In The Works: Epic Aircraft Dynasty, Elite, Victory, Escape

By: Matt Thurber

September 1, 2009
Aircraft

Epic Aircraft’s plan to transition from the kit-built market to certified aircraft has suffered a setback. At the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wis., at the end of July, only one Epic LT single-engine turboprop was on display, and company founder, chairman and CEO Rick Schrameck never showed up. In July, Epic’s facility in Bend, Ore., was locked shut and employees sent home.

Schrameck was voted out by the board of directors and seems to have disappeared, according to Rich Lucibella, an Epic LT kit buyer and builder who filed a lawsuit against Epic over failure to deliver the engine for his kit and has been monitoring the situation at Epic. “There are roughly 12 aircraft sitting at Epic unfinished,” he said. “The owners [of those kits] are working with the company to work out a solution that keeps Epic going, which may include investment from outside sources.” No further details of Epic’s situation were available. At press time no one was answering the telephone at Epic headquarters, and many employees’ voice mailboxes were full and unable to take messages.

At the Sun ’n’ Fun show in Florida this spring, Schrameck said that the Dynasty, the certified version of the Epic LT, would receive FAA certification in the fourth quarter of next year, but those plans now appear to be on hold. Epic has not formally filed an application with the FAA for a type certificate for any of its models.

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