Cirrus Vision SF50
The Cirrus Vision SF50, also known as the Vision Jet, is a single-engine very light jet designed and produced by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.
| Vision SF50 | |
|---|---|
| The SF50 is a small business jet with a single aft-mounted turbofan, here with gear and flaps extended | |
| Role | Very light jet |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Cirrus Aircraft |
| First flight | First prototype: 3 July 2008 Conforming prototype: 24 March 2014 First production: 5 May 2016 |
| Status | In production |
| Produced | December 2016–present |
| Number built | 418 delivered (as of December 2022) |
After receiving deposits starting in 2006, Cirrus unveiled an aircraft mock-up on 28 June 2007 and a prototype on 26 June 2008. It made its maiden flight on 3 July 2008. Development slowed in 2009 due to lack of funding. In 2011, Cirrus was bought by CAIGA, a Chinese enterprise that funded the project a year later. The first conforming prototype subsequently flew on 24 March 2014, followed by two other prototypes that same year. The test flying program resulted in the US Federal Aviation Administration awarding a type certificate on 28 October 2016. Deliveries started on 19 December 2016, and by July 2020, 200 jets had been delivered. From 2018 through 2022, it has been the most-delivered business jet.
Powered by a Williams FJ33 turbofan, the all-carbon fiber, low-wing, seven-seat Vision SF50 is pressurized, cruises at 300 kn (560 km/h) and has a range of over 1,200 nmi (2,200 km). For emergency uses, it has both a whole-airframe ballistic parachute and autoland system.
Reviews have compared its performance to high-performance single-turboprop aircraft. In 2018, the Vision Jet was awarded the Collier Trophy for the "greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America" during the preceding year, being the first certified single-engine civilian jet.