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19 Mar 2024, 06:00 [ UTC - 5; DST ]


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 08 Feb 2021, 20:43 
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Joined: 08/12/08
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Company: Retired
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Aircraft: '76 A36 TAT TN 550
I was down at Camarillo airport today (in SoCal) and saw an Epic on the ramp next to a TBM.

Holy smokes! On the ramp the Epic makes the TBM look like an ugly duckling. With apologies to the TBM owners. But that Epic looked fantastic..........

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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 08 Feb 2021, 21:48 
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Joined: 10/14/14
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Company: Corporate Air Technology
Aircraft: Pa28-235
I must agree the Epic is one of the most most graceful looking airplanes out there. Reminds me of a modern single engine Lockeed Constellation.

Its move to production and certification seems to have taken forever, I think it has been thirty years since seeing one of the first ones. Consider that the early ones where powered by PT6-67 engines removed from scraped Beech Starships, that goes back a bit.

Really to bad a major airframer did not pick up the design and run with it.

Have had very limited exposure to the airplane in our shop. Trouble shot an electrical system problem on one here several years ago (about 4), contacted the Epic and they were guiding us through trouble shooting. The components and design where much the same as many production aircraft. We were somewhat dismayed at Epic's trouble shooting suggestions as they seemed to be more like a homebuilt maker. There were standard trouble shooting steps used on like aircraft using the same systems complexity that seemed to new to them. We trouble shot at their direction and when stumped we trouble shot it like a normal aircraft and fixed it.

I saw one recently and looking at paint cracks around window and pressure bulkhead gave some concern, likely paint not matched to composite structure flexibility.

As for insurance, carriers like to stand in court with companies with deep pockets to share exposure. Do not think they see that with Epic.


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 09 Feb 2021, 02:26 
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Joined: 04/20/15
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Username Protected wrote:
I was down at Camarillo airport today (in SoCal) and saw an Epic on the ramp next to a TBM.

Holy smokes! On the ramp the Epic makes the TBM look like an ugly duckling. With apologies to the TBM owners. But that Epic looked fantastic..........


Hard not to turn back and take a look at it when you're walking away


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 09 Feb 2021, 10:26 
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Joined: 03/02/12
Posts: 261
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Location: Birmingham, AL
Aircraft: B55 President 2
I think I may have seen your Epic at CHS yesterday. It looked quite nice among the King Air and Pilatus.


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 09 Feb 2021, 12:09 
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Joined: 03/09/11
Posts: 1721
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Company: Wings Insurance
Location: Eden Prairie, MN / Scottsdale, AZ
Aircraft: 2016 Cirrus SR22 G5
Username Protected wrote:

As for insurance, carriers like to stand in court with companies with deep pockets to share exposure. Do not think they see that with Epic.


What is going to improve the insurability of the LT and E1000 is simply continued low losses/claims, volume of aircraft increasing into the 'premium pool' and development of a simulator (which is happening). A good number of insurers are not excited about insuring a $3m+ SELTP that doesn't have a simulator training option.

Currently there are only 2 insurance carriers quoting Epic's - but hopefully that viable underwriting pool can improve over the next year or two pending the aforementioned points being achieved.

Sure is an awfully good performing airplane!

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E-mail: thauge@wingsinsurance.com


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 18 Feb 2021, 02:06 
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Username Protected wrote:
I think I may have seen your Epic at CHS yesterday. It looked quite nice among the King Air and Pilatus.


Tyler, I wish I were in SC, but that'd be a long haul from where I am on the west coast. Our plane is one of 4 with nearly identical paint schemes and colors. I have to look at the snout to tell whose is whose (ours is Rudolph. the inlet is painted red). And the white is a little warmer.


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 18 Feb 2021, 03:24 
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Joined: 04/20/15
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A few updates on our plane

Panel is coming along. Most of the progress was behind the scenes with the harness almost complete and all wiring ID'd and diagrammed. Finally, schematics to go with the plane. New switch panel below. There will be a series of these along the tilted bottom portion of the panel. Also ditched the L3 ESI 500 for a cheaper GI 275. Not ideal with G3X, but certified up to 55,000' and less than half the price of the L3. Kind of a no brainer. The Mid Continent cabin pressurization display (with landing field elevation adjustment) is also in.

Attachment:
IMG_0310.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_0309.jpg



I loved working on switch layout. Took a lot of thought and some back and forth with the shop. It should have a better flow to it. All switches are in one spot, not scattered around the panel. They're also categorically organized. Think lights, environmental controls, emergency panel, de-ice, etc. Before, the power seats switch (which is now a CB) was right next to a heated lip switch. A little all over the place.

Determining CAS messages was also another mental exercise. There are only so many available, but were able to get almost every item we wanted a message for on there. Lots of plagiarizing other airplanes to get some ideas.

