS parachute, standard. Every SR22 carries the whole-airframe Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, the safety backstop that anchored the type’s commercial success.
- Real four-seat cross-country numbers. About 183 KTAS cruise, a 1,354-pound useful load, and 92 gallons of fuel make full-fuel trips with passengers practical, unlike the lighter SR20.
- Modern glass and side-stick ergonomics. Cirrus Perspective+ by Garmin and the side-stick cockpit are shared across the SR line, with the largest used fleet and deepest type support in the class.
- Lowest operating cost of the 310-hp Cirrus pair. The normally aspirated IO-550-N avoids the turbocharger upkeep of the SR22T and, below the low teens, is the faster and more efficient of the two.
Trade-offs
- No turbocharger. Without forced induction the SR22 loses power with altitude and is limited to roughly 17,500 feet, so it cannot top weather the way the SR22T can.
- Fixed-gear speed ceiling. The fixed-gear airframe trades a few knots of top speed for simplicity; retractable rivals such as the Bonanza extract more cruise from similar power.
- High-performance endorsement and Cirrus training. The 310 hp engine requires a high-performance endorsement, and insurers require Cirrus-standardized transition and recurrent training before binding competitive policies.
- CAPS upkeep. The 10-year parachute repack and rocket replacement is a recurring Cirrus-specific cost with no equivalent on a conventional single.
See Also
- Cirrus SR22T – the turbocharged, known-ice-capable sibling for buyers who need high-altitude and weather capability. Compare
- Cirrus SR20 – the lower-power entry sibling on the same airframe, for training and local missions. Compare
- Beechcraft Bonanza A36 – the classic retractable-gear six-seat single buyers cross-shop for cabin, payload, and metal-airframe longevity. Compare
- Diamond DA50 RG – a newer composite five-seat single with retractable gear and a Jet-A diesel, the modern efficiency-first alternative. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- Length
- Parking area (ft2)
- Max Takeoff Weight
- Max Landing Weight
- Useful Load
- Fuel Capacity
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- Never-Exceed (Vne)
- Max Structural Cruise (Vno)
- Approach Speed
- Stall, Clean (Vs1)
- Range
- Service Ceiling
- Rate of Climb
- Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
- Landing ground roll
Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Cirrus SR22 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
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FAA TCDS A00009CH (Cirrus SR20/SR22/SR22T), Section II Model SR22 — Airspeed Limits, S/N 3915 and subsequent (3,600 lb MTOW). The normally-aspirated SR22 limit is a flat value in the FAA IAS column (KIAS), not the altitude-banded KCAS of the turbo SR22T takeflightsandiego.com
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AOPA Aircraft Guide — Cirrus SR22, performance specifications (cruise speed at 75% power, best economy) www.aopa.org
Similar to the Cirrus SR22
Similar PistonsBeech Bonanza 36
Beech Bonanza 36 (Turbo)
Beech Bonanza A36
See how the Cirrus SR22 stacks up against similar aircraft
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