Epic Aircraft is a general aviation aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Bend, Oregon. The company produces the Epic E1000 GX single engine turboprop design. Founded in 2004, the company initially manufactured and sold kits for the Epic LT. Epic went through bankruptcy in 2009, before being purchased by Russian businessman Vladislav Filev of S7 Airlines in 2012, and is now owned by Filev and his family through Cyprus-based MVF Key Investments Ltd. In 2013 the company discontinued taking orders for LT kits, to concentrate on certification of the E1000, which is based upon the LT. The E1000's certification from the FAA was completed in November 2019. History Early years The company was founded in 2004 and located in Bend, Oregon due to public incentives which were offered, including state loans and grants of US$1.3M. In return for the grants and loans Epic promised to create 4,000 jobs. Epic Aircraft was founded by Rick Schrameck, experienced in the computer hardware and aviation composites industries. Epic’s first aircraft, the LT, was positioned as a homebuilt kit aircraft, and Schrameck claimed deliveries were estimated to begin by year’s end 2005. The FAA approved the LT as an amateur-built craft in 2006. The same year, the first LT was delivered. On 5 June 2009 Epic was sued by Blue Sky AvGroup, an Epic customer that had an aircraft under construction at the build center, alleging that Epic had failed to meet its contractual obligations. The case was dismissed in 2013 "without an award of costs, disbursements or attorney’s fees to any party". In late June 2009 the company dramatically scaled back its operations. The lay-offs primarily affected the aircraft's owner-assisted build center, where customers worked on their own kits. Epic was subsequently named as plaintiff in July 2009 in a lawsuit against engine maker Williams International, claiming that the engine maker defaulted on a contract to supply engines for the Epic Victory program. On 8 August 2009 the company's premises were seized by the building's landlord, Delaware-registered ER1 LLC. In September 2009 CEO Schrameck was removed by the board of directors from any "managerial or supervisory capacity" with Epic parent company Aircraft Investor Resources, and the company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Due to his actions at Epic, Schrameck was arrested for fraud in March 2015. On 27 March 2015, he pleaded not guilty in US District Court to eight counts of wire fraud, four counts