Bend’s Epic Aircraft, which got its start making kit airplanes, has launched a next generation single-engine, turbine model aircraft at an aircraft show in Florida.

The airplane offers 25 new features that enhance safety and use technology to automate the experience for pilots and passengers, according to the company, which employs more than 500 people at its 300,000-square-foot Bend manufacturing plant.

Doug King, company CEO, introduced the new aircraft E1000 AX at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Florida on Tuesday.

“I’m so proud of our team in Bend,” King said of his privately held company. “The E1000 AX is a testament to their ongoing commitment to adding automated, safety-enhanced tools and technology for pilots and passengers. This aircraft brings innovation to the forefront and addresses the needs of both owner/pilots as well as corporate flight departments.”

Epic’s first aircraft, the E1000 GX, a carbon fiber turboprop, was named among The Coolest Things Made in Oregon last year by the Oregon Business and Industry annual contest.

The company began more than two decades ago as an experiment to build planes for consumers to build themselves.Epic Aircraft launched its second fully built plane approved by the Federal Aviation Administration from its Bend manufacturing facility. Here is the Epic E1000AX, being built by Epic Aircraft employees, at Epic Aircraft at the Bend airport. Photo by Andy Tullis/The Bulletin.

In 2019, at a considerable cost, the company received Federal Aviation Administration certification for its E1000 series. The new model is seeking FAA certification and deliveries of the new aircraft are slated for this summer, according to the company.

Epic is among the top 20 employers in the region and has experienced remarkable growth, said Don Myll, Economic Development for Central Oregon Bend area director.

“Epic Aircraft’s remarkable growth over the past few years is a testament to Central Oregon’s thriving aerospace sector,” Myll said. “Epic now serves as a backbone of the region’s aviation employment. This incredible achievement underscores the company’s commitment to innovation and local job creation, driving economic growth and high-quality employment opportunities in our community.”

Not only does Epic’s reliance on local industries like composites, metal fabrication and electronics have a compounding impact on the local economy, well-paying advanced manufacturing jobs are created in Bend and across the region as a result, Myll said.

The new aircraft are powered by Pratt & Whitney 1,200 horsepower engines that can sustain a cruise speed of 333 knots and climb at 4,000 feet per minute, according to the company. The aircraft can operate up to 34,000 feet and offers a full fuel payload of 1,150 pounds, 50 pounds more than the previous model.

Reporter: 541-633-2117, suzanne.roig@bendbulletin.com

Two Epic E1000AX aircraft sit beside each other in the final area in the manufacturing, at Epic Aircraft at the Bend airport. Photo by Andy Tullis/The Bulletin.