“When I decided to purchase an Epic, I could see that this is the aircraft of the future,” says Lawrence Brooke, taking delivery of his E1000. “Nothing can match the combination of speed, range, payload, comfort, versatility and affordability as an Epic E1000.”

This high praise comes as Epic Aircraft has completed delivery of its first two E1000 all composite, single-engine turboprop aircraft, following the successful conclusion of its FAA type certification programme last year.

“Completing these deliveries is a tremendous milestone for our company and our customers. The E1000 is a remarkable aircraft, and seeing the enthusiasm of our owners as they take delivery is extremely gratifying. This is the successful culmination of eight years of hard work, extensive investment and a passionate belief in our product,” says Epic CEO Doug King.

The first customer aircraft, delivered in February, is being leased back to Epic to support several priority engineering projects. The second aircraft was delivered to its owner in May, after experiencing delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Powered by the Pratt & Whitney 1200-horsepower PT6A-67A, the all-carbon fibre E1000 cruises at over 330 kts, climbs at 4,000 ft per minute, offers a full-fuel payload of nearly 1,100 pounds with coast to coast coverage on one fuel stop, and is RVSM certified to 34,000 ft. “This is a true performance aircraft able to compete directly with my Phenom 100, but at less than half the operating cost. Plus, it provides access to shorter airstrips that jets just can't reach,” adds Brooke. “Epic is an innovative company that complements its exceptional engineering and technology with a highly personalised approach to doing business. As a customer, I feel like part of a family.”

Despite the recent pandemic-related setbacks, Epic operations are returning to full capacity and the company intends to ramp customer deliveries as quickly as possible.

“The challenges presented by COVID-19 have been unexpected and considerable. But never underestimate the skills and determination of our dedicated staff, who have persevered, engineered and improvised in order to keep our production lines moving, so we can deliver planes and meet customer expectations,” explains King. “We have an incredible team and I am honoured to work with them.”

Epic has advance E1000 deposits from customers in the US, Canada, Mexico, Central/South America, Europe, Russia and South Africa. The company owns production facilities totalling over 300,000 sq ft at its Bend airport headquarters.