Icon A5 build

[Mikes]

Hello all!
Having built a few Flite Test planes, I decided to take a shot at designing my own. Seaplanes seem to work well on the snow so I decided to build something modeled after the Icon A5. It is a cool modern light sport seaplane.

After watching several tutorials on Youtube I quickly threw together a design in Sketchup. It has a 27 inch wingspan and I plan to but a 2205 motor in it.

Soon I had the rough plans printed and I started hacking into some foam.

First up is the wing.



Then the Fuselage and canopy

The curves in the fuselage are kind of rough and crinkly but oh well.

I attached the servos on the underside of the main fuselage piece where they will get covered by the hull. It is going to a be a four channel.

Even if it is not the prettiest I am still satisfied with my work so far, as am a noob to designing. I will post more as the build progresses.

 

[Merv]

Great looking plane.

 

[Grifflyer]

Great work!!!

You might want to reinforce the elevator pushrod it looks like it might be a little flimsy.

 

[Mikes]

Great work!!!

You might want to reinforce the elevator pushrod it looks like it might be a little flimsy.

Thanks man! And concerning the elevator I ended up just using a stiff music wire so there is no flexing.

 

[DamoRC]

Nice work!

 

[FoamyDM]

Watched.

 

[Mikes]

Did a little more work and I finished the hull.


All I have left is too mount the motor and wing and it will be ready to maiden. Unfortunately the weather doesn't look too promising. If you have any tips for me that might make this more likely to fly let me know .

 

[Grifflyer]

Did a little more work and I finished the hull.
View attachment 122751 View attachment 122752

All I have left is too mount the motor and wing and it will be ready to maiden. Unfortunately the weather doesn't look too promising. If you have any tips for me that might make this more likely to fly let me know .

Looks great,
One tip put a wing on it but seriously though that looks really good!!

 

[Mikes]

She's ready to be maidened!

This has been a fun project and it will probably end in a million pieces but oh well then I will have an excuse build something else.

 

[Grifflyer]

That looks really good!!

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

Looks excellent. A little bit of refinement on the nose for V.2 and you'll have a great looking (and hopefully flying) little bird. Keep us updated for the maiden, I'l love to build one of these little guys for a snow bird.

 

[Mikes]

It flew!!!!!! Maidened it today. I did crash it though. Was a little too windy for that size of an airplane and my skills, but I was impatient to take it out. Some hot glue should fix it up though. The flight wasn't long enough for me to say really how well it flew. I want to fly it again but it's going to be really cold the next couple days, with a high of -15 degrees (that's in Fahrenheit) tomorrow. After I fly this one I am planning to make a V2 and make any changes that seem necessary.

 

[DamoRC]

Congrats!

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

It flew!!!!!! Maidened it today. I did crash it though. Was a little too windy for that size of an airplane and my skills, but I was impatient to take it out. Some hot glue should fix it up though. The flight wasn't long enough for me to say really how well it flew. I want to fly it again but it's going to be really cold the next couple days, with a high of -15 degrees (that's in Fahrenheit) tomorrow. After I fly this one I am planning to make a V2 and make any changes that seem necessary.

Awesome! I'm dealing with the same arctic blast here. We're expecting windchills down to -60* tomorrow.

 

[Mikes]

I flew the A5 a couple more times...

When planes and trees mix.

 

[Paracodespoder]

Totally fixable right? Haha, I would still try .

 

[kilroy07]

Very cool!
The icon is one of my answers to "if I had a million dollars..." (I'd need 2 Mil for a Mustang!!)

 

[Mikes]

Very cool!
The icon is one of my answers to "if I had a million dollars..." (I'd need 2 Mil for a Mustang!!)

Yes I am saving up so I can buy and fly the Howard Hughes spruce goose.

Totally fixable right?

Sure... but I do think I want to build a V2 but I decided I am going to wait until the lakes thaw and see if I can fly it off water. That will be a new challenge (making it not sink).

 

[Snoopy1118]

She's ready to be maidened!

View attachment 122875

View attachment 122876

This has been a fun project and it will probably end in a million pieces but oh well then I will have an excuse build something else.

It looks great! I'm sorry it crashed, but that's why we make these in "cheap" foam, not balsa and coating. I was thinking of taking the FT Explorer and modifying the hull, adding the "T" tail; and of course adding a few other things. One thing I noticed (and I hope this doesnt sound as condescending out loud), your motor mount: great position, but I'd slim it out for more efficient air flow; adding a lip to it so it locks the wing in place (although that might be a challenge in itself). Other than that it really looks great! What electronics were you using?