ICON A5

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICON_A5

The ICON A5 is an American amphibious light-sport aircraft designed and produced
by ICON Aircraft. A concept aircraft was first flown in 2008, and creation of
the production tooling began in December 2012. The first production aircraft
made its first flight on July 7, 2014, and made its public debut at EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh on July 27, 2014. A year later at AirVenture, it was
temporarily donated to the youth group Young Eagles, although the first official
A5 customer deliveries did not occur until 2016.

The A5 is a high-wing flying boat-type amphibious monoplane with a carbon fiber
airframe and retractable undercarriage. It seats two people in an enclosed
46-inch-wide (116.8 cm) cockpit and is powered by a single 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax
912 iS engine driving a three-bladed pusher propeller. Dornier-style sponsons
provide hydrodynamic stability, housing the retracted main landing gear, and act
as a step for crew and passenger. The wings can be folded aft for ground
transport and storage. The factory installed equipment includes an angle of
attack indicator as a safety enhancement for stall awareness, a feature not
usually found in general aviation aircraft. A whole-airframe Ballistic Recovery
Systems parachute is optional, except for in U.S.-registered A5s where it is
mandatory, due to ICON's exemption to the U.S. LSA weight limit. The A5 uses
many different design elements to provide a manageable stall recovery.


Role
Amphibious light-sport aircraft

National origin
United States

Manufacturer
ICON Aircraft

First flight
July 9, 2008

Status
In production

Produced
2016–present

Number built
90 (January 2019)

Unit cost

US$389,000 (fully equipped, 2018 price)

The Icon A5 has a base price of $197,000 and is meant to appeal to first-time
pilots, as well as professional pilots who yearn for a return to flying’s simple
pleasures.

Purchaser's agreement controversy

In April 2016, the ICON A5 purchaser's agreement was made public and was noted
by the aviation media as containing many controversial elements not usually
found in aircraft purchase agreements. These included contractually required
pilot training, maintenance, agreements not to sue, the requirement for factory
airframe overhauls every 2,000 hours or ten years (whichever comes first), and a
limit on the aircraft's life of 6,000 hours, or thirty years. Furthermore, each
aircraft would be equipped with a camera and recorder to monitor pilot behavior,
that is owned by the manufacturer but must be maintained by the owner. Owners
would have to agree to be "supportive" of the company. Future owners were
required to sign the same agreement or face penalties.

The agreement was widely criticized by the aviation media, including Plane &
Pilot, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, AVweb and the Experimental
Aircraft Association, among others.

In responding to the criticism, ICON CEO Kirk Hawkins issued an open letter on
April 8, 2016, that said in part, "To those following the ICON Aircraft Purchase
Agreement discussion: We hear you–loud and clear. And I promise, we’re listening
carefully...If we need to improve our contract to help safely grow our
industry–we will."

The company refused interviews to several aviation media outlets on the subject.
AVweb's Paul Bertorelli wrote, "We and other media outlets repeatedly contacted
Icon for questions and clarifications, only to be either ignored, rebuffed or
given summarily vague answers. At AVweb, we now have an amusing game with Icon.
We schedule interviews and they cancel them. Two were cancelled last week. Hey,
no fair complaining if we can't discuss any of this."

In May 2016, the company admitted that the released contract had been a mistake.
Hawkins stated, "It should not have gone out in the form it went out without an
explanation. [Customers] had a right to be taken aback." The company issued a
revised contract that removed many, but not all controversial elements. Removed
were the audio and video cockpit recorder, the "responsible flyer" clause,
limiting the owner's cost of the mandatory airframe overhaul to $15,000, and
removing the 30-year life limit. Retained were the agreement not to sue, the
requirement for company-approved training, and the requirement that the
agreement bind future owners.

Operational history

In a September 2017 review following a complete conversion course, AVweb writer
Geoff Rapoport said of the aircraft:

"If you really put the hammer down, the A5 can get up to about 90 knots. It is
not meant to go far, fast or carry much load. If that's what you need, Icon will
happily give you the number for your local Cirrus dealer—or Southwest Airlines.
The A5 was designed for fun—and to qualify as a light-sport aircraft, which it
barely did by getting a waiver to increase its maximum takeoff weight. There are
other new airplanes designed principally for fun, mostly other light sports, but
in comparison to the A5, they sometimes feel like really nice kitplanes.

Specifications (estimated)

General characteristics
Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Length: 23 ft (7.0 m)
Wingspan: 34.8 ft (10.6 m)
Height: 8.1 ft (2.5 m)
Empty weight: 1,080 lb (490 kg)
Gross weight: 1,510 lb (685 kg)
Fuel capacity: 20 US gal (76 l)
Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912 iS fuel-injected, air and liquid cooled four cylinder
aircraft engine, 100 hp (75 kW)
Propellers: 3-bladed composite

Performance
Maximum speed: 95 kn (109 mph; 176 km/h)
Range: 427 nmi (491 mi; 791 km)
Maximum glide ratio: 9:1

Avionics

Portable GPS with an integrated panel mount
VHF Communication Radio
Modes A, C & S and ADS-B Transponder




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