Epic pursues turboprop certification
Epic Aircraft has completed FAA-required structural testing on its single-engine turboprop design and expects to start deliveries in the first quarter of 2019.
“Getting an aircraft FAA certified is a long and arduous process—but we’re getting there,” said Mike Schrader, an Epic spokesman.
Epic's two test airplanes have logged more than 600 hours combined.
Epic is owned by Engineering LLC of Russia, which has paid for the multi-year certification process, Epic's Bend production facility, and the roughly 250 employees currently working there.
“We’re privately owned, financially secure, and we have no outside debt,” Schrader said.
Epic has taken 85 deposits for its sleek, $3.25 million aircraft. The company expects to deliver 12 in 2019 and build 50 aircraft a year beginning in 2022.
Epic has been producing kits for experimental versions for years, and about 50 are currently flying.
The certified version is expected to have a maximum cruise speed of 325 knots, a ceiling of 34,000 feet, and a maximum range of 1,650 nautical miles.
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