Cirrus Aircraft has broken ground on a run-up center to test engines and calibrate fuel systems for its SR-series and TRAC10 pistons, as well as the Vision Jet, year-round in an enclosed, climate-controlled building in Duluth, Minnesota. The OEM hopes to complete the build by next October.
Cirrus is investing more than $8 million in the 15,000-sq-ft run-up center, where technicians will check how engine systems function and perform, in addition to calibrating fuel systems, before aircraft certification and delivery.
Technicians will test and tune running engines in two calibration stalls, while a climate-controlled control room will support data analysis and remote adjustments. An eight-foot exhaust collector is part of the air-handling system that ventilates the stalls, while sound-control measures limit noise. Two more stalls, dedicated to fueling and defueling, will support fuel calibration in a space designed for flammable fluids, complete with fire protection.
“Engine run-ups and fuel system calibration are essential processes across aircraft manufacturing,” said Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen. “This modern facility will allow us to streamline these critical operations, improve efficiency, and provide our team members with a dedicated environment to perform this work.”
Cirrus occupies more than 1.3 million sq ft, much of it in Duluth, where it has built more than 12,000 SR-series and Vision Jet aircraft, according to company president of innovation and operations Patrick Waddick.
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