Icon A5 - 2021 Performance Edition - Upgraded Performance, Avionics & Autopilot

User Support Hub Aircraft & Systems
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ICON A5 - 2021 PERFORMANCE EDITION

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The ICON A5 2021 Performance Edition has a new supercharged engine that delivers over 150 HP, and comes with an upgraded avionics package that includes the G3X Touch display. The G3X Touch adds 2-axis autopilot to the Icon A5 making it an IFR capable aircraft while also giving pilots additional situational awareness via features such as synthetic vision.

DOWNLOAD EXCLUSIVELY FROM FLIGHTSIM.TO

Most performance and flight model changes were done by me with the avionics work coming from @davux3!

OUR DISCORD SERVER

Aside from modding in Microsoft Flight Simulator, I also make content on YouTube related to flight and space sims which is where most of my Discord community has come from. I would love to see more flight sim fans hanging out in the server flying together and offering ideas and feedback for future mods. BETA versions will be offered exclusively via Discord. We need devs for our next top secret project!

DOWNLOAD AND INSTALLATION

You will be able to tell the mod was installed correctly by the default livery having a grey triangle in the lower left corner.

IMPROVEMENTS MADE

PERFORMANCE

  • Increased HP from 100 to over 150
  • Increased cruise speed from 85 to 95
  • Increased top speed from 95 to 120
  • Water take off time of less than 6 seconds
  • Ground take off time of less than 10 seconds
  • Improved flight model with stable flight up to 120 knots
  • Fixed thrust bug that was due to negative engine values

AVINOCIS

  • Replaced stock Garmin Aera with the G3X Touch
  • Updated G3X Touch adds previously unavailable autopilot capability
  • Updated G3X Touch to included missing heading and altitude select buttons
  • Removed redundant airspeed indicated from engine indication system (EIS)
  • Cleaned up font and spacing of ambient air temperature on engine indication system (EIS)
  • AS1000 backup display improved to include heading, also now includes a mode switch to use the 2021 option of omitting backup attitude indicator

PENDING UPDATES

  • Replace engine BAR with PSI in engine indication system (EIS)

CREDITS & THANKS

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Thanks for modding the A5! I love this plane. This works well. Now the A5 doesn’t seem so anemic. It’s an ultralight so this is a bit fanciful, but now it can climb when you want to, and cruise about 15kts faster.

  1. Consider this avionics upgrade: [Mod Request] Icon A5 2021 Avionics Update - #4 by davux3
  2. Consider changing the systems.cfg to add some batteries for hybrid engine?
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Thanks for trying it out! I also want the upgraded avionics so hopefully it’s something I can tackle after learning a little more about the SDK.

More updates coming, stay tuned!

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Version 1.2 Including Upgraded GX NAV Unit & Autopilot Released

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AP is working in 1.2, as long as WorkingTitle G3X is installed as well or (it should) if you have buttons assigned for AP functions.

You are probably going to want to look at ai.cfg at pitchPID at some point. The values will control how aggressive the AP is in following the flight director. Since the engine is so powerful, punching it will cause an upward pitch which isn’t counteracted with enough P value. This is similar to the DA40NG mod issue I helped with.

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I’ve discovered that if the Uwa light mod for the Icon A5 is installed the AP functions will not work.

EDIT - I believe I know what the issue is and will include instructions in an update releasing today!

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Love the new upgrade. 1 hour + flight mostly on autopilot (Class Echo). Only two minor issues: steam speed gauge was 90, but the IAS on the glass screen was 137 knots at 5500 rpm (141 TAS). The other issue was the glass screen oil temp showed 5.9 Bars (44 *C) but was on the yellow/red border and the steam showed in the low yellow at 44 *C. No other issues. Thanks for this wonderful modification will be my go to light amp. :+1:

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So I created my own version of the mod since it looked like yours didn’t initially have the engine monitoring.
I did a bunch of research to bound the limits of what the real Icon A5 and Rotax 912iS perform and what it’s operating limits are. The problem is, what I found is the real plane limits don’t match the values in the sim plane for a couple of parameters, although, I’m kind of guessing on the water temperature.

