Mike Disbrow, president of Hartzell Engine Technologies LLC, announced today that Cirrus Aircraft has selected the company's new-generation, lightweight, 140-amp, ES-6904 alternator for the revolutionary Cirrus Vision SF50 personal jet.

“The ES-6904 has been developed specifically to meet the electrical power requirements of the SF50's systems and advanced avionics,” Disbrow stated. “We worked very closely with the teams at Cirrus Aircraft and Williams International during the initial phases of development and testing leading up to the first flight of the FJ33-5A fanjet engine on the Vision.”

“The Vision represents a true revolution in personal travel by not only providing exceptional performance, but in addition, its simplified systems will ensure an easy transition for pilots moving up from high-performance singles like the Cirrus SR22T,” stated Dave Rathbun, Chief Engineer of the SF50 at Cirrus Aircraft. “After an extremely thorough evaluation, we are confident that the Hartzell alternator is the best choice to meet the rigorous electrical demands of the SF50's systems and the Cirrus Perspective avionics suite. 

“Our enthusiasm about this achievement goes well beyond having our new alternator on board an exciting new airplane,” Disbrow said. “The Cirrus Vision SF50 represents the realization of the dream that many pilots have to own and fly their own jet. We could not be more honored and proud to be part of the team that is making the Vision a reality.”

“By selecting our new ES alternator, Cirrus has further confirmed their confidence in the greatly improved manufacturing quality that is found in today's Hartzell Engine Technologies products,” he continued. “I'm proud to say that, our primary and secondary alternators are providing the performance and high-reliability that Cirrus and its customers demand.”

“Hartzell has done a great job in improving the quality and reliability of their entire product line,” stated Tim Timmerman, Director of SR2X Programs at Cirrus Aircraft. “We're very happy with their alternators' performance on the SR22 and that confidence was a significant contributor to our selection of the new ES-alternator for the Vision jet.”

About the new ES-6904 140A Alternator

The new-generation ES-6904 alternator has been developed specifically to meet the demanding requirements of the Cirrus Vision SF50 personal jet's essential electrical bus. The ES-6904 provides a number of key features including:

• A weight savings of approximately 8 pounds vs. a starter-generator with comparable electrical output

• Low current slip ring system reduces operating/maintenance costs

• Unique Quick Access Disconnect (QAD) mounting system uses a V-band clamp (like those found on larger jets) to reduce maintenance time/costs

• Integrated fan and flow-through cooling to ensure reliable performance in high-temperature environments

• Isolated current return path to protect engine bearings.

“The technology and quality designed and built into the new-generation ES-6904 alternator is the perfect fit for the innovation and performance that is embodied into the SF50 Vision ,” Disbrow said. “And it's enabling technology that will increase reliability and minimize their cost of operation for many years to come.”