EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018: Epic Aircraft Hits Big Milestone

The Epic E1000 turboprop single has generated a lot of buzz over the past few years and for good reason and now it's closing in on certification. The fast (330 knots), competitively priced ($3.25 million) beautifully styled turbine single has finished its structural testing, which is one of the most demanding and costly phases of certification.

The company says it expects to receive Type Inspection Authorization this month, which is the lead in to type certification.

"The structural test phase of our program took longer than anticipated," said Epic CEO, Doug King. "That's because our all carbon fiber design must conform to FAA-mandated structural strength requirements that are much higher than those imposed on metal aircraft."

Epic is also gearing up for production, adding processes and capacity as it prepares for type and production certification. "We have doubled our composite fabrication capacity and refined workflows to support planned production volumes of 50 aircraft per year," said King. "We have added tooling, curing ovens, paint booths, storage freezers, CNC machinery, composite cutting and laser templating tools, as well as inspection, bonding and assembly equipment. We are currently running two production work shifts, with plans to eventually support around-the-clock-production capacity."

Epic expects to earn full type certification by the end of this year.