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Cirrus SR22T: Tried, True, Turbo

Cirrus SR22T Robert Goyer
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The Cirrus SR22T now offers a new factory-turbocharged Continental TSIO-550-K engine option, which the author considers a significant upgrade over the previous Tornado Alley turbo-normalized engine.
  • Key advantages of the new engine include noticeably better acceleration and climb performance, a quieter and smoother operation due to a lower engine RPM (2,500 vs. 2,700), a factory warranty, and improved detonation margins for potential future fuel flexibility.
  • While the new engine has slightly higher climb fuel consumption and a marginally reduced maximum range, its engine management remains easy, comparable to the previous system.
  • The author, a seasoned SR22 pilot, strongly prefers the new factory engine for its refined feel and performance, a sentiment echoed by early customer preferences.
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The hope is that, as a product develops, it will mature. And I mean “mature” in the good way, you know, like expensive wine, fine Swiss watches and very fast airplanes, like the Cirrus SR22.

I was the first journalist to fly the original SR22, and I’ve flown every new one since, some of them for several hundred hours. Based on my experience in the airplane, I feel confident in saying that a new SR22 is a substantially better airplane in nearly every respect than the original. Most of that improvement has been incremental, with a few big exceptions, including the upgrade to the G3 model a few years back and the concurrent offering of the Turbo model, as well as the introduction of the Entegra and Perspective flight decks.

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