The factory in Bend, Oregon is locked up, and the company that had made its presence felt loud and clear at EAA AirVenture over the past several years was conspicuous by its absence in 2009. And Epic Aircraft founder, chairman and CEO Rick Schrameck has not made himself available for comment. According to a report, Epic LT kit buyer Rich Lucibella said there are as many as a dozen partially finished kits locked behind the doors at the Epic factory. Lucibella has filed a lawsuit against Epic, claiming they owe him an engine for his aircraft. Epic’s workshop is set up as a builder-assistance center, in which kit buyers can construct their aircraft under the auspices of the company. Such facilities have come under FAA scrutiny over their interpretation of the so-called 51% rule-a code that dictates the owner/builder must complete more than half the work of building the airplane.
Epic Aircraft Founder Apparently Nowhere to Be Found
Key Takeaways:
- Epic Aircraft's factory in Bend, Oregon, is locked, and the company was conspicuously absent from EAA AirVenture 2009, with its CEO unavailable for comment.
- Customers are impacted, with "as many as a dozen" partially finished kits reportedly locked inside the factory, leading to at least one lawsuit for an owed engine.
- Epic's builder-assistance center model was already under FAA scrutiny concerning the "51% rule," which dictates the owner/builder must complete more than half the aircraft's construction.
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