This is not your father's Icon.

First of all, THIS IS NOT BASED ON A REAL PLANE! This was an experiment to see if we could modify a plane to give it more speed, but keep the low speed handling as close as possible to the original.  So, if you're only interested in realistic aircraft, this might not be for you.  But if you love the looks of the Icon but are frustrated with its inability to get you in and out of remote mountain lakes, then this will make you smile.  

This started as a conversation between PapaMeesh and myself about not having an amphibious plane that has a fast cruise speed. After some further discussion, we decided to use the A5 as the platform. Special thanks to the Hype Performance Group for letting us use their existing mod https://flightsim.to/file/6806/icon-a5-high-performance-mod as the base for our little project. Their mod added the G3X and autopilot and a bigger engine to the stock A5. We just further upgraded the engine and flight model.

PapaMeesh went to town performing an engine swap to upgrade to a 220 HP turbo charged engine. The flight model was tweaked to tame the new beast and make then handling a little sportier. Spoilers were added, but not physically modeled (We don't know how to do that yet) to help slow down for landing in small mountain lakes. The airframe was then reinforced to handle the additional performance because why not?  The larger engine was thirsty too, so we wedged some additional fuel tanks in to double the available fuel load to 40 gallons. And the A5 Luxury Sport was born!

Now if you're thinking this is one of those over-powered cartoonish mods, you might be pleasantly surprised.  As previously mentioned, the changes have been thoughtfully made to support what would happen if you put 220 HP in an Icon and wanted to make it fly well at slow speeds too.   Hey, if Mike Patey can do this in real life, we can do it in the sim.

Naturally, all this performance needed a new look, so I spent several hours creating a livery pack to properly represent the new plane. There are 3 different designs with several colors to choose from. The interior was redone and is now either black or tan with Mahogany panels. Please get the new livery pack. https://flightsim.to/file/31792/icon-a5ls-livery-pack

You will also need the Working Title G3X mod for the autopilot and G3x to work properly. https://www.workingtitle.aero/packages/g3x/2021/10/19/g3x-release-v0.1.0.html
FYI, the buttons on the right side of the display, no longer function with the G3X mod installed. The G3X is a touchscreen.

This is a work in progress so we welcome any constructive feedback. We have a couple smaller things in mind already. Just need to figure out how to get them included.

We hope you enjoy this mod as much as we do!

===== Install / Removal =================================
Just add these 2 folders to the Community folder just as you would with any other mod.  It makes no changes to the original Icon, so returning the original plane is as simple as removing this mod from the community folder...but why would you EVER do that?

===== Flying / Landing =================================
Recommend you map the spoiler. You will use it often to slow down for lake landings. Preferably to an analog control so you can control how much spoiler you apply. Recommend you map the water rudder as well. For smaller lakes, it will let you turn sharper to bleed off speed in the water.

The aircraft will require a lot of down trim to fly level at high speeds. Once you get it set for ~200 knots, it behaves nicely.

Takeoffs do not need full throttle. If you haven't set your trim prior to takeoff, it will pitch up abruptly. Recommend setting the throttle to 50%-75% for the first few takeoffs until you get used to the plane.

At 10,000ft, set your throttle to burn 15gph and you will cruise ~220ktas and have a range of ~600nm. To extend the range, drop the throttle to 10gph for cruise speed of ~195ktas and a range of ~780nm.

Landing is a breeze. Use the spoiler to slow down and drop your flaps. If you've been puddle jumping, don't forget your landing gear when landing on the runway. (Don't ask why I'm reminding you...) Keep the spoilers deployed until touchdown if you are performing a short field (or small lake) landing. Keep the nose up and it will settle in and touchdown ~35-40 knots.

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Icon A5LS Performance Mod by Chunky and Meesh

Transform your Icon A5 into a high-performance machine with the Icon A5LS Performance Mod by Chunky and Meesh. Upgraded with a turbocharged 220 HP engine, reinforced airframe, and increased fuel capacity, this mod enhances speed while maintaining low-speed handling. Alongside new liveries and interior designs, experience a balanced flight model optimized for both speed and agility. Explore the skies in style with this unique mod for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

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