Epic Aircraft unveils E1000 AX turboprop with Garmin Autoland

Ever since Garmin Autoland debuted in 2019 as part of a suite of safety systems (also including hypoxia recognition with automated descent, and autothrottles) in Piper’s M600/SLS, interest in the system has grown in the general aviation market. Other manufacturers of turbine aircraft marketed to pilot-owners for personal use, including Cirrus, Daher, and most recently, Pilatus, have followed suit as customer demand increased.

“We got our type certificate [on the Epic E1000] at the end of 2019, first airplane in 2020. And it had been a good five years, been on a steady growth path, great track record with the airplane," said Epic Aircraft CEO Doug King. “But we needed to add some technology features and that was a big push, and we prioritized those technology features based on the needs of our customers.”

More appealing in numerous ways than an airframe parachute, Autoland can be activated by passengers if the pilot is incapacitated and takes control automatically if it determines the pilot is no longer capable of flying.

According to King, Autoland “helps sell airplanes. So people want it. And it’s normally the nonflying partner in the family that wants the Autoland: ‘I don’t know how long his ticker is gonna last, but I shouldn’t punch my ticket because he loses his.’”

Other automated systems in the E1000 AX are more subtle, including Autothrottle, which manages the aircraft’s 1,200-shaft-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6-67A engine throughout each flight, protecting it from overheating, excessive torque, and throttle rollback.

“So Autothrottle. We worked really hard with Garmin to make it super useful,” King said. “One of the riskiest things you do is a missed approach. And we wanted a one-button missed approach, an honest to goodness you hit one button and it'll fly a missed approach. And we got that.”

Other new features range from enhanced weather radar, a 3D SafeTaxi system, and UV-blocking CoolView windows to an automatic yaw damper that maintains rudder coordination from takeoff through touchdown, which is especially important for high-powered propeller-driven singles. Epic also unveiled the Skyline Collection, a series of eight new paint schemes for the E1000 AX. The collection includes more than 200 hues from paint supplier PPG. Some of the new equipment, such as a lithium-ion main battery, helped to trim the aircraft. King said the new airplane is 50 pounds lighter than its predecessor when you add all the options.

“The E1000 AX is a testament to our team’s passionate and ongoing commitment to adding automated, safety-enhancing tools and technology for pilots and passengers,” King said. “We are dedicated to setting a new standard in safety as well as performance and comfort.”

Epic said the new model has a maximum cruise speed of 333 knots, a climb rate of 4,000 feet per minute, and a ceiling of 34,000 feet. Its full-fuel payload increased to 1,150 pounds—50 pounds more than the E1000 GX. Pricing for the E1000 AX will start at $4.7 million and top out at $4.85 million with all the optional equipment—the “whole banana,” as King says. The company expects to begin deliveries this summer.

AOPA Editor in Chief Kollin Stagnito contributed to this report.