Father's Day is Sunday. I'm a dad. Wanna know what I want? Here's a hint: It costs about $138,950 more than whatever I'm getting. It's the Icon A5, the freshly announced and soon-to-be Oshkosh displayed, at least a few years from being delivered, light sport airplane.
The A5 doesn't look like what's typical of general aviation Seating two, its wings are above the fuselage while its engine is behind. There's a 20-gallon tank and 100-hp Rotax 912 ULS Engine, putting the range at 345 miles (300 nautical miles) or Des Moines to Chicago. Not bad, considering you'll be flying somewhere over 100 mph (120 mph is listed as top speed. Airplane cruise speed is typically significantly lower). Read on after the jump for the rest of the specs.
A few things set the A5 Iapart from a private pilot's typical ride. Since it's a sport airplane, it requires an easier and significantly-cheaper-to-obtain sport pilot license. This license is good for smaller planes flown under limited circumstances. Smaller also means less avgas, or regular gas, to buy. The A5 uses either.
The A5 demands little when it comes to airstrip length--only 750 feet. Feel free to take off 19 times before running out of room at Kennedy Airport's Runway 13R. And, if there's no runway, land on the water. This plane comes configured as an amphibious seaplane, if you wish.
If you're wondering where to stow it, try your garage! The A5's wings fold back, and the entire assembly rides behind your car on a trailer. It's like towing a boat, except a whole lot more people will stare.
This plane just looks cool. I would get on-board and learn to fly in a second. I only hope it performs a little better than Icon's Web site, which stalled on loading photos and had some empty and non-responsive pages.
There's an apocryphal aviation story, that's been credited to many people. The version I heard starred Frank Borman, commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the moon and later president of Eastern Airlines. Supposedly Borman said, when a passenger put down the tray table, that if there was a coffee ring from the last passenger, that was a sure sign of bad engine maintenance! Does the same apply for aviation Web sites?
For a $5,000 deposit, you're on the list. Of course, right now the prototype's not even built. The first A5s are schedule for delivery late in 2010... probably meaning sometime in 2011, if then.
Did I mention it looks cool?
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June 13, 2008 2:34 PM
To me, this is the ideal Sport Pilot's aircraft using composite construction, proven engine reliability and no hangar rent. Now, if they could also make a "WIG Flying Boat" version of this with folding wings, they would have another market that did not require a pilot's license, providing it could only fly in ground effect. Just a thought....
June 13, 2008 11:30 PM
How many of these will come and go before people no longer respond?
My guess is, $100,000 is toward building the plane, the remaining $40K pays for a cheesy bazillion-dollar ad campaign that wreaks snob-appeal. No talk about engines, mounts, production facilities, test methods, performance specifics. No photos of the developmental processes or location.
As owner of a LSA amphib, I'll tell you that my trophy wife, charming lil' boy, a gob o' luggage, and my crisply uniformed self are not going to casually stroll from the biz-jet to our waiting Icon and head for the lake. This patented brand of cow crap, I thought, went away with the hyper-optimistic post-WWII GA surge that ultimately evaporated. In reality, owning an LSA amphib is gritty, demanding, rough'n'ready business, albeit fun. It's not for the squeamish, or ill-prepared, much less anyone who craves glamour or sterile environs.
The "sky-car" mentality some LSA advertising carries with it poses an additional danger: these planes aren't easy to fly, and are more vulnerable to winds than conventional GA offerings. Case in point: I've seen three Flight Design CTs in my life, they were all wrecked within the first 100 hours.
I, more than most, hope this boondoggle takes a different course than the ill-fated Czech Mermaid project and of countless others. But, I fear an ad blitz comprised of silly artist renderings is way too much, too soon. If anyone takes them seriously, I'll be surprised.
Expect this project to flat-spin into a sea of red ink, rather than become reality.
June 16, 2008 5:43 PM
As much as I don't want to, I have to agree with Andy. We've been fed the "sky-car" idea since the late 50's - we all want our flying car. The simple fact is that not everyone has the ability to be a pilot and anyone who thinks that it is as easy as it looks in pictures should read all of the incidents involving doctors, lawyers, etc. who all thought they were great pilots.
June 23, 2008 10:15 AM
It is interesting to note what is not mentioned, such as the much higher cost of insuring a light sport over a GA airplane. Add to that the amphib issue and insurance may be over $4000/year. Non pilots may be wowed by the look of the "car-like" cockpit but if they get into flying they will find that form follows function and will want a more logical less car-like panel. They will also find as I did that the light sport aircraft bounce around a lot more (as did my Skyboy), and one has to be very diligent about not letting things get loose in the engine area and fly into the prop. The Rotax has a lot of things that can get loose. Then there is the durability issue where many 30 or 40 year old GA aircraft take a beating and still keep ticking while the newer LSAs seem to be not as sturdy. And finally, there is the value issue. My Grumman Tiger flys faster (but burns more), carries 4 people and luggage, hauls 70 gallons of fuel, is full IFR and cost less than half that of the estimated Icon price.
July 29, 2008 7:28 PM
Wow...I have to say when I saw the A5 I was thinking someday...someday. Regular planes seem so industrial looking. No fun factor at all. The A5 is like the iPhone. I was never interested in owning, or flying, something like a Cessna. But I am very interested in owning and flying the A5.
But I would have to test fly it first to see if I would like the experience or not. If I'm bouncing all over the place or find it difficult to fly, it would quickly kill my current enthusiasm.
September 2, 2008 5:12 PM
For that price, I would prefer a recent second-hand Robinson R22. It has two seats, It can be equipped with floats.
Beside I don't trust that much the Rotax Engine of the Icon.
February 4, 2009 9:02 PM
Saw it on FOX Cable News tonight. Looked great, immediately called my son to watch as well. Hope they really have a successful go at it.