The big E1000 engine inlet is also going on. Not only is the shape of it much larger, it's positioned like a pitot style inlet, tucked in closely behind the prop. This inlet produces cooler ITTs for a given power setting. When/if we get to RVSM test runs, the extra ITT margin will go a long way to holding cruising speed up high.

Attachment:
IMG_0294.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_0295.jpg


The inlet takes some massaging to make the runners meet up with the plenum. In our case with an inertial separator, more than the average massage. The goal is to seamless transitions without having to neck down anywhere.

Attachment:
IMG_0291.jpg


Also have some better info on a standby alternator setup to go on the plane. The engine has 3 accessory pads on the back of the accessory gearbox. I bemoaned a shaft/belt/pulley style alternator install since there just isn't enough room back there.

You can see the accessory outputs on the AGB and the nominal RPM of each.

Attachment:
145387962_10105509804050375_8169602842184078670_o.jpg


Turns out those pads are the same AND20000 dimension used by Continentals and Lycomings for vacuum pumps. That opened up pad mounted alternator options.

Lo and behold, Kodiaks and now E1000s use a B&C pad mounted alternator. It won't be strong enough to run prop heat and air conditioning at the same time but there should be enough power to continue flying normally and swing the gear without needing an emergency descent and potential gear blowdown.

Attachment:
146458183_10105509814554325_5243147501070001254_o.jpg


The B&C is compact and light at sub 10 lbs for the whole assembly. We included a switch on the emergency switch subpanel. The two "optional drive" pads closer at top left near the generator likely won't have enough clearance, but the gold colored pad further down should do the trick. Don't want to declare it a win before it's on there, but hopeful it goes on without too much finangling.

Attachment:
IMG_0305.jpg



Lots of other little win improvements too. I'll save them for another time.


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 18 Feb 2021, 12:39 
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Joined: 08/03/13
Posts: 2095
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Location: SW Colorado
Aircraft: C182
Hi Neema,
Are you at the plant in Bend? If so, pls say ‘hi’ to Ryan and crew.


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 18 Feb 2021, 13:19 
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Username Protected wrote:
Hi Neema,
Are you at the plant in Bend? If so, pls say ‘hi’ to Ryan and crew.


Good to hear from you Eric. The plane is a little further north in Redmond getting the work done. Next time I’m in Bend, I’ll pass on the word.


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 18 Feb 2021, 23:48 
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If I wasn't such a %#$@# I'd own an Epic LT. Not an E1000, but an LT.


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 06 Mar 2021, 16:57 
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Good news for LT owners. The Pratt and Whitney service letter limiting LTs to 760º ITT and 101% Ng has been removed in lieu of torque tables for takeoff, max cruise, and normal cruise.

Now, normal -67A limitations apply unless an inertial separator installed and in use.


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 12 Mar 2021, 00:02 
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Cool flying experience today. Took the plane up with two gentlemen from Aeromech (RVSM engineers to measure altimetry error in RVSM airspace).

We were trying to target a day with calmer winds aloft--not always easy to find at 34,000'. Mission accomplished though. I think at one point winds almost hit 0.

Super strong inversion later, so it was -50ºC at FL250 and -41ºC at FL340.

A bit of a shame to not see the performance with it closer to ISA temps at 340, but the plane still did well.

Lots of 3 leaf clovers. Also, great to coordinate with Oakland Center so they can accomodate me as the one RVSM negative guy parting the Red Sea of departures/arrivals going into LA.

About a week or two to process data, and if ASE is within limits, the plane now has another 6000' of airspace available.

Cabin was showing ~9,300' at 6.7 psi, however accurate that is.

Ironically, the cloud layer below topped out at 28000'. Normally, I'd be right there in that.


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Last edited on 12 Mar 2021, 02:14, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 12 Mar 2021, 00:31 
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Location: KBED, KCRE
Aircraft: Phenom 100
Very cool. What was the TAS and fuel flow at FL280? Looks like 308kts and 48gph/320lbs/hr at FL340?

Chip-


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 12 Mar 2021, 02:12 
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Username Protected wrote:
Very cool. What was the TAS and fuel flow at FL280? Looks like 308kts and 48gph/320lbs/hr at FL340?

Chip-


Correct on the FL340 numbers. Datalog shows 305-310 TAS range. I wish it weren't ISA +10

FL280 is usually 325-330 knots. 60-65 gph this time of year depending on outside temps


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 Post subject: Re: Flying the Epic LT
PostPosted: 12 Mar 2021, 07:07 
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Joined: 08/24/13
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Company: Aviation Tools / CCX
Location: KSMQ New Jersey
Aircraft: TBM700C2
Username Protected wrote:
Cool flying experience today. Took the plane up with two gentlemen from Aeromech (RVSM engineers to measure altimetry error in RVSM airspace).


You are doing it right. Aeromech is who we used at Duncan Aviation for all of our RVSM STC's in the early 2000's.


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