ICON Releases A5 Technical Design Details With Full-Scale Systems Layout Model

ICON Aircraft has released photographs of what it informally terms its "three-dimensional CAD drawing" of the company's A5 amphibious Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). The full-scale 3D model employs automotive vinyl wrap technology printed with an adapted projection of the Computer Aided Design (CAD) virtual model depicting the location and layout of key structures and systems of the aircraft, which provides an unprecedented level of technical detail about the production A5. The model was recently displayed for the first time in the ICON Aircraft booth at EAA AirVenture 2013 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

"This systems layout model was created to demonstrate the detailed thinking that has gone into the production A5," said ICON VP of Sales Craig Bowers. "Our design and engineering teams have made tremendous progress on the A5, and much of it was initiated in a virtual environment. This model was designed to demonstrate that progress as well as provide detailed information regarding design intricacies and construction."

The aesthetic treatment of the systems layout model was executed by ICON's design team in close collaboration with the ICON engineering team. Starting with the virtual model of the aircraft, the design team selected the technical features they wished to highlight on the three-dimensional model and determined how to map them onto the surface. The aircraft was wrapped in black vinyl and the graphics depicting the internal systems were overlaid with silver decals and red accents. The resulting graphics are durable and informative, providing the crowds at AirVenture the opportunity to carefully study the aircraft's technical details.

ICON continues with production of the first four aircraft to support the FAA LSA approval process, the first of which is scheduled for completion in mid-2014.

For more on the inspiration behind the A5 Systems Layout Model, watch this short guided tour by ICON VP of Design Klaus Tritschler, http://www.iconaircraft.com/video-icon-a5-systems-layout-model.html. For more information, visit www.iconaircraft.com.

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