ICON Aircraft Wins Prestigious Design Award

The ICON A5 sport plane was developed for recreational pilots to fly from both land and water. At the push of a button, the wings fold backwards so that the plane may be comfortably towed on a trailer or stored in a garage. A signature feature is the plane's cockpit, which has the design sophistication of a high-end sports car and enables intuitive operation due to its clear and straightforward design. The ICON A5 is meant to inspire people around the world to realize their desire for freedom and their dream of flying.

"All products that have won the red dot design award had to convince an international expert jury of their quality. The products stand out from the masses with their excellent design and innovative approaches and prove their quality in one of the toughest design competitions worldwide," said Dr. Peter Zec, founder of the red dot design award. "This year designers and companies from 57 nations with a total of 4,252 products took part in the red dot award: product design."

A custom 1/5 scale model of the ICON A5 will be on display among other award-winning products from July 6, 2010, through August 1, 2010, in the exhibition “Design on stage – red dot award winners: product design 2010” at the red dot design museum on the premises of the Zeche Zollverein World Cultural Heritage Site in Essen, Germany. After that ICON A5 will be presented in the red dot design museum's permanent exhibition for at least one year. With approximately 1,500 products on more than 4,000 square meters, the red dot design museum houses the largest permanent exhibition of contemporary design worldwide.



"We want to inspire a whole new audience to fly, and winning the red dot award shows that our design is accomplishing that," said Steen Strand, COO and Vice President of Design. "Most people are amazed by how little you need to actually fly. The plane's cockpit was created in conjunction with advanced auto designers to be intuitive, accessible and appealing to all levels of pilots. This award not only recognizes the A5's unique design, but also gives us the great honor of sharing the spotlight with some of the world's most innovative and celebrated designers."

The festive awards presentation with more than 1,000 guests took place in the Essen Opera House's Aalto-Theater, on July 5, 2010. Following the event, the product will be presented in a four-week special exhibition at the red dot design museum in Essen, Germany, the 2010 European Capital of Culture. The estimated base price of the ICON A5 is $139,000 and orders are now being accepted at www.iconaircraft.com with a refundable $5,000 deposit. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2011. For more information, visit www.iconaircraft.com.