![]() ![]() Epic owners can thank these events for the talented composite builders they left behind. The assets of Redmond-based Lancair were purchased in 2017 and the company moved to Uvalde, Texas. Had it not been for a seemingly limitless cash flow from the Russian owner, Engineering LLC, and an equally limitless passion for the product from the company leadership (such as King, who took the helm in 2010), Epic’s journey might have ended similarly to other composite aircraft manufacturers in Deschutes County, Oregon.Ĭolumbia Aircraft went bankrupt, and in 2007, its aircraft designs were taken over by Cessna, which later moved the production to Mexico. When I flew the LT in 2014, Epic Aircraft expected certification of the E1000 the following year. The reasons that effort took so long are many I cover the first fascinating decade in my article on the Epic LT (“We Fly: Epic LT,” November 2014). The company chose to start marketing an experimental version of the turboprop, the Epic LT, to build capital for the certification effort. Plans from the start were to build a certified turboprop and two jets (single- and twin-engine)-all streamlined, carbon-fiber designs. Long Way to CertificationĮpic emerged nearly two decades ago, and the first kit was delivered in 2004. Sadly, we had to opt out of hugs and handshakes, donning face masks and keeping our distance as much as we could. King had picked up its new owner from his vacation home near Lake Tahoe to bring him to Bend for training. I walked across the nearly empty ramp to greet King at the Epic E1000 he had flown from the factory in Bend, Oregon-the first certified example of the sleek, carbon-fiber, single-engine turboprop. The reason for the quiet was the coronavirus pandemic. But on the Sunday in early May when I met Doug King, Epic Aircraft’s CEO, outside the restaurant, it was deserted despite crystal-clear blue skies. Sunday mornings at the Waypoint Cafe at the Camarillo Airport (KCMA) in California are generally bustling with hungry visitors eagerly awaiting a seat while drooling over the delicious menu. ![]()
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