ICON A5 airplane is 2010 Best of the Best in the most creative aircraft design category

July 22, 2010 - PRLog -- The winner is ICON A5 land and sea airplane model offering some of the most creative and innovative design features known to the general aviation.  ICON does not only demonstrate a highly intelligent engineering concept - but also displays one of the most aesthetically appealing and creative aircraft designs ever.

The two-seat sport plane ICON G5 features an amphibious design with retractable landing gear for flying off land and off water - plus several patent-pending technologies highlighted by folding wings that allow the plane to be towed on the road with an ICON custom trailer.

The plane features a high-strength, lightweight carbon fiber airframe that is powered by a reliable, 100-hp Rotax 912 ULS engine that runs on auto and aviation gasoline at an estimated top speed of 120 mph.

Besides folding wings, unique features specific to the ICON A5 include an intuitive, sports car-like cockpit with an MP3 music port and patent-pending sea wings platform for easy access and docking on water.

A team of product designers that have worked for leading automotive manufacturers contributed to the ultra-modern industrial design.

The prototype completed its first flight test July 9 in California under the guidance of ICON’s engineering team, which is comprised of former top engineers at Scaled Composites, a leading producer of specialty aircraft like the Voyager, Global Flyer, and X-PRIZE winning SpaceShip One.

Designed to be predictable and easy to fly with safety features such as a patent-pending propeller guard, angle of attack indicator - and quick-deploying ICON Complete Airplane Parachute allowing pilots to fly with ‘peace of mind’, the manufacturer points out.

ICON Aircraft is a consumer sport-plane manufacturer founded by Kirk Hawkins, an accomplished engineer and former U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter pilot. Hawkins started the company during Stanford University Business School in 2005 after learning of the Federal Aviation Administration’s major regulatory changes that created the Light Sport Aircraft market and Sport Pilot License in 2004.

A venture-backed, early stage company out of Silicon Valley, ICON Aircraft quickly moved its operations to Southern California, which is a hotbed for aerospace engineering, automotive design, and power sports activities.

The estimated price for ICON A5 is $139,000 for a standard model. Web site: IconAircraft.com.

Link:
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