Cirrus jet still in the works; announcement coming soon

Feb. 27--Among the declines general aviation manufacturers faced in 2011 came one exception: large business jets were selling well.

But small light jets? Not so much.

It's one reason Piper Aircraft suspended development of its Altaire single-engine business jet. The development of Cirrus' new Vision light jet, meanwhile, lagged when more capital was needed.

"We absolutely had slowed down the development of the jet," said Todd Simmons, Cirrus' vice president of sales and marketing. "We weren't making progress as much as we would like. The company was moving at a pace that its resources would allow it to. But by no means had we

suspended it."

The flight testing, systems testing and detail design of the jet before it goes into production never stopped.

But Cirrus officials looked to a then-pending sale of the company to China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co. for the needed capital to move the program forward to production. Plans had been to go into production in late 2012, with the first deliveries of the Vision jet in 2013.

"With new owners, we had planned to accelerate the development," Simmons said.

Since the sale closed last year, the jet program apparently has gotten the needed capital. An announcement on the status of the jet program is coming soon, according to Simmons, who said it will be positive news.

"We're bringing a new class of jet into the marketplace," he said.

Orders for the $1.72 million Vision jet are up to 475. About 90 have shifted their $100,000 deposits toward the purchase of other Cirrus planes, with many of those keeping their places to buy the jet, officials say.

Copyright 2012 - Duluth News Tribune, Minn.