Will Klapmeier and Kestrel Become the Next Cirrus?

I don't think anyone can argue that Cirrus co-founder Alan Klapmeier is an aviation genius. He started an airplane making company from scratch that with only two main models has dominated the piston single market for years. That company is currently working on a very promising VLJ prospect with several hundred pre-orders. Though Klapmeier is no longer with Cirrus, they are still going strong. The Duluth News Tribune mentioned Monday that Cirrus sales are up 5% this year. That's a stark contrast to sales being down overall worldwide.

Klapmeier came up with a great product and had the vision and leadership to bring it to market. Now, he's set his sights on a new aircraft: the Kestrel. This 6-place composite turboprop is a great next step for an SR22 owner and boasts performance numbers that beat a major competitor, the Socata TBM-850, and threaten to leave most of the VLJ fleet in the dust. It looks like this aviation genius has another great product and is posed to turn Kestrel Aircraft Company into the next Cirrus.

Klapmeier has been made the chairman and CEO of Kestrel. Flying Magazine mentions that some of Klapmeier's formerly Cirrus colleagues are joining him. The company just signed a lease on a large production facility at the Brunswick (soon-to-be formerly) Naval Air Station in Maine. They've raised $100 million and plan to refine the Kestrel's design a bit, certify it and bring another powerhouse to market.

Part of Klapmeier's departure from Cirrus was a dispute over Cirrus SF50 Vision VLJ. Looking to the future, he saw that many SR22 customers would eventually want a bigger, faster airplane. Between looking at the options and the development of the new class of turbofan engines that has enabled the VLJ market, Cirrus decided to go with a jet. When the economy went south, Cirrus slowed development on their jet and struggled to stay afloat by selling their old standards: the SR20 and SR22. Klapmeier wanted to get their VLJ on the market and made a bid at starting a separate company to finish the project. Unfortunately the deal fell though and we're still waiting on the SF50.

It looks like Klapmeier feels that the market for a VLJ or fast turboprop single is worth pursuing though. He'd been corresponding with Kestrel (formerly Farnborough) and appears to have been impressed by their work.

Though Cirrus' jet promises some impressive performance, the Kestrel's numbers are good enough to compete head-to-head with the SF50. This has been the argument Socata has been using all along with their TBM-850. They joke that the TBM-850 is a VFT - Very Fast Turboprop - a bit of a jab at the VLJ category. It offers performance that matches or exceeds the VLJs with much better economy in many cases (one turboprop burns less fuel and requires less maintenance than two turbofans.) It looks like the Kestrel will also offer this kind of performance. Actually, it claims to have 30 knots on the TBM as well.

I think Klapmeier is right. I think there is a big market for a very fast turboprop. I think he has the ability to bring the Kestrel to market and when he does I think it's going to rock the competition. I think Cirrus is going to be kicking themselves...by blocking Klapmeier's bid at the SF50 they'll have created a competitor that has the potential to kill their VLJ.

I'm excited to watch this project unfold. It should be a good show!