The Cirrus Design Corporation is an aircraft manufacturer that was founded in 1984 by Alan and Dale Klapmeier . Since then, the company has designed and marketed three popular four-seat single-engine airplanes: the SRV , the SR20 and SR22 .

All Cirrus aircraft are extremely modern, with Avidyne FlightMax digital flight displays and modern avionics as standard equipment. The aircraft are "all electric", in that no vacuum systems are used. Redundancy is provided by dual batteries and alternators. The SR22 is also available with TKS de-icing equipment, although it is not currently (2005) certified for flight into known icing conditions.

A unique feature of the Curris aircraft is the Cirrus Aircraft Parachute System (CAPS), a ballistic parachute system that allows the entire aircraft to descend safely from an emergency. Cirrus is the first manufacturer to be awarded FAA certification for a production aircraft with a balistic parachute system. CAPS is standard on every Cirrus. The system is designed for the safety of the occupants rather than the aircraft, and serious damage may result to the aircraft when used. As such, the system is considered a last resort. Cirrus has compared the ground impact from a CAPS deployment to a drop from ten feet above ground level. There have been several successful deployments to date (2005).

The aircraft incorporate other unusual design elements. All Cirrus aircraft use a "side yoke" instead of the traditional yoke or stick flight controls. The aircraft also use FADEC to simplify the engine controls, with a single power lever that adjusts both throttle and propeller RPM. Construction is dominated by the use of composite materials, although traditional aluminum is used where deemed necessary.

External links

• Cirrus Design - About Us