You want performance and efficiency in a turbo – and the Cirrus Turbo serves up plenty of both. One of the beauties of turbo-normalizing an engine is the ability to hold sea level pressure in the engine up to altitude. As you climb through 18,000 ft, the engine thinks it's down at sea level, so you're still climbing like a rocket without making any power adjustments.
Remember, you have to go high to take advantage of the turbocharging that's taking place.
- At sea level you will experience similar performance to a normally aspirated engine.
- Fly high to achieve the rewards of a turbo in the form of greater speed – true airspeed – which can equate to some amazing ground speeds. Indicated airspeeds will remain similar to the speeds you see at sea level. But the higher you fly, the higher your true airspeed will go ... and that can mean better groundspeeds.
Fly above the weather. Greater altitude also gives you the ability to get over more weather. In most winter months, the ceilings tend to average 15,000 - 20,000 ft, giving you the opportunity to go high, find blue skies and leave the not-so-desirable weather far below.
By creating an engine that operates reliably and efficiently at 85% power rather than 75% power and that does so at 17,000 ft rather than 7,000 ft, we have "transformed" general aviation piston engine operations.
TURBO TIP For Smart Buyers
A big part of what makes the Cirrus turbo-normalized system such an outstanding performer is its Gamijector™ fuel injectors. When running most engines LOP (Lean of Peak), it’s difficult to make them run smoothly because of the spread in horsepower being created in each cylinder. Since the GAMI fuel injectors are tuned for each individual cylinder at turbo installation and hold the horsepower of the cylinders closer together during LOP operations, they create an incredibly smooth-operating engine back at fuel flows that makes more sense for normal operations. This turbo system was designed from the beginning to be routinely operated in the efficient LOP operating range, even at 85% power.
Most other manufacturers are restricted from LOP operations above 65% power. This means that they may get a few more knots of airspeed but at the cost of burning 25% more fuel.
Flying High or Low, Turbo Makes More Sense
Turbocharging isn’t just for those in mountainous areas or in the western part of the country. It’s perfect for “flat land pilots” as well. While flying high does improve the speed, you can always put the turbo to good use even if you are a flat land pilot. When you have the turbo, you will use it on every flight and take advantage of it on every flight – even down at 3,000 - 10,000 ft.
Comfort – The Cirrus SR22 is known as one of the most comfortable single engine piston airplanes on the market. At times, forces of nature can produce weather that makes the ride in any airplane uncomfortable. The SR22 Turbo gives you the power to climb quickly over turbulence, weather, and clouds – enabling you and your passengers to feel comfortable and safe.
Clearance – Flying up and down the East Coast, there are far fewer aircraft in the
13,000 - 18,000 altitudes, and clearances “direct” can be much more common.
NEXT: Ease of Operation