Epic Elite Jet To Be Certified in Russia First

By Chad Trautvetter

June 26, 2008
Aircraft

Epic Aircraft parent company Aircraft Investor Resources (AIR) and Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing (TAM) last week further cemented their joint venture to develop the eight-seat TAM-AIR Elite Jet for the CIS market. The sole Elite Jet prototype arrived early last week at TAM’s facility at Tbilisi International Airport in the republic of Georgia, where it will be temporarily based for demonstration and marketing purposes.

During a ceremony marking the twinjet’s debut in Tbilisi, Epic CEO Rick Schrameck announced that the Elite Jet will be certified first in Russia, with TAM leading and funding this effort. TAM will also manufacture the all-composite very light jet for the CIS market.

Schrameck told AIN that he expects to obtain Transport Canada, FAA and EASA approvals (in that order) later next year for the company’s Dynasty turboprop single, with the Elite and single-engine Victory VLJ following the same certification path about two years later. Schrameck was unable to give a timeline estimate on TAM’s Russian certification efforts.

The Dynasty, Victory and non-CIS-bound Elite Jets will be produced by Epic “somewhere in North America,” Schrameck said, though not necessarily at the company’s plant in Bend, Ore.

Back

Stevens Aviation Delivers First Lear4Ever Aircraft August 26, 2008 Business aircraft maintenance, modification and completions firm Stevens Aviation today delivered the first Lear4Ever–an upgraded Learjet 35–to... [more]
Signs Point To Gulfstream G250 Launch Soon August 21, 2008 Two weeks before Gulfstream Aerospace unveiled the G650 on March 13, a JP Morgan analyst report said the Savannah, Ga.-based aircraft... [more]
Cessna Reaches Milestones for Mustang, CJ4 August 21, 2008 Cessna Aircraft yesterday delivered the 100th Citation Mustang at the Independence, Kan. plant where it manufactures the very light jet. This... [more]
P&WC and Eclipse Probing PW610F Carbon Concern August 19, 2008 Pratt & Whitney Canada, manufacturer of the PW610F engine that powers the Eclipse 500 very light jet, and Eclipse Aviation are jointly... [more]
Cessna’s Columbus Sails through Wind-tunnel Tests August 14, 2008 Cessna yesterday said it completed a series of wind-tunnel tests for its large-cabin Citation Columbus. Results from the tests in low- and... [more]