Cirrus Chief: Market Is Encouraging
William Garvey william_garvey@aviationweek.com
Although the just-released first quarter delivery figures for general aviation manufacturers overall were negative, Cirrus Design Corp. President & CEO Brent Wouters is buoyed by his company's performance.
The manufacturer of the SR20 and SR22 series of light, piston-engine aircraft said yesterday that while international sales were still in decline his U.S. business was up 2% from 2008 and that this year the company planned total deliveries "around the mid-300s." He said the financial improvement resulted from a combination of cost cutting and increased sales.
"We're through the difficult part," he said yesterday, "and now we're on the climbout." He described the current market conditions as "encouraging."
Furthermore, he said the Duluth, Minn.-based manufacturer was moving forward with its single engine jet program. The single prototype has logged 150 hours in flight testing that had validated the external design, albeit now including a modified X-tail for improved stability. Once the preliminary testing is completed, he will seek additional capital to bring the program to fruition. He estimated the program's capital needs at $50 million and predicted customer deliveries would begin in 2012.
Photo credit: Cirrus
