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Meet the aircraft
The SR22 entered production in 2001 as a more powerful development of Cirrus's SR20. A low wing, fixed tricycle gear and side-yoke controls define the basic layout. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System is a prominent part of the aircraft's design. The SR22 family spans normally aspirated and turbocharged versions as well as different panel generations.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗Learning to stay ahead of a more demanding trainer
Ambats moved from a Cessna 172 into an Avidyne-equipped SR22 during her private-pilot training at Santa Monica. Other pilots had questioned whether the powerful Cirrus was an appropriate student aircraft, and she initially shared their concern. Her first lessons brought stronger acceleration, much more right-pedal pressure on takeoff and a cockpit full of unfamiliar information.
Plane + Pilot, 1 November 2006. Student training and solo in an early Avidyne-equipped SR22; individual learning experience.
Plane + Pilot · Read more ↗Side controls with conventional trim
The Laminar guide identifies the represented aircraft as an SR22T and describes its side controls, pitch-trim indication and relief of sustained fore-and-aft pressure. The side controls are mechanically connected.
Cirrus SR22 · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12
Laminar Research · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Flying Scott · 36 min ·
Full IFR Flight in Actual IMC | ILS Approach | Cirrus SR22 G7
A largely continuous instrument flight in an SR22 G7, with radio communications.
Real aircraft · SR22 G7
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Cirrus SR22
The SR22 entered production in 2001 as a more powerful development of Cirrus's SR20. A low wing, fixed tricycle gear and side-yoke controls define the basic layout. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System is a prominent part of the aircraft's design.
The SR22 family spans normally aspirated and turbocharged versions as well as different panel generations. The side controls use mechanical connections. Simulator implementations range from bundled aircraft to detailed add-ons with their own engine, maintenance and avionics models.
Cirrus SR series
Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
Development milestones
Developed from: Cirrus SR20
Wikipedia contributors · Cirrus SR22 ↗Cirrus SR22 · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1374255854
Pilot accounts
Learning to stay ahead of a more demanding trainer
Ambats moved from a Cessna 172 into an Avidyne-equipped SR22 during her private-pilot training at Santa Monica. Other pilots had questioned whether the powerful Cirrus was an appropriate student aircraft, and she initially shared their concern. Her first lessons brought stronger acceleration, much more right-pedal pressure on takeoff and a cockpit full of unfamiliar information. The side control felt natural, but sensitive electric trim and quicker responses made familiar exercises such as steep turns harder to perform neatly.
With instructor Liz DeStaffany, practice gradually made the busy cockpit manageable. Ambats learned to use the display pages she needed while keeping her attention outside, and to make small trim adjustments after establishing the attitude. The traffic pattern began to feel less hurried. When DeStaffany and Cirrus pilot Rachel Tanzer stepped out for her solo, apprehension had become excitement. Ambats remembers climbing away while the same 172 she had previously soloed circulated nearby, now seeming remarkably slow.
Plane + Pilot, 1 November 2006. Student training and solo in an early Avidyne-equipped SR22; individual learning experience.
Read the full account · Plane + Pilot ↗A biplane pilot discovers the appeal of a travelling aircraft
Lee approached the 2012 SR22T with the prejudices of a pilot who preferred biplanes and tailwheel flying. A trip from Southern California to the San Francisco Bay Area, accompanied by Cirrus representative Matt Bergwall and editor Jessica Ambats, changed his view. Hand-flying the first part of the journey, he found substantial, balanced control forces rather than a lightweight feel. The side control still required adjustment, but it freed space in front of him.
As the trip continued, the cabin, integrated avionics and straightforward presentation of information began to make sense as aids to an enjoyable journey. He describes cruising above California farmland, trying the satellite telephone and arriving at San Carlos without drama before a Golden Gate photo flight. On the return, Ambats flew while he stretched out in a reclining rear seat with a book. He still wanted his biplane for an open-air flying experience; the Cirrus had shown him why comfort and convenience matter when the purpose is getting somewhere with friends.
Plane + Pilot, 24 April 2012. 2012 SR22T GTS demonstration trip with a Cirrus representative; turbocharged variant.
Read the full account · Plane + Pilot ↗Seven years of trips, family flying and everyday compromises
Zimmerman writes after seven years flying an SR22, having spent his first thousand hours largely in Cessna singles. A real journey in the Cirrus convinced him that its popularity involved more than appearance. He values the comfortable passenger cabin, integrated avionics and relatively uncomplicated workload for its performance. The side control ceased to feel unusual after his first flight, and he enjoys both family trips and short solo outings in the aircraft.
His appreciation includes practical irritations. He dislikes the lack of nosewheel steering and rudder trim, finds the cabin noisy, and recalls climbs where engine temperatures required more attention than he wanted. Those are his operating impressions rather than a controlled comparison of every SR22 version. He also regards the parachute as useful equipment while explicitly saying he has never deployed it. For the kinds of journeys he regularly makes, the balance remains favourable: a capable travelling aircraft that is sufficiently straightforward for him to relax and enjoy flying.
Air Facts, 13 January 2025. Retrospective after seven years flying SR22s; personal observations across his experience, not a test of every generation.
