When Australian operators think of single-engined turbo-props, the models that come to mind most immediately are Pilatus PC-12, Cessna Grand Caravan and the TBM 900 range. A few people might immediately think of the Piper M-series or New Zealand's 750XL/SuperPac.
Probably the last one on the list is the Epic G1000 series, a quietly-spoken model that is slowly fashioning a niche for itself in the hard-fought SETP market.
Last month, the Bend, Oregon-based manufacturer announced their new G1000 AX version, which will adopt Garmin's Autothrottle and Autoland technology, bringing it into line with its more established competitors.
The new version supersedes the already-successful G1000 EX. With a full fuel payload of 534 kg and maximum cruise speed of 333 knots, the E1000 AX holds its own performance-wise. The turbine out the front delivers a climb rate of 4000 fpm, a maximum range of 1560 nm and 34,000-foot maximum altitude.
The E1000 started life as a kit-only aircraft, until Epic Aircraft saw a market for a factory-built version and took their SETP down the road to certification. The US Federal Aviation Administration issued the type certificate in November 2019, just in time for a certain pandemic to rollout across the world.
In its first full year as a certified aeroplane, Epic reported no deliveries at all. COVID-19 saw to that. When the shackles came off the manufacturing sector for 2021, nine G1000s were rolled out. In 2024, Epic built 26, a 288% increase in three years.
It has CEO Doug King ebullient about the future.
“We just completed a record-breaking sales quarter, and July is already the best sales month in company history," he says. "All 2025 E1000 AX production positions are filled, and sales are brisk for 2026 deliveries.”
Although lagging in sales behind the SETP superstars, Epic isn't targeting the big-performers like the Pilatus or Grand Caravan. This is a six-seat executive transport aeroplane that focuses on touches of luxury and the latest technology, pitching the model more at potential customers of the TBM range, Piper M700 or even the Cirrus SF50 Vision jet.
All three are out-selling Epic's SETP by at least two-to-one, but if the upward trend in G1000 deliveries continues and the Garmin enhancements have the impact Epic desires, that market will soon be a four-horse race.