Robert Dorsey wrote:
Did you compair with a Lancair / Columbia? I can't understand why
anyone would pick a Cirrus over a Columbia except fpr the chute.
The chute was actually designed into the airframe to circumvent
difficulties with spin recovery requirements was it not?

The Wikipedia entry makes that claim:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirrus_Design
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirrus_...rachute_System

BUT - Cirrus co-founder Dale Klapmeier says that a chute was planned from
the beginning and its use as alternative to spin recovery came about later:

http://www.cirrusdesign.com/chutehappens/qa/index.html

I think the Wikipedia entry needs updating.