The following are values I gleaned from the A5 POH and Maintenance Manuals and the Rotax 912iS manual

Manifold pressure - for the most part this looks correct
Engine RPM - this is correct: idle at 1700, best cooling between 3000 and 4000 on the ground, 5800 RPM max for no more than 5 minutes per flight, 5500 max cruise rpm (This one took me a bit to get to read correctly as I was using the code from the ES330, which looks at prop RPM, not engine RPM).

Oil Pressure - Min 12 psi (> yellow), normal (green) 44 - 73 psi, max 107 psi (< yellow > red)
Oil Temp - Min 120 F (> yellow), Normal 190 - 230F (green), Max 266F (< yellow > red)

EGT - Peak 1200 C

Fuel Pressure (this is wayy off in the sim) - Min 35.5psi (> yellow), Normal 40.5 - 46.5psi (green), Max 50psi (<yellow >red)

Water Temp - Edit: I looked again - From the engine manual, Max Coolant temperature is 120C (248F). It doesn’t mention what typical operating limits are, but that’s really all you need. I don’t know if perhaps Icon would want this operating max to be lower.

I could go into the Systems and engine.cfg and edit values so these get matched in the gauges, but, then I’m afraid the normal gauges in the cluster would then be wrong, whereas, right now, in the various phases of flight they look about correct. Of course they don’t display numerical values, so it’s impossible to tell what they are really at. But, at least they stay in the green about where they should. So I’m tempted not to show the gauges in G3X engine monitoring that are already in the gauge cluster.

I also notice that the G3X seems to break the AOA gauge in the cluster. I haven’t investigated that yet.

I like that you added Fuel GPH. What the heck is the unit BAR? Who uses that :wink: :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Probably could declutter a bit by removing the Fuel QTY, the gauge in the cluster is plenty accurate.

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I’m seeing a similar issue with the speed readings with the mod version that just includes teh G3x and AP and not the performance changes.

You can also see the issue in the screenshot just above :slight_smile:

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First off thank you all for even trying out the mod, it’s my first and I’m honestly surprised by how many people have given it a try!

I’ve been testing a patch personally over the the last couple of days that will address a lot of the bugs the last few comments have noted, if anyone would like to be a beta tester for future patches please join my Discord :slight_smile:

I’ll post again shortly after I upload to Flightsim.to

1 Like
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Thanks for these details, I will have these values updated in my next patch!

Download the current 1.5 version of this mod exclusively on Flightsim.to!

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Well, be careful. These are the actual values. For instance, the sim fuel pressure is around 9 psi vs 40 nominal in the actual plane. It may be I should go through and figure out what the sim thinks the limits are in the cluster gauges. Adjusting the fuel pressure to match the actual fuel pressure may change plane dynamics? Adjusting Oil pressure to actual will probably screw up the cluster gauge.

Anyway, I haven’t thought through all the consequences, but, I wanted to get the data out there.

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Very true, what I should have said was I’ll try to incorporate these values as best as possible :slight_smile:

Also, I encourage and welcome anyone to take my work and compile mods of their own to meet their personal preferences. Especially as I will only have the time to maintain 1 mod.

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Awesome Job on the Mod, Flying around Hawaii right now!

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Glad you are enjoying it and welcome back to the forums!

Hawaii is super fun, I’m also having fun in the hills of Catalina then plunging into the ocean.

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Another flight :+1: :slightly_smiling_face: Water and land landings. Thanks again for a great mod.

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Awesome! I’m glad people are enjoying this fun little plane :slight_smile:

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Version 2.0 is now available!

Here’s a couple of shots of the Backup attitude indicator features:

  1. Replace with Icon logo:

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  2. Keep the attitude and add heading:

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To switch between the two, click one of the up/down buttons below the display.

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An excuse to post beautiful screenshots? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

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And one last shot of the modified G3X AFCS panel:

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Heading, Altitude and Speed UP/DOWN is provided since there are no knobs to activate for these functions.