Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

Contributor

Mark Huber

Epic Aircraft announced March 6 that it has been sold to a Russian MRO by the name of Engineering llc and plans to put its kit LT single-engine turboprop aircraft into FAA-certified production. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 
Work on certifying the PT6A-67-powered aircraft has already begun, Epic CEO Doug King told AIN, and the company hopes to have the aircraft certified in three years and for sale at a price between $2.5 million and $3 million. For now, Epic operations will remain at the company facility in Bend, Ore., where it is producing kits for the LT and the smaller and faster Escape under builder-assistance programs for $1.9 million and $1.25 million, respectively. The LT kit is powered by a factory-new PT6, while the Escape is offered with a rebuilt Honeywell TPE331-10. The first customer Escape is due to be completed this summer, King said. Thirty people currently work at the company and King said there are immediate plans to double the payroll to support LT certification efforts within the next 12 months. For now, Epic has no plans to place any aircraft other than the LT into certified production. King said Epic plans to rename the certified version of the LT, but that a new name has yet to be chosen. King led the LT Builders’ Group purchase of Epic assets from bankruptcy in 2010 for $4.3 million, and said he plans to stay with the company. 
Chinese Firm Licenses Production Rights
Subsequent to that purchase, the LT Builders’ Group <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2010-04-30/chinese-firm-buy-epic-assets">licensed the production rights of Epic designs to China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (Caiga)</a>. “LT Builders owned all of the design rights and bought everything,” King explained. “We then licensed all of the design rights to [Caiga]. We share design rights for anything certified and [exclusively hold] the rights for experimental aircraft in North America.” 
Caiga obtained the rights for sales of experimental aircraft in other markets and obtained some aircraft tooling excluding that for the Epic LT, King said. While saying that he was not sure how Caiga intends to proceed with its involvement with Epic designs, King acknowledged it would be possible for Caiga to certify, build and sell Epic designs in the U.S. “I don’t think they are going to certify an airplane here, but they could,” he said. “They would have a long way to go. It is much more likely that they will do something longer term, take some of the designs, modify them and make something new.” 
While King said that Engineering llc will provide adequate resources to certify the LT, he declined to provide specifics. “We’re not sharing our financial plans,” he said. King also declined to share how many Epic LTs have been constructed to date, saying only, “We have been producing kits and producing airplanes and rolling them out.” 
King said that the acquisition of Epic by Engineering llc was principally a financial transaction, but acknowledged that the company “has a lot of experts and expertise that is coming from them. It’s a good opportunity.” 
Engineering llc is an EASA-approved Russia-based MRO holding company that provides line and base maintenance up to multiple C-Checks for Airbus, Boeing, ATR and Bombardier aircraft. Engineering llc companies include S7 Engineering, Sibir Technik and Domodedovo Technik.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Epic Sold to Russian MRO

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Chad Trautvetter

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Four-week strike will affect aircraft deliveries in the fourth quarter

Textron Aviation Ships 41 Bizjets in 3Q Despite Strike

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Flight testing on the first of three Bombardier jets is being conducted in Wichita

Global Starts Flight Tests for German Army Surveillance Role

Sarah Rose

Upgrade aims to enhance performance and reliability

Blackhawk's Upgrade To Increase Power of King Air 360

Jessica Reed

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

The 850 Series SKYscapes Effect Finishes offer a high-performance polyurethane base coat 

Sherwin-Williams Paints the Sky with Coating Upgrades

Curt Epstein

Experts say the market is reaching equlibrium after Covid boost

Aircraft Brokers Enjoying Healthy, Stable Market

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

More In Aircraft

Textron Aviation Ships 41 Bizjets in 3Q Despite Strike

Four-week strike will affect aircraft deliveries in the fourth quarter

Global Starts Flight Tests for German Army Surveillance Role

Flight testing on the first of three Bombardier jets is being conducted in Wichita

Blackhawk's Upgrade To Increase Power of King Air 360

Upgrade aims to enhance performance and reliability

Sherwin-Williams Paints the Sky with Coating Upgrades

The 850 Series SKYscapes Effect Finishes offer a high-performance polyurethane base coat

Aircraft Brokers Enjoying Healthy, Stable Market

Experts say the market is reaching equlibrium after Covid boost

Industry Leaders Share Insights on Scaling AAM Operations

Executives from Lilium, Beta Technologies, Electra, Atlantic Aviation, and Signature Aviation participated in the discussion

Electra Aero's Nine-passenger eSTOL Set for Reveal

Hybrid-electric design works within existing infrastructure

Camp Systems Launches Pricing and Quoting Solutions

SalesEdge Quoting is a web-based module for Quantum and Corridor

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN