Epic LT

The Epic LT is an amateur-built, six-seat, pressurized single-engine turboprop designed by Rick Schrameck (Fred E. "Rick" Schrameck) and developed by Aircraft Investor Resources (AIR) through its subsidiary Epic Air LLC in Bend, Oregon. Construction of the first prototype (N370JP) began in 2003, and the airplane made its maiden flight on July 17, 2004. Epic offered the LT as a factory-assist kit program — the customer nominally participated in assembly at Epic's Bend facility, satisfying the FAA's 51% amateur-built rule, while Epic's staff did the bulk of the skilled composite and systems work. This "builder-assist" model allowed delivery of a fully equipped 340 KTAS turboprop for roughly half the cost of a certified TBM or PC-12 of the era.

The LT is an all-carbon-fiber composite airframe with a low wing, conventional tail, retractable tricycle gear, and a 1,200 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A driving a four-blade Hartzell reversing propeller. Six seats, a pressurized cabin (5.5 psi differential), and published numbers of ~325-340 KTAS cruise, FL310 ceiling, and 1,600+ nm range put it firmly in TBM/PC-12 territory on performance, though as an experimental it carries the usual amateur-built operating limitations.

Production history was turbulent. The company ran the kit program from roughly 2005 through 2009 before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 amid financial mismanagement; Rick Schrameck later pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 related to misuse of customer deposits. The company was acquired out of bankruptcy and eventually bought in 2012 by Russian businessman Vladislav Filev of S7 Airlines, who refocused Epic on certifying the design as the epic-e1000. Kit sales were wound down and the 54th and final LT kit received its airworthiness certificate in December 2018, with delivery in early 2019. Approximately 46-50 of the 54 airframes remain actively flying. The LT is the direct airframe precursor to the E1000, and the two are visually and structurally similar, though the certified E1000 incorporates hundreds of engineering refinements.

This page covers the pressurized LT turboprop, which is the only variant that was delivered in meaningful numbers.

Published max cruise is ~340 KTAS at approximately 28,000 ft on 1,200 shp, with a more realistic long-range cruise near 310-320 KTAS at roughly 55-62 gph. Flight testing by Flying and Flight Global confirmed the airplane will genuinely hit its book numbers — it is, as one reviewer put it, "an experimental rocket." Climb performance is the LT's most dramatic trait: initial rates of 4,000+ fpm light, and direct-to-FL250 in under 10 minutes.

The FL310 service ceiling is lower than the E1000's FL340, a function of the LT's slightly lower pressurization differential and cabin altitude limits. On hot days the PT6A-67A is typically flat-rated, so hot/high performance is strong. As with the E1000, the carbon airframe is slick — descents must be planned to manage both shock cooling and the aggressive 270 KIAS Vmo.

Real-world fuel burns reported by owners: ~62 gph at 320 KTAS max cruise, ~45-50 gph at long-range 260 KTAS. With the optional 350-gallon fuel package, published range stretches to ~1,870 nm, enabling true transcontinental legs. Without the long-range tanks, plan on ~1,500-1,650 nm with reserves.

The LT has a genuinely impressive ~3,300 lb useful load — larger than the certified E1000 thanks to a slightly lower empty weight in many kit-built airframes (individual builder variation applies). With 288 gallons (1,930 lb) of Jet A, full-fuel payload is approximately 1,370 lb — enough for six adults and light bags, which is a meaningful advantage over nearly every other single-engine turboprop.

Realistic mission profiles (standard 288 gal fuel):

• Two pilots + full fuel: ~1,600-1,650 nm at long-range cruise with reserves; ~1,200 nm at 325 KTAS max cruise. One-stop coast-to-coast.
• Four adults + bags + full fuel: ~1,550 nm at long-range cruise with reserves.
• Six adults + 300 lb bags: still within gross, approximately 1,450 nm with reserves — a rare full-seats/full-fuel capability in this class.
• With optional 350 gal tanks: published range stretches to ~1,870 nm with reduced payload.

Compared to the daher-tbm 850/930, the LT offers more cabin volume, similar cruise speed, and a larger full-seats payload, in exchange for experimental status and a thinner support ecosystem. Compared to the pilatus-pc12, the LT is significantly faster and cheaper to acquire but carries less, operates at a lower ceiling, and cannot be used commercially. Compared to its own certified descendant the epic-e1000, the LT gives up FL340 ceiling, certified status, modern Garmin NXi/AX avionics, and factory warranty, but costs roughly half as much to acquire and benefits from experimental freedom in avionics and modifications. It remains a defensible choice for the owner-flown cross-country and business-travel missions where raw speed, range, and acquisition cost outweigh the support and certification advantages of a factory-new turboprop.

