Revenue generation for dealers. For example removing autopilot servos annually. I’ve seen it. The mechanics just rolled their eyes… waste of their time. The basic (smallest) service invoice was 5-10k.
A lot of “European maintenance elitism”. The TB20 MM is full of it. Life limited stainless steel fuel filter, perfectly visually inspectable, best part of £1000 now…
This is GA, not the space shuttle.
Anyway, this is digressing, because AFAICT nobody posting here knows about the Epic 
Most TP owners will just use a company which performs the whole MM schedule regardless of need.
Why would the MM schedule not be needed?
I’d not be surprised if most of the parts for the key components come from the same suppliers.
The PT6 accessories, for sure. Everything else is “airframe parts”. Same with the TB20, etc. and this is an area where huge maint cost savings are made, if one does it right. Most TP owners will just use a company which performs the whole MM schedule regardless of need.
The parts from the factory in Tarbes, especially the machined airframe ones, are renowned to be of utmost build quality
They are, and you would expect it at the price. I was hangared in a TBM/KA maint hangar for 10 years so I am familier with the innards. I have also visited Tarbes a few times.
But, what are “we” saying? Because everybody in this market has millions, price doesn’t matter, backup does, so any newcomer has to fail. This may be true, and obviously Socata hope so, and it probably is true in Europe which cannot be supported from the US by a small US company.
Epic will do better in the US. It is a country which has far less “prejudice” than one finds around Europe.
Sure, however, 1200hp vs 850hp is what explains 4000fpm vs 2855fpm?
Yes off course, initial climb and high density alt airfields will favor the epic, but it’s not really an issue as it is for the TBM, and once up they’ll have the same performance.
Good question. I’d not be surprised if most of the parts for the key components come from the same suppliers.
The parts from the factory in Tarbes, especially the machined airframe ones, are renowned to be of utmost build quality. They even mount the airframe to a rotational rig so that all rivets are shot at exactly 90° angle.
Nonexistent, I would think. They need some sort of European representation. Should not be hard to set up, with good factory backup.
I wonder what sort of components are used in the Epic. The TBM has a lot of very expensive parts. One owner said he’s not looking forward to the warranty end, with some aircon heat exchanger costing 20k. But Socata tend to use French parts, which are several times more expensive than US versions. I don’t expect to see input here from Epic owners who are mostly in the US…
The problem is that in this price range the buyers expect excellent prawn sandwiches served by a very good looking waitress. And nobody does this like the French. Been there at Tarbes, seen it, had the sandwiches, didn’t work on me but only because I already had a TB20
None of the TBM owners I know care at all about „prawn sandwiches“ or „waitresses“.
Of the manufacturers in this class and my experience being in Tarbes several times is DAHER / TBM is very much no fuss / no BS concerning marketing. Instead they focus on the product, it’s support and are very active among the owner community.
The epic looks great, competition is always a good thing. How are their prawns and waitresses?
Excess power does translate pretty well directly into a climb rate (=acquision of potential energy).
The problem is that in this price range the buyers expect excellent prawn sandwiches served by a very good looking waitress. And nobody does this like the French. Been there at Tarbes, seen it, had the sandwiches, didn’t work on me but only because I already had a TB20
Sure, however, 1200hp vs 850hp is what explains 4000fpm vs 2855fpm? I doubt it’s aerodynamics on same HP against the propeller?
The two engines without propeller attached in front, without torque limits and without airframe can theoretically deliver 1825hp, the climb rate will be about 0fpm 
The 1200hp is a bit of a marketing gimmick.
Both the 66d and 67a have a EHSP of 1825hp.
