Icon A5: A Flying Boat or a Compact Seaplane?
At the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show, Icon Aircraft showed its A5, a two-seat, fully amphibious plane. It’s available in the S-LSA model or the Certified Edition that is recognized in the Primary Category by the Federal Aviation Authority. It has fold-able wings and can be loaded on an optional trailer or just land on the water and idle up to a waterfront home.
Efficient Design
The A5 is powered by a 100-hp Rotax 912 engine that gives it a top speed of 109 mph (176 kph) and the company says it burns less than 4 gallons per hour, giving it a range of 500 miles over land with a 45-minute reserve. It runs on 91 octane or 100LL aviation fuel.
The cockpit has two bucket seats and the A5’s ailerons are controlled by a center stick. A Garmin 796 avionics suite or a G3X Touch flight display are available. Side windows are removable and it can carry 60 lbs. (27.2 kg) of luggage. A critical dash panel component is the angle-of-attack indicator that Icon says simplifies flying because it tells the pilot how close the craft is to stalling and how much more he/she can ask of the plane. For added safety, the A5 comes with a parachute that can be deployed in the event of a power failure to safely lower the craft to the ground.
Dimensions
The A5 measures 23’ (7.01 m) long with a wingspan of 34.8’ (10.61 m) and a height of 8.1’ (2.47 m). Interior cockpit width is 46” (116.8 cm). It needs 640’ of runway to take off on land and 840’ on water, while landing distance on a runway is 590’ and 700’ on water.
The wings fold in and the A5 can be transported over land on an optional custom tandem-axle trailer or it can be kept on a dock at a waterfront home. Retail pricing starts at $360,000.