In The Works: Epic Aircraft Elite

Epic’s Elite VLJ made its maiden flight on June 7 from Redmond, Ore.’s Roberts Field. Performance projections for the Elite, which is powered by two Williams International FJ33-4 turbofans, include 410-knot maximum speed, 1,600-nm range with reserves at economy cruise and 1,330-pound payload with full fuel. Construction of the six- to eight-seat jet is all carbon fiber; avionics are Garmin’s G900X system. Test pilots Dave Morss and Len Fox piloted the jet’s first flight, which lasted more than 40 minutes.

Epic plans to fly the Elite to the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wis., with a public debut at AeroShell Square on July 23. Certification of the Elite is scheduled for 2009, although the company also plans to release a kit version of the VLJ later this year.