Introducing The Epic Certified E1000

Epic E1000, a six-seat singleengine turboprop aircraft, was designed and developed by Epic Aircraft. The aircraft's first flight test, was completed at the Bend Municipal Airport in December 2015. The maiden flight test lasted for 20 minutes, which focused on assessing general handling qualities and operational performance systems.

 

Certication is planned for quarter 4 of 2017 as per their website. In the high-elevation, dry-climate environment of Bend, Ore., technicians are busy putting the final touches on parts cured in freshly made tooling and finalizing processes to begin serial production of the Epic Aircraft E1000, a certified version of the Epic LT experimental-amateur built high-performance single engine, all-composite turboprop.

Development

A development of the kit-built Epic LT Dynasty, the E1000 aircraft features a cantilever low-wing, a 6.5 psi pressurized cabin with an airstair door just ahead of the rear seats, retractable tricycle landing gear and a single 1,825hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-67A turboprop aircraft engine, de-rated to 1,200hp engine in tractor configuration.

In October 2014 the interior design was introduced which featured club seating, electronically dimmable window systems, adjustable tray tables in the cabin, pockets large enough to hold a tablet computer, USB power outlets, cup holders and light-emitting diode light switches.

Although first flight was originally scheduled for June 2015, with certification expected later in 2015, it only took place on 19 December 2015.

The company forecasts selling 50 aircraft per year. Prototype FT1 was busy logging flight time in April 2017. FT2 was in the final assembly stage and will be fitted with a fully conforming interior.

Transitioning an aircraft manufacturing program from making kits and assisting customers through completion to producing new airplanes for retail sale is an ambitious project, but the Russia-based owners of Epic have made the necessary investment to see the E1000 through certification and into production. In 2012, he said, the owners opted to stop taking orders for kits and re-orient the company toward FAA certification. More than 50 kits were built, and the final two experimental versions are about to fly away from Bend.