Cirrus unveils clean-sheet TRAC10 trainer aircraft for flight schools with 2027 launch
The company is designing three-seat aircraft specifically for pilot-training duty. US manufacturer Cirrus has confirmed it is bringing to market a clean-sheet, dedicated pilot-training aircraft called the TRAC10, with a 2027 service-entry goal. The Minnesota company had previously hinted at the development of the new trainer. “The TRAC10 is our most deliberate answer yet to what professional flight schools need to succeed," Cirrus chief executive Zean Nielsen said on 6 July when the company confirmed the programme. Cirrus already produces training variants of its five-seat SR-series single props but describes the new three-seat TRAC10 as a “purpose-built” aircraft specifically designed for the requirements of flight schools. Cirrus on 6 July released photographs of a TRAC10, including shots of an aircraft in flight with registration N204DR. That aircraft is an “SR10” model produced in 2025, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. “The TRAC10 is a complete reimagining of the modern training aircraft,” adds president of innovation and operations Pat Waddick, noting the aircraft will have “advanced technology delivered through simple, intuitive interfaces”. Cirrus is giving the TRAC10 Garmin avionics and a parachute system. Source: Cirrus A turbocharged four-piston Rotax 916 ISC will power the TRAC10. That engine produces 160hp (119kW) and burns 22.3 litres (5.9USgal) of fuel hourly when cruising at 65% power. It will be mated to a three-blade propeller and a FADEC engine control system. “The Rotax engine reduces pilot workload with automated fuel management, ensures peace of mind with built-in redundancy and maximises operational simplicity,” Cirrus says. The company’s existing trainers include the Lycoming IO-390-C3B6-powered TRAC20 (based on the SR20), the Continental IO-550-N-powered TRAC22 (SR22) and the TSIO-550-powered TRAC22T (SR22T). Cirrus says it is not discontinuing sales of those trainers. The new TRAC10 will have the “Cirrus Airframe Parachute System”. Garmin will supply an avionics package that includes an Electronic Stability & Protection System designed to prevent an aircraft from exceeding ascent, descent and bank limits and a “Blue Level Button” system designed to automatically return an aircraft to straight and level flight. In addition to two front seats, the TRAC10 will accommodate an observer in a rear seat elevated “for optimal flight-deck visibility”, the company says. “Seats and rudder pedals are adjustable to accommodate students' and instructors' varying heights.” Cirrus will manufacture the trainer at its Duluth, Minnesota base and expects to deliver the first TRAC10, to a US customer in 2027. The company has priced the TRAC10 at $499,900 and has secured orders for more than 100 of the type from 13 flight schools, it says. The TRAC10 will join a Cirrus product line that includes SR-20-series single props and the Vision SF50 jet. Source: Cirrus