• Cross-Country (10/10): This is the LT's raison d'etre. 1,600+ nm range, 325+ KTAS cruise, six pressurized seats, and FL310 ceiling make it one of the fastest owner-flown cross-country machines ever offered to amateur builders. Comparable in mission to a daher-tbm 850 at roughly half the acquisition cost.
• Business Travel (9/10): Nearly identical to the E1000 on the mission, minus certified-airplane operational flexibility. Experimental status means the airplane cannot be operated for hire or commercial compensation, which limits charter/flight-department use but does not restrict owner-flown business travel. One point off vs the E1000 for experimental operating limitations and the stigma in some corporate flight departments.
• Cargo Hauling (5/10): Healthy ~3,300 lb useful load and a large cabin, but configured for passengers; no cargo door or floor tiedowns. Usable for personal gear-heavy missions, not commercial cargo.
• Local Fun (4/10): Capable but absurd for pattern work; $900-1,100/hour variable cost and serious systems complexity make it a poor $100-hamburger machine.
• Surveying (3/10): Too fast for most survey profiles and not set up for sensor mounts; no commercial revenue use as experimental.
• Backcountry (2/10): Retractable gear, low wing, high wing loading, fragile composite fairings.
• Flight Training (1/10): Not a trainer in any sense; transition-only.
• Aerobatics (1/10): Not approved, not designed for it.

LT panels are highly variable because each airframe was equipped to the builder's spec during the kit assembly period. Common configurations:

• Early LTs (2005-2008): Avidyne Entegra PFD/MFD pairs with S-TEC 55X or similar autopilots, sometimes paired with Garmin GNS 430W/530W navigators. Some early panels used Chelton EFIS.
• Mid-production (2008-2012): Garmin G900X experimental glass (the experimental-market sibling of the G1000) became the dominant choice, typically with GFC 700-series autopilot functionality and dual GTN-series navigators retrofitted in later years.
• Late airframes (2013-2019): Many of the final kits were built with Garmin G950/G900X and the same general architecture as the E1000, giving them a panel very close to a certified airplane but on experimental firmware.
• Retrofits: Because the airplane is experimental, owners have relatively free hand to install new Garmin TXi, GFC 600, or GTN 750Xi systems without STC paperwork — a significant cost advantage over certified turboprops.

See avionics-pricing.md for comparative economics. The experimental status is a real benefit here: an LT owner can refresh a full Garmin TXi panel for well under what the equivalent work would cost on a certified TBM.

The LT is experimental amateur-built, so STCs in the formal sense do not apply — modifications are made under the operating limitations of the airworthiness certificate with a logbook entry and appropriate test flights. Common owner modifications:

• Long-range fuel option (350 gal) — factory kit option, extends range to ~1,870 nm
• Avionics upgrades — Garmin TXi, GTN 750Xi, GFC 600, ADS-B In/Out
• Cabin interior refresh — several shops specialize in LT/E1000 interior work
• Cabin connectivity — Gogo Avance, Starlink installations
• Engine monitoring upgrades — JPI or EI turbine engine monitors retrofitted to early panels

Unlike certified airplanes, there is no type-certificated ecosystem of approved mods; quality varies by installer. Pre-buys should carefully document every modification made after initial airworthiness.

Maintenance is the LT's biggest real-world question mark. Epic Aircraft under current ownership does support the LT fleet through its factory in Bend and its growing network of authorized service centers — a meaningful recovery from the 2009-2012 period when kit owners were effectively orphaned. Parts availability is "fair": most consumables, standard components, and the PT6A-67A are well-supported, but LT-unique structural and interior parts can require long lead times from the factory and occasionally require custom fabrication. See maintenance-ecosystem.md for broader context.

The PT6A-67A itself is well-supported worldwide by Pratt & Whitney Canada and third-party overhaul shops (StandardAero, Dallas Airmotive, Covington), independent of airframe certification basis — this is the single biggest factor keeping the LT fleet flying.

Typical annual operating cost (owner-flown, 250 hours/year, $7/gal Jet A):

• Total annual budget: ~$550,000
• Variable cost per hour: ~$950-1,100 (fuel ~$430, maintenance labor ~$200, parts ~$200, engine reserve ~$150)
• Fixed annual cost: ~$180,000 (insurance ~$22k, hangar, recurrent training, subscriptions)
• Engine reserve: PT6A-67A overhaul $350-450k at 3,600 hours, plus ~$40-60k HSI at mid-time
• Annual/condition inspection: $15-25k at an experienced shop

Expensive line items: composite repair labor, Hartzell four-blade prop overhauls, pressurization service, LT-unique factory parts when needed, and troubleshooting labor on the individually-built panels.

