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ICON A5 – New Amphibious Kit Sports PlaneInnovative & Fun Two-Seat Aircraft which can Fly off Land or Water
Revolutionary new kit sports plane looks likely to shake up the kit plane market and attract thousands of new pilots
In July 2008, ICON Aircraft unveiled a totally different type of light aircraft. Their compact, two-seat plane with folding wings can be pulled behind a car on a trailer, and can operate from either land or water. Dubbed ‘The People’s Plane’ by Business Week, it looks set to revolutionize private aviation. The Birth of the ICON A5 Sports PlaneSince the FAA’s regulation changes in 2004 created the new Light Sport Aircraft category, ICON Aircraft’s sole purpose has been to create fun aircraft for private flyers. The A5 is the brainchild of ICON’s founder and CEO, Kirk Hawkins, a former F16 fighter pilot. He began working on the A5 concept, and by June 2008 the prototype was on schedule for initial flight testing by ICON Aero Engineer and Test Pilot, Jon Karkow. The test flight took place on July 9th 2008, from an undisclosed lake in California. According to Karkow: “Everything went as well as an initial test flight possibly could go, so I was very pleased. The aircraft flew exceptionally well and met or exceeded our design expectations. The A5 seems to be a great aircraft.” Features of the ICON A5The new plane features a limo-like interior styled after luxury sports cars, and has a ballistic parachute recovery system. Automatic or manually-folding wings mean it can be trailered with ease andstored in a relatively small space. Its retractable gear allows take-offs and landings from either water or land. It is composite and carbon throughout, with a Rotax 912 engine powering a pusher propeller. The plane features simple analogue instruments, numerous flying aids for the pilot, along with a number of modern gadgets such as iPod ports. With a speed of 120 mph, the new aircraft will have a patented propeller guard, an angle of attack indicator, and a special sea platform docking unit for owners, which aids the transition from water to land bases. The plane is about as long as two compact cars parked back-to-back, and has a wing span of 34 feet The A5 will cost about £139,000 in kit form, but looks much more expensive. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2010. About ICONICON was founded in 2005, when Kirk Hawkins met product designer Steen Strand. The company is based in Los Angeles, and now has a world-class team of engineers, designers, advisors, and investors. It aims to take the A5 into volume production, using private backing from a number of entrepreneurs. At the Los Angeles launch of the innovative new plane, the consensus among the audience seemed to be, “I want one”. The author of this article feels the same way! Related ArticlesBuilding a Kit Plane The Rotorway Exec 162F Kit Helicopter
The copyright of the article ICON A5 – New Amphibious Kit Sports Plane in Commercial Aviation is owned by Helen Krasner. Permission to republish ICON A5 – New Amphibious Kit Sports Plane in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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