I was ready to love the Icon foldable airplane — I still want to give Davin Coburn a stiff uppercut for pitching a learn-to-fly-in-a-week story to PopMech before I did — but the promotional material surrounding the little two-seater Light Sport Aircraft is revolting and trite. (See the launch party video below, if you can stomach the generic thumping techno and the visual reek of Los Angeles.)
That’s not to say I don’t still want one. The little plane can do 138 MPH when its rear-facing, reciprocating engine is going full bore. It can even be kitted out with gear for water landings, which has already fueled a few daydreams where I fly to a remote atoll and do some scuba diving, grab a quick snack, and then putter back to my island cabana.
Estimated price starts at $140k with standard equipment. A $5k deposit will secure your place in line when Icon starts delivering aircraft in 2010.
Product Page [IconAircraft.com]
Did they steal the adobe acrobat logo?
“The next big phase is putting a flying prototype in the air”
…so they haven’t actually checked that it flies yet?
I’m sure that’s common design practice for big aircraft, but I’m suprised that they’re having a glitzy launch party for a two-seater before actually building a real one.
1. Get a kit plane
2. Paint it silver
3. Throw fancy parties for stupid people with money
4. Take their money
5. Flee the country
6. Profit!
a few daydreams where I fly to a remote atoll and do some scuba diving, grab a quick snack, and then putter back to my island cabana.
Flying in the same day after diving is a tremendously bad idea. Especially so if you are the pilot.
If I had my own plane I could stay low enough to not worry about pressure differentials!
I’m really glad I missed that party. And the plane looks a little cramped.
The design of this plan is nothing new. It’s merely a modernization of the complete functionality of a Republic RC-3. Pretty cool making it folding and building it into the new, less constraining light sport category. And yes, scuba diving and flying = bad idea. I’d love to see this take off. (pun?)
Ian
The way it can be fitted out for water landings reminded me of my childhood pride and joy, my Action Man Pursuit Craft (2nd row):
http://www.actionmanhq.co.uk/pages/Packaging_equipment.html
Will this plane have a VTOL option? And a WINCH? Didn’t think so.