High Performance Water Testing Procceds For the ICON A5
For those of us who love airplanes AND boats, you can file this
one under "I might want one of those". ICON Aircraft, an early
stage Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) manufacturer, has completed a
series of rigorous hydrostatic and hydrodynamic tests on the ICON
A5 Amphibious Sport Plane. These tests verified the basic hull
performance for typical seaplane operations, as well as expanding
the envelope into higher winds, rougher sea states, and advanced
maneuvering.
"The A5 is a pure sport seaplane, engineered to handle
aggressive maneuvering on the water while at the same time making
the pilot's experience both very safe and extremely exciting," said
Kirk Hawkins, CEO and Founder. "To ensure that the performance of
the hull exceeded our expectations, ICON's engineering team worked
side by side with some of the world's top marine architects to
create what we feel is one of the most sophisticated seaplane hulls
ever designed."
Tests have shown that there is minimal porpoising tendency and
the A5 will smoothly and quickly accelerate onto the step to
takeoff speed in a stick-free condition, requiring little to no
pilot input until rotation speed. In addition, the forebody's
higher deadrise allows this smaller amphibian plane to handle
relatively rough water on takeoff and landing.
The unique Seawings on each side of the fuselage provide
outstanding stability both hydrostatically and hydrodynamically as
well as convenient platforms for users to move in and around the
aircraft while on land or in the water. The Seawings also function
like the swim platform on the back of a ski boat facilitating easy
docking as well as easy access in and out of the water. During
planing step-turns, the Seawings allow the aircraft to bank
significantly more than with the outrigger-type sponson floats seen
on typical hull-type seaplanes. The Seawings reportedly permit the
A5 to make tighter coordinated turns on the water while stabilizing
the aircraft to keep the wingtips from touching throughout the
normal maneuvering envelope.
As testing for the A5 continues, there are a number of areas
still being refined and optimized including: gear installation,
aerodynamic enhancement, hull drag reduction, water-rudder
improvements, and spray-pattern optimization. Flight testing of the
prototype is scheduled to continue throughout 2009.
The ICON A5 is a 2-seat, amphibious (land and water), sport
plane that features a high-strength, ligh
t-weight carbon fiber airframe, intuitive sports car-like
cockpit, complete airplane parachute system, and folding wings that
allow the aircraft to be trailered behind an SUV.