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ICON Aircraft Unveils the Fold-Up Amphibious A5—A 2008 Story, Not a New Launch

Unveiled in 2008, the amphibious ICON A5 pairs a manual folding-wing system with land-and-water capability. Here is how the mechanism works and what its limits mean for transport and storage.
Entry870 Date Time3 min MechanicCarCody Team
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The ICON A5’s folding-wing amphibious design was unveiled in Los Angeles on May 11, 2008—not launched in 2026. The concept paired a two-seat, water-capable sport aircraft with wings that fold back alongside the fuselage for easier transport and storage. ICON still markets the A5, but its current manufacturer-stated features and range differ from the estimates reported at the unveiling.

What ICON unveiled in 2008

New Atlas reported the ICON A5 as a two-seat, carbon-fiber amphibious aircraft with retractable landing gear and folding wings. The idea was to make it possible to tow the aircraft by road and store it at home rather than rely on airport hangar storage. Those were design goals in the original coverage, not proof that the aircraft fits a particular garage or can be towed by an ordinary trailer.

The 2008 article listed a 100-hp Rotax 912 ULS engine and reported these performance figures as estimates:

  • Maximum speed: 105 knots (120 mph).
  • Range: 300 nautical miles.
  • Takeoff and landing distance: 750 feet on land and water.

These are historical figures published by New Atlas in 2008, not verified current A5 specifications.

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How the folding wings work

ICON describes the A5’s folding system as manual and says it requires no electrical power. The wings do not detach: an operator releases a latch near the wing root, moves the wing out of its attachment points, rotates it 90 degrees, moves it aft, and secures it to the horizontal tail. ICON says one person can unfold the current A5 in two minutes; that is a manufacturer statement, not an independent timing result.

The process has operating limits. ICON’s service reference says the aircraft must be on its wheels to fold or unfold the wings, and they cannot be folded while the aircraft is floating. Folding or unfolding in winds above 10 knots is not recommended. ICON also does not recommend running the engine or taxiing with the wings folded. The feature is therefore a ground-handling option, not an unrestricted way to deploy or store the plane anywhere.

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What ICON says about the current A5

ICON’s product page, accessed in October 2026, labels the A5 “New for 2024” and lists a four-blade propeller, a higher gross weight, and a Rotax 912 iS Sport engine. The manufacturer advertises a range of over 420 nautical miles and says one person can unfold the wings in two minutes. These are current manufacturer claims; they should not be conflated with the 2008 article’s estimates or treated as independent performance testing.

ICON describes the A5 as amphibious: it has a boat hull and retractable landing gear for operations on water and land. The company says the Light Sport Aircraft configuration is limited to a pilot and one passenger. ICON also says pilots need proficiency training and an instructor logbook endorsement for water operations.

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Does folding make the A5 easy to tow or keep at home?

The fold supports the original aim of making road transport and home storage more practical, but it does not settle the practical details for an individual owner. ICON currently advertises an A5-specific enclosed trailer. The available product information does not establish compatibility with every trailer or confirm that a folded A5 will fit a particular garage. Owners would need to confirm dimensions, towing arrangements, and applicable operating requirements for their own setup.

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The unveiling’s pitch

AOPA reported that CEO Kirk Hawkins demonstrated the mechanism at the Los Angeles unveiling, folding the wings 90 degrees and back alongside the fuselage. In the same June 12, 2008 report, Hawkins said, “We set out to design an airplane that invokes a visceral response,” and likened the cockpit view to “sitting in your own personal IMAX theater.” Those remarks captured the A5’s blend of recreational flying, water access, and distinctive storage concept.

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