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a flight time of 1:42 (no wind). By add- ing 50 gallons for a reserve, this would allow a payload of 1,213 pounds with a Zero Fuel Weight of 4,900 pounds. A two-hour f light would accommodate a 1,010 pound payload.
Once we were cleared for departure, I triggered the TOGA button and set the thrust lever to takeoff position. After a takeoff roll of less than 2,000 feet, I rotated at a Vr of 90 KIAS with an ini- tial climb rate of more than 3,000 fpm. The Vision Jet has two yaw stability sys- tems, Stability Augmentation System
stick is familiar to SR pilots, however, as expected, it has a higher control force.
The view from the cockpit is out- standing. The slight nose down atti- tude offers pilots an expansive view. And the laminated windshield design by Lee Aerospace is constructed with a thin gold film between the layers, which reflects 92 percent of UV radiation and 63 percent of solar energy. The impact of this design dramatically improves cockpit comfort.
The Cabin
Leaving Matt in charge, I explored the aft cabin. I found the seats to be comfort- able with high-quality craftsmanship evident throughout the cabin. The over- sized windows offer an equally impres- sive panoramic view for passengers. The cabin of the G2 is 3 to 4 dB quieter than the G1. My decibel measurements indi- cated a noise level around 88 dB, which is 4 to 6 dB less than a Piper Meridian, and up to 10 dB quieter than a TBM 850 at the same altitude. Other jets such as the Eclipse, Citation Mustang and Citation Jet series come in at around 80 dB while the
comparison, a TBM 930 would fly at 315 KTAS and burn 61 GPH. If we flew the G2 at the new FL310 service ceiling, it would provide five percent more range with a slightly lower true airspeed of 309 knots and a fuel burn of 64 GPH.
In the Vision Jet, Cirrus opted for hori- zontal controllers for the G3000 which makes sense for its design. Modern avi- onics are extremely reliable, but failures can still occur. I progressively turned off displays and observed the reversionary modes which are automatic. The remain- ing display reverts to a composite view and Cirrus utilizes one of the controllers for reversionary display of an integrated ADI and HSI.
Visual Approach
The visual descent into New Orleans Lakefront (KNEW) was easy, especially with the impressive forward visibility. Despite our high-speed descent, the maximum for the airspace, the jet slowed down easily to approach flap extension speed of 190 KIAS. My rule of thumb in all aircraft is to be at flap speed no later than 10 nm from the FAF.
With the initial flaps extended, it was time to lower the gear which slowed us down to the landing flaps speed of 150 KIAS. The winds were a direct crosswind to Runway 36L, gusting to 25 knots – a perfect test for my first landing in the Vision Jet. Despite turbulence, slight wind shear and strong crosswinds, the jet was easy to land, even above its demon- strated crosswind capability of 16 knots with 100 percent flaps.
After lunch at the airport restaurant, we departed the ramp of Flightline First and headed to Tuscaloosa (KTCL). On this leg, I wanted to evaluate the Vision Jet’s new autothrottle system from departure through an approach (and missed ap- proach) at KTCL.
You have to experience the autothrot- tle to appreciate how well this feature is integrated into the aircraft. Rotating at a Vr of 90 KIAS, the jet quickly climbed to the 400 AGL altitude for engagement of the autopilot and autothrottle. The autothrottle has two modes: manual and FMS. FMS is the more intelligent mode and will adjust speed for airspace restric- tions as well as sophisticated control for holding patterns and approaches. I se- lected FMS and let it fly our entire profile.
(SAS) and the yaw damper. The SAS is active until the yaw damper automati- cally engages at 400 AGL.
Positive rate of climb, gear up, 115 KIAS, and it was time to retract the flaps. Since this is the first Cirrus with retract- able gear, they smartly placed the handle far away from the f laps. I hand f lew the jet as we approached our cruise altitude of FL280, with it still climbing close to 1,000 fpm. The Vision Jet is more pitch sensitive than some jets with good feed- back. The placement of the side control
Canadair CRJ regional jet is 85 to 94 dB (depending on seat location). During our flight, I used the Bose ProFlight headset which worked well. G2 passengers would also likely want to use headsets.
Back in the Cockpit
Leveling off at FL280, it was time to check our performance numbers (we opted for FL280 for a higher airspeed on this leg).
Our airspeed showed 314 KTAS/0.528M burning 70 GPH (493 PPH at -41oC). In
18 • TWIN & TURBINE / April 2019
PHOTO BY AUTHOR