Epic Aircraft's turboprop prototype completed a first flight on Saturday from the company's Bend, Oregon, headquarters. The E1000 flew for 20 minutes and it"handled extremely well and performed just as expected," said David Robinson, Epic's chief pilot. Flight testing for certification will continue in two phases in the coming months to include handling, systems and performance in weather, including icing conditions. The final test article, scheduled for spring with a second test aircraft, will include the cabin, fuel, hydraulic, avionics, navigational and environmental systems. Epic had previously pursued a certification schedule to be completed in 2015, and in July planned for deliveries to begin in the first half of 2016. A company spokeswoman told AVweb on Wednesday Epic is now targeting mid-2016 for certification with deliveries soon after. More than 60 orders are now on hand.
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