Ahead of the commencement of deliveries in a 34-ship order to Brazilian fractional aircraft operator Avantto announced earlier this year, Oregon-based airframer Epic has received type certification for its E1000GX from Brazil’s civil aviation authority (ANAC).
The turboprop single had received FAA type certification in 2021, but ANAC approval was required as well before the aircraft could enter service with Avantto.
“Over the last four months, Epic Aircraft has worked closely with the Brazilian regulators to achieve ANAC certification of the E1000GX,” said Doug King, the OEM’s CEO. “This is a huge accomplishment in such a short time.”
The first Avantto E1000GX is scheduled to come off Epic’s production line in the next week or so, followed closely by the second. Both are expected to be delivered by the end of the year, followed by another in January. Deliveries of the remainder will be spaced out, with one every two months.
“We are excited to launch our sales in Brazil and join Avantto in providing top-notch aviation solutions to the Latin American market," said King.
Epic also announced that the E1000GX has received flight into known icing (FIKI) certification from the FAA, following the conclusion of a test program that used three aircraft and amassed more than 450 flight hours in addition to 280 hours in icing wind tunnels.
The aircraft’s icing protection includes an optical ice detector; deicing boots on the wings and leading edges of the horizontal stabilizer and engine inlet; and a bleed air-heated windshield. It also features an electrically heated propeller, air data probes, and AOA sensors.
“We began testing several years ago, flying the E1000GX in all of the FAA-specified natural icing conditions,” explained King, adding that the authorization establishes that the GX can withstand known icing conditions in a real-world operating environment with minimal changes required. Previously delivered versions such as the E1000 will require retrofitting at the company's Bend, Oregon factory service center to meet the FAA specification. "Our goal is to have the existing fleet completed no later than 2025," said King.