Cirrus Aircraft has begun construction of a 15,000-square-foot Engine Run-Up Center at its headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota, to test engine systems and calibrate fuel systems for SR Series aircraft, the Vision Jet and TRAC10 during certification. The company plans to invest more than $8 million in the facility, which is expected to be completed and operational in summer 2027.
The enclosed, climate-controlled centre will consolidate testing currently subject to weather and airport operating conditions, allowing the work to continue throughout the year. It will include two calibration stalls for engine set-up, testing and adjustment, alongside a separate control room for data analysis and remote adjustments.
Two further stalls will support aircraft fuelling and defuelling. Designed for work involving flammable fluids, these areas will include fire-protection measures. Air-handling equipment, including an eight-foot exhaust collector, will ventilate the engine-test stalls, while sound-control systems are intended to reduce run-up noise at the airport.
Cirrus chief executive Zean Nielsen described the project as a way to streamline engine and fuel-system operations, improve efficiency and provide employees with a dedicated work environment. The centre forms part of the company’s expansion of its Duluth manufacturing infrastructure and will support testing and calibration before aircraft certification and delivery.