Read the full account · Air Facts ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2024SR22
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
SR22
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
MSFS 2020SR22
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
SR22
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
X-Plane 12Cirrus SR22
Laminar Research · Released
Cirrus SR22
Laminar Research · Released
X-Plane 12Cirrus SR22 · TorqueSim
TorqueSim · Released
Cirrus SR22 · TorqueSim
TorqueSim · Released
X-Plane 12 Enhancement Cirrus SR22
SimCoders · Released
Cirrus SR22
SimCoders · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 26 ft 0 in (7.92 m) |
| Wingspan | 38 ft 4 in (11.68 m) |
| Height | 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m) |
| Empty weight | 2,269 lb (1,029 kg) |
| Gross weight | 3,600 lb (1,633 kg) |
| Powerplant | 1 × Continental IO-550-N Six cylinder horizontally opposed aircraft engine, 310 hp (230 kW) |
| Propellers | 3-bladed |
| Cruise speed | 183 kn (211 mph, 339 km/h) |
| Stall speed | 60 kn (69 mph, 110 km/h) flaps down |
| Range | 1,049 nmi (1,207 mi, 1,943 km) with reserves at 65% power |
| Service ceiling | 17,500 ft (5,300 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,270 ft/min (6.5 m/s) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
Side controls with conventional trimCirrus SR22 · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12
The Laminar guide identifies the represented aircraft as an SR22T and describes its side controls, pitch-trim indication and relief of sustained fore-and-aft pressure. The side controls are mechanically connected.
Archived simulator manual; installed package revision not observed · PDF pp.9,18
Laminar Research · Read the source ↗Panel generation and simulator version matterCirrus SR22 · TorqueSim · TorqueSim · X-Plane 12
TorqueSim's SR22 history records changes to trim authority and autopilot/control behaviour. Version 2.1 moved the G1000 aircraft to the X-Plane 12.1 X1000 and excludes older simulator versions; 2.1.1 removed the Gizmo dependency. The developer documents G1000 and Entegra products separately, with their release histories.
SR22 G1000 v2.1.1 · v2.0.0, v2.0.2, v2.1.0-2.1.1
TorqueSim · Read the source ↗Pilot account
Learning to stay ahead of a more demanding trainerPlane + Pilot, 1 November 2006. Student training and solo in an early Avidyne-equipped SR22; individual learning experience.
Ambats moved from a Cessna 172 into an Avidyne-equipped SR22 during her private-pilot training at Santa Monica. Other pilots had questioned whether the powerful Cirrus was an appropriate student aircraft, and she initially shared their concern. Her first lessons brought stronger acceleration, much more right-pedal pressure on takeoff and a cockpit full of unfamiliar information.
Jessica Ambats
Plane + Pilot · Read the source ↗A biplane pilot discovers the appeal of a travelling aircraftPlane + Pilot, 24 April 2012. 2012 SR22T GTS demonstration trip with a Cirrus representative; turbocharged variant.
Lee approached the 2012 SR22T with the prejudices of a pilot who preferred biplanes and tailwheel flying. A trip from Southern California to the San Francisco Bay Area, accompanied by Cirrus representative Matt Bergwall and editor Jessica Ambats, changed his view. Hand-flying the first part of the journey, he found substantial, balanced control forces rather than a lightweight feel. The side control still required adjustment, but it freed space in front of him.
Marc C. Lee
Plane + Pilot · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developers Cirrus SR 22 POHLaminar Research X-Plane 12 Desktop ManualLaminar Research X-Plane aircraft and avionics manualsLaminar ResearchAircraft background
Cirrus SR22Wikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1374255854 · retrieved 2026-09-12Resource
MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoft MSFS 2020 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoft SR22 G1000 version historyTorqueSim SR22 productTorqueSimProduct
Reality Expansion Pack · Default XP12 Cirrus SR22SimCoders · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 SR22 / SR22TN EntegraTorqueSim · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 SR22 / SR22TN G1000TorqueSim · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12Type designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 7 profile choices
Carenado SR22 GTSx Turbo
Carenado · Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
X-Plane 11
Carenado SR22 GTSx Turbo: Mechanically connected side yokes motivate control loading; these controls are not passive Airbus-style sidesticks.
SimCoders REP SR22
SimCoders · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
SimCoders REP SR22: Mechanically connected side yokes motivate control loading; these controls are not passive Airbus-style sidesticks.
TorqueSim SR22
TorqueSim · Free and Pro · Revision 4 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
TorqueSim SR22: Mechanically connected side yokes motivate control loading; these controls are not passive Airbus-style sidesticks.
TorqueSim SR22TN
TorqueSim · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
TorqueSim SR22TN: Mechanically connected side yokes motivate control loading; these controls are not passive Airbus-style sidesticks.
X-Aerodynamics Cirrus SR22 EFM
X-Aerodynamics · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
X-Aerodynamics Cirrus SR22 EFM: Mechanically connected side yokes motivate control loading; these controls are not passive Airbus-style sidesticks.
X-Aerodynamics Cirrus SR22T EFM
X-Aerodynamics · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
X-Aerodynamics Cirrus SR22T EFM: Mechanically connected side yokes motivate control loading; these controls are not passive Airbus-style sidesticks.
Cirrus SR22
Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Partial review
MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020 · X-Plane 12
Cirrus SR22: Mechanically connected side yokes motivate control loading; these controls are not passive Airbus-style sidesticks.
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