The FAA has granted type certification for Epic Aircraft's E1000 all carbon fibre aircraft design, concluding a seven-year personal aircraft programme.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment for our entire community,” says Epic CEO Doug King. “I want to thank our employees who have worked so diligently to deliver this exceptional design, as well as our partners, suppliers and customers who have faithfully supported us each step of the way. It has been a true team effort, along with the fantastic support of the FAA.”

The Epic E1000 is based on the company's experimental Epic LT model which was introduced to the market in 2005 through an owner-assist build programme based at the company's headquarters in Bend, Oregon.

“Transitioning that design into a certified version was the chance to offer a truly compelling product to the industry, a 'no compromises' aircraft that customers would really want. And they do,” adds King.

Epic has over 80 confirmed E1000 reservations from around the US, as well as Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Russia, South Africa and Australia.

“We had some opportunities to speed things up along the way, to get certification earlier,” King explains. “But that would have required some tradeoffs that we weren't willing to make. We consider performance to be our brand, so we decided to make it perform. And we did.”

The first seven E1000 customer aircraft are in various stages of fabrication, bonding and assembly, with initial deliveries slated to begin this year. All Epic manufacturing, engineering and administration operations are based in the US.

Epic has doubled its composite fabrication capacity, invested heavily in tooling, equipment, curing ovens and refined workflows to accelerate the E1000 production ramp. The company is currently running two production shifts, with plans to further expand operations. Production certification is targeted for the first quarter of 2020.

“The FAA has a difficult job, overseeing a very challenging process, ultimately aimed at keeping us all safe. It has been a great partner, collaborating with us throughout the programme, and certainly contributing to the structural integrity and safety of the E1000. We are very excited to begin this new chapter in the Epic Aircraft story,” King concludes.