My partner has an Icon. I really like it. It's an absolute joy to fly and virtually idiot proof. It exhibits superb flight and water qualities. Like most airplanes, it's a compromise. It doesn't burn much gas so two people with 10 gallons is plenty to go play. If you "violate" the manual and use approach flaps and full flaps on land activities, it performs significantly better than the manual's no flap suggestions.

But, with that said, it's expensive and underpowered. If an engine-less shell over shows up, I would buy it and install a 915.

Unless they’ve changed the purchase agreement a lot, that wouldn’t be possible. The current owner couldn’t sell it until you met Icon’s muster, and you’d have to sign another agreement with Icon.

Before they had an airplane, they had had a big tent on Celebration Way at Oshkosh, full of beautiful young people, loud music, and cool video. They were more fun then, promising an airplane that I was tempted by at $150,000 or whatever it was.

What's a "RIB wing"?[/quote]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N8kxIO2Dsw[/quote]
Interesting. Sounds like he can fold up the wing, deflate the boat, and strap it to a mid sized sailboat.

Unless they’ve changed the purchase agreement a lot, that wouldn’t be possible. The current owner couldn’t sell it until you met Icon’s muster, and you’d have to sign another agreement with Icon.

Before they had an airplane, they had had a big tent on Celebration Way at Oshkosh, full of beautiful young people, loud music, and cool video. They were more fun then, promising an airplane that I was tempted by at $150,000 or whatever it was.

Tarver's partner never signed an agreement with Icon - I know because I sold him my old plane. Icon never reached out to the buyer or me. I was ready for a fight, because I wanted to find out what the restitution would be. The agreement is stupid, but if you buy new you have no option but to sign it.

Icon is a toy. I really wish Seawind have survived and completed the certification (which was apparently very close). It was such a promising concept...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawind_I ... al_Seawind

Not sure I agree. It's the plane to add to your dock if you have a house on the water as is common in the northern tier of the country east of the Mississippi. Use it like you might a Stearman for example - nice day, let's go over to the strip (lake, river) and grab a bite or see a friend.

It has no bad habits - you can even drag a wingtip in the water in a high speed turn with no issue (not recommend, but demonstrated). Doesn't really stall, just mushes. Handles 12" (what they recommend) up to 18" wave height. Can't imagine flying a ~1400# plane in much more than that. Assume on a 100 F day two-up its a bit slow off the water, so avoid confined areas.

Negatives - at least in the one I was renting (believe it was one of the first 20 conforming versions they had on flight lines in CA and FL) it had fairly miserable ground handling on wheels. Flimsy sadder pedals/linkage. Had to have about 15 knots to taxi reasonably well.

Their checkout suggests no flap landings. That was ignored after the first one and the IP had no issues. With flaps can be set down very smoothly and the nose wheel held off. No idea of the reason, had something to do with new pilots I guess.

I have all of about 11 hours in an A5, so take my comments with a discount.

I can make a bigger wake than that in a 21’ Wellcraft.

this is what someone should build. the trigull.

http://www.seabee.info/trigull.htm

the Seabee is one of the best handling aircraft on the water and can handle 3" waves but needs a full up grade to modern standards this is it. good load hauler , modern engine tricycle gear.

Wish they made a non LSA version, I also think it would have had much more success under say the Cirrus name

Biggest issue with the A5 was the company from what Ive seen

Anybody know what became of Burt Rutan's amphib project? His final design, the SkiGull I think?? I remember him taunting (somewhat) the ICON guys when they were both still in development.

Love my A5, it is my happy plane. Pretty impractical for travel but awesome for Sunday flying.

IOPA.org just held its first members' meeting this weekend, first time I have been around other owners. Fun crowd.

They are their own worst enemy.

A great flying airplane.

I have heard/read somewhere, that the A5 is undergoing Part 23 cert now. It might be under-reported, uncharacteristically. The benefit of full Part 23 Type Certificate allows other nations to allow import.

They have completely modern manufacturing, which of course includes state-of-the-art Configuration Management.

If they can show sufficient performance, thinking Climb here, they might be the first Part 23 to actually show "characteristically reluctant to spin" or the similar phrase. I contend some earlier airplane designs could meet that... but the testing is not done on old designs.