Kits were originally sold for roughly $1.3M (early, 2005-2007) rising to approximately $1.95M (late, 2015-2018) when fully assembled and flyable. Current used-market pricing (2026) runs approximately $1.5M-$2.3M depending on engine time, avionics, and overall condition, with a typical transaction around $1.8M-$2.0M. See valuation-methodology.md for framework.

Key value drivers specific to the LT:

• Engine time: With 3,600 hour TBO and $350k-$450k overhaul cost, mid-time engines carry substantial reserve liability. An airframe with 1,500+ hours on the engine trades at a $150-250k discount versus a similar low-time aircraft.
• Avionics generation: A late Garmin G900X/TXi panel commands a significant premium over an Avidyne Entegra airplane, often $150-250k.
• Build quality and paperwork: Builder logs, Epic factory records, and a history of authorized service center maintenance are critical. Airframes with gaps during the 2009-2012 bankruptcy period trade at a discount.
• Experimental stigma: The LT trades at roughly 45-55% of the price of a comparable early epic-e1000 despite similar performance, reflecting the market discount for experimental status, limited support history, and non-commercial operating limitations.
• Comparisons: A used Epic LT is priced similar to or slightly below a comparable-era daher-tbm 700/850, and well below a pilatus-pc12 of similar vintage. Buyers trade support ecosystem and certification for raw speed-per-dollar.

As an experimental aircraft, the LT is not subject to FAA Airworthiness Directives in the normal sense. However, Epic Aircraft has issued service bulletins and recommended inspections that diligent owners comply with, and the PT6A-67A engine is subject to manufacturer service bulletins and directives applicable regardless of airframe certification basis.

Known issues and inspection points:

• Landing gear actuator and sequencing — early airframes had recurring gear retraction/extension issues; several shops have developed improved rigging procedures.
• Pressurization outflow valves — cabin pressure tuning and occasional outflow valve service is common.
• Fuel system complexity — multiple tanks, transfer pumps, and indication; some owners report recurring fuel quantity indication drift.
• Composite airframe inspections — delamination and resin-rich areas around high-load attachments; requires inspectors familiar with carbon composite NDT.
• Avionics integration quirks — because each airframe was panel-built individually, wiring harness documentation is inconsistent and troubleshooting can be time-consuming.
• PT6A-67A hot section — recommended HSI at ~1,800 hours; standard PT6A family expense.
• Historical factory support gap — during the 2009-2012 bankruptcy period, kit owners struggled to obtain parts and technical support. Epic has largely restored support under Filev's ownership but owners still report occasional parts lead time issues, particularly for unique LT (non-E1000) components.

A thorough pre-buy at Epic's Bend facility or an authorized Epic service center (Broadie's Aircraft in Fort Worth, Lone Mountain Aviation in Las Vegas, Premier Aircraft in Fort Lauderdale, All In Aviation in Henderson NV) is essential. Confirm all Epic service bulletins compliance, verify PT6 engine logs and component histories, and review the builder's logs for construction quality.

Insurance on an Epic LT is in the owner-flown turboprop category but with an experimental surcharge. Typical annual premiums run $18,000-$30,000 for a qualified owner-pilot with hull values in the $1.5M-$2.3M range and $1M-$2M liability limits. See insurance-underwriting.md for framework.

Underwriter expectations are similar to the E1000 but stricter because of the experimental status and smaller fleet:

• Total time: 1,500+ hours minimum, 2,000+ strongly preferred
• Turbine PIC time: 500+ hours preferred; many underwriters require prior type-specific or similar turboprop time (TBM, PC-12, Meridian)
• Instrument rating: Required, current, actively used
• Initial training: Epic factory-authorized training in Bend or an approved simulator course (SimCom) is effectively mandatory
• Recurrent training: Annual, documented
• Mentor requirement: Transition pilots typically required to fly 25-50 hours with a mentor
• Age: Pilots over 70 face a materially harder market
• Liability limits: Capped lower than certified turboprops — $1M smooth is common; $5M limits are difficult to obtain because of experimental status

The experimental designation narrows the market of willing underwriters to a handful of specialty brokers, and premiums are typically 20-40% higher than a comparable certified airplane of similar hull value.