Cirrus began investigating the possibility of a single-engine, personal-use business jet in the early 2000s. This idea remained a concept for several years until Cirrus officially announced the development of a small business aircraft in June 2006 at the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association meeting. This model went through a lengthy design and development process. However, ten years after it was announced, the Cirrus Vision Jet took the aviation and private jet market by storm.
Photo: Rudzenka | Shutterstock
The low-wing aircraft is powered by a single jet engine residing on top of its fuselage. The jet is large enough to hold up to seven passengers, however, and is typically utilized as a personal-use private jet. Therefore, it is generally marketed towards pilot owners more than other very light business jets like the Cessna Citation M2 or the Eclipse 500.
Due to the size of the Vision Jet and the aircraft’s single engine, it is also much cheaper to purchase and cheaper to operate than its competitors, which helps it lock down the pilot-owner market. Let’s take a look at what makes the Cirrus Vision Jet so unique. Let’s also take a closer look at one of its distinctive characteristics: its low operating costs.
Brief history
As previously mentioned, Cirrus began designing the Vision Jet in 2003. It was officially introduced in June 2006, and the following October, at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention, Cirrus began accepting deposits for future aircraft. By May 2008, Cirrus had already received over 400 total deposits for the aircraft.
Photo: Blue Baron Photo | Shutterstock
Eventually, a prototype Vision Jet was flown for the first time on July 3, 2008. Early in the development process, Cirrus required extra testing regarding the aircraft’s center of gravity as well as the Vision Jet’s stall characteristics. This was due to the aircraft’s unconventional placement of its jet engine. Several redesigns of Vision Jet components, like the tail sweep and nose structure, required a redesign to fine-tune the design.
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However, the United States was struck by a recession beginning in 2008. The Vision Jet development slowed down due to a lack of capital. In 2009, the prototype Vision Jet only accumulated 39 flight test hours.
The testing process was saved in April 2012 by a new owner of Cirrus, CAIGA. This significantly sped up the development process, and in March 2014, the first conforming prototype flew for the first time. Orders continued to roll in, and by July 2016, Cirrus had over 600 total orders for the aircraft. In October 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded Cirrus the type certification for the Cirrus Vision SF50. This was the first single-engine jet to be certified for civilian use.
Shortly after it was certified, production of the Vision Jet accelerated to nearly 80 aircraft per year. This led to the introduction of an upgraded version, the G2 Vision Jet, which upgraded performance measures and added an autothrottle along with an upgraded flight deck. The G2+ was announced in 2021, including more performance upgrades and an emergency autoland system.
Design and performance
The Cirrus Vision SF50 is a low-wing plane with the unique placement of its jet engine on top of the fuselage. The aircraft is powered by a single Williams FJ33 turbofan engine, which produces nearly 2,000 pounds of thrust. The aircraft features a v-tail and retractable landing gear to improve its aerodynamics. The Vision Jet is made entirely of composite materials and features a fuselage with the following measurements:
- Cabin length: 30.7 feet
- Cabin height: 10.9 feet
- Wingspan: 38.7 feet
Photo: Cirrus Aircraft
The Garmin G1000 avionics system initially powered the flight deck, although newer models utilize the Garmin G3000 avionics system. Newer models of the Vision Jet also feature unique systems, such as the Safe Return Autoland system and an autothrottle system. The aircraft also features a ballistic parachute, which deploys from the nose of the aircraft.
As previously mentioned, the aircraft is designed for pilot-owners. It is also intended to be a step up from other Cirrus aircraft, like the Cirrus SR20 or Cirrus SR22. Overall, the SF50 can reach the following specifications:
|
Capacity |
Six passengers (single pilot) |
|---|---|
|
Fuel capacity |
2,000 pounds |
|
Fuel consumption |
462 pounds per hour |
|
Maximum speed |
311 knots (358 miles per hour) |
|
Cruise speed |
305 knots (351 miles per hour) |
|
Range |
1,200 nautical miles (1,381 miles) |
|
Ceiling |
31,000 feet |
Photo: Rene Dominguez | Shutterstock
Due to its small size, the very light business jet also has great landing and take-off performance. It can take off from runways just 2,036 feet long and land on runways that are just 1,628 feet.
Operating costs
The Vision Jet has excellent performance specifications for its size, and it directly competes with several other jets in the very light business jet market. However, the feature that makes this aircraft so competitive is its low operating costs.
Per Evo Jets, the Vision Jet has a direct operating cost of just $700 per flight hour. This includes fuel cost per hour, oil cost, hourly maintenance, and other miscellaneous costs, like landing, parking, and supplies. This hourly rate is nearly half of what its competitors, Embraer, Cessna, and HondaJet, cost to operate. When considering other fixed costs, such as storage, insurance, and training, the annual cost may be as low as $550,000 per Plane PHD.
