Lancair Evolution

The Lancair Evolution is an American pressurized, low wing, four-place, single engine light aircraft, made from carbon fiber composite, developed by Lancair and supplied as an amateur-built kit by Evolution Aircraft.

The Evolution can be powered by a Lycoming TEO-540-A piston engine or a Pratt & Whitney PT6-135A turboprop powerplant.

Development
The Evolution was designed to meet the same FAR Part 23 aircraft certification standards that type certified aircraft comply with. The kit includes energy absorbing seats.

The aircraft is pressurized and was designed for a 6.5 psi differential pressure, giving an 8000 ft cabin pressure at its maximum altitude of 28000 ft.

The turbine version of the Evolution is powered by the 750 hp Pratt & Whitney PT6A-135A and has a maximum cruise of 300 knots at 25000 ft on a fuel burn of 39 USgal per hour of Jet-A. Cruising at an economy cruise of 270 kn at 28000 ft it burns 23 USgal per hour. It has a full-fuel payload of 837 lb and a 61 kn flaps-down stall speed.

The piston version is powered by a Lycoming TEO-540-A2A engine and has a maximum cruising speed of 270 kn on a fuel burn of 22 USgal per hour of avgas. At an economy cruise speed of 240 kn the fuel flow is 17.5 USgal per hour. It has a full-fuel payload of 773 lb and a 61 kn flaps-down stall speed. A second piston variant was introduced in April 2016, powered by a Lycoming iE2 engine of 350 hp.

The first customer kit was delivered on 22 July 2008, and production was planned at that time for two kits per month. By December 2011, one piston model and 15 turbine models had been completed and flown. Construction time from the supplied kit is estimated as 1000 hours.

In April 2017, the manufacturer announced new turboprop engine options for the design. The Evolution Turbine can be fitted with three different variants of the Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop powerplant producing 550 hp, 750 hp and 867 hp, respectively. The latter version cruises at 330 kn.

The manufacturer issued a statement on 5 October 2017 indicating that they were going through a restructuring and had laid off 22 of its 49 employees on 3 October 2017. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reported on 19 October 2017 that the company was apparently out of business, citing inability to obtain product liability insurance following a fatal accident. On 26 October 2017, Aero News Network reported that the company was "for sale. And while reports last week of the company being closed appeared to be premature, the kit maker is certainly struggling" and seeking a buyer. ANN reported also that the company has been unable to obtain insurance due to high-profile accidents. On 4 November 2017, the company indicated in an interview in The Bend Bulletin, that they were still in limited operations, "focused on fulfilling customer commitments" and were seeking investors. On 22 May 2018, Flying reported that the company had shut down, but that an unrelated company, Elite Pilot Services, was providing owners with technical support.