fiightglobal.com 22 August-4 September 2017 | Flight International | 25
SF50 FLIGHT TEST
Gerzanics joined Vision Jet product manager Matt Bergwall (right seat) for the flight❯❯in the middle row. The middle row has a
small central aisle to access the third row,
which features one full-size seat and two
child seats outboard.
The full-size third row seat can be moved
longitudinally to any of three positions, to opti-
mise cabin configuration. All passenger seats
are removable, much like those in some mini-
vans. While dimensionally the Vision Jet’s cabin
is smaller than the Eclipse’s, its layout and large
windows made it feel slightly roomier than its
twin-jet rival.
One safety feature that sets Cirrus offerings
apart from competitors is the Cirrus Airframe
Parachute System (CAPS). It is standard across
the entire range of aircraft, and the company felt
it was essential that the Vision Jet also come
equipped with CAPS.
Aircraft design is an exercise in choices
and compromises; here, the large cabin and
single engine largely dictate the Vision Jet’s
unique configuration.
Additionally, Cirrus wanted the aircraft
to fit into T hangars found in the USA.
While not standardised, as a rule of thumb
these limit wingspan to about 12.5m (41ft)
and aircraft length to about 9.75m. Rather
than bury the engine in the aft fuselage, like
the Diamond D-Jet, Cirrus chose to put it on
top, in a configuration reminiscent of Ger-
many’s World War II-era Heinkel He 162.
Engine efficiency should be increased bythis arrangement, as there is no inlet ducting
to contend with. To keep the empennage out
of the exhaust stream, either a “V” or “H” tail
configuration was dictated.
Rather than adopt an H tail like the Hein-
kel, Cirrus chose the more visually appeal-
ing V tail. In theory, a V tail design should
offer reduced drag compared with a con-
ventional tail configuration, as each surface
does double duty. In practice, this advan-
tage is seldom realised, as the size of each V
surface must be increased for acceptable
stability and control characteristics. Addi-
tionally, control linkage and actuation
schemes are more complicated compared
with conventional tail configurations. Fi-
nally, V tails, with their large effective dihe-
dral, may be prone to adverse Dutch roll
characteristics.
FlightGlobal was given the opportunity to
see how the Vision Jet performed on a two-leg
ferry flight from Fresno, California to Little
Rock, Arkansas. I accompanied Matt Berg-
wall, Vision Jet product manager, as he per-
formed the pre-flight walk around inspection
of N52CV at Fresno.
The Vision Jet does have a certain “ramp
presence” with its large cabin and piggyback
engine. The design features fully-booted wing
and empennage leading edges, giving it au-
thorisation for flight into known icing condi-
tions. The engine inlet uses bleed air for ice
protection, with a TKS spray system for the
windscreen.YAW AUGMENTATION
Of particular note during the inspection were
two ventral fins mounted below the V tail
with moveable control surfaces, which
formed a truncated “X” when viewed from
behind. These were the control element for
the yaw stability augmentation system (yawSF50 Vision Jet
Dimensions
Length 9.4m
Height 3.3m
Wingspan 11.8m
Wing area 18.18m²
Accommodation
Crew 2 Flight deck seats/Single pilot certified
Passengers 3 Full seats plus two child seats
Passenger cabin
Length 3.5m
Width 1.55m
Height 1.24m
Volume 4.81m^3
Internal baggage stowage 0.67m^3 /136kg
Cargo extend for long items adds 0.11m^3 /18kg
Weights
Maximum take-off weight 2,722kg
Maximum landing weight 2,517kg
Basic empty weight* 1,678kg
Usable fuel capacity 907.6kg
Full fuel payload 154kg
Engine
1 x Williams International FJ33-5A 1,846lb thrust
Performance
Take-off distance** 973m
Maximum altitude 28,000ft
Vmo/Mmo 250KIAS/M0.53
Maximum range*** 921nm
Landing distance**** 918m
Source: Cirrus ** *Unusable fuel and oil, Elite package;
****MTOW, SL, ISA; ***MTOW, IFR reserves, 4 occupants;
MLW, SL, ISAModel is aimed at SR-series
pilots looking to upgrade