LOS ANGELES (12 July 2012) — ICON Aircraft announced that its A5 Light Sport Aircraft will be powered by the new Rotax 912 iS engine. The two companies collaborated during the development of both the Rotax 912 iS engine and the A5 to ensure a seamless integration of the new Rotax. The new fuel-injected powerplant will be the launch engine initially available in the A5, for which ICON has taken over 750 deposits.
“We’re excited to be able to incorporate BRP-Powertrain's new fuel-injected Rotax 912 iS engine in the A5,” said Matthew Gionta, ICON Aircraft’s VP of Engineering. “Not only does the engine improve fuel efficiency compared to the carbureted Rotax 912 ULS engine, but it’s simpler to operate, which places fewer demands on the pilot. The elimination of the choke and carburetor heat means the pilot has less to worry about and can focus more on flying and having fun. Coupled with their proven reputation for reliability, the Rotax 912 iS engine will be an essential part of an enjoyable and trouble-free A5 ownership experience.”
BRP-Powertrain reports that the Rotax 912 iS will deliver between 38% and 70% better fuel efficiency than comparable engines. Its electronic fuel-injection contributes to this efficiency and is a completely redundant system to provide an extra margin of safety. The four-stroke, four-cylinder engine maintains the 100hp output and 2,000-hour time between overhaul (TBO) of the carbureted Rotax 912 ULS. Like the Rotax 912 ULS, the Rotax 912 iS engine can run on both aviation fuel and automotive gasoline.
“We’re proud that ICON Aircraft has chosen the new Rotax 912 iS engine for the highly anticipated ICON A5 amphibian,” said François Tremblay, director of the aircraft engine business at BRP. “BRP shares ICON’s uncompromising commitment to create truly outstanding powersports products that deliver an exceptional user experience. We also share ICON’s vision to increase consumer accessibility to flying by reducing the complexity. The new Rotax 912 iS engine does exactly that. Furthermore, the exceptional reliability of our engines and the extensive Rotax service network will ensure that A5 owners enjoy reduced complexity on the ground as well as in flight.”
For more information, visit www.iconaircraft.com.
