The first quarter of 2009 ICON continued to see a series of exciting successes–despite the challenging economic environment and uncertainty around us. Flight test recently completed high-performance water testing, sales passed position #400, and we continue to see unprecedented levels of market and media enthusiasm for sport flying overall and ICON in particular. Our recent customer survey results confirmed what we’ve suspected since our launch–there is indeed a huge, untapped market of non-pilots who are excited to join the aviation community if inspired by the right companies and products.

The A5 has been undergoing an extensive test flight regimen. While designing an “average aircraft” can be challenging enough, delivering a truly great aircraft requires an enormous amount of work. We recently completed a series of rigorous hydrostatic and hydrodynamic tests. These tests were designed to assess the basic hull performance for typical seaplane operations, as well as expand the envelope into higher winds and rougher sea states. Additionally, given that the A5 is designed to be a pure sport seaplane, it was engineered to handle more aggressive maneuvering on the water in order to make your experience safe while being extremely exciting.
With the combined efforts of some of the world’s top marine architects working side by side with ICON’s engineering team, the A5 may, in fact, have one of the most sophisticated seaplane hulls ever designed. Ironically, getting the hull performance of a seaplane dialed in is one of the harder tasks. So far, the A5 hull has far exceeded our expectations and is a star performer.
The details: The seawings on each side of the fuselage provide outstanding stability both hydrostatically and hydrodynamically. The seawings also provide robust, buoyant platforms for the users to move in and around the aircraft while on land or in the water. They also function like the swim platform on the back of a ski boat facilitating easy docking as well as easy access in and out of the water.

The hull’s forebody design achieves effortless “on-step” acceleration with little to no deck-angle change throughout transition from displacement to plowing to planing modes. There is minimal porpoising tendency. In fact, the A5 will smoothly and quickly accelerate onto the step to takeoff speed in a stick-free condition requiring little to no pilot input until rotation speed. The forebody’s higher deadrise allows the A5 to handle relatively rough water on takeoff and landing for such a small amphibian.
During step-turns (the first photo), the seawings allow the aircraft to bank significantly more than outrigger-type sponson floats that you see on typical hull-type seaplanes. This allows the A5 to make more coordinated, tighter turns on the water. The seawings are designed to engage the water and keep the wingtip from touching throughout the normal maneuvering envelope. However, the A5 also has planing wingtips that not only provide additional hydrostatic stability in extreme crosswind conditions, but are effective hydrodynamic planing surfaces should a wingtip contact the water in extreme or inadvertent conditions (the second photo).
The image below is an unusual sight–an aircraft in flight with its wingtip in the water. It was taken while testing the planing wingtip performance in extreme or “out of the envelope” situations. While the A5 is certainly not intended to be flown with the wingtip in the water, and is only being done here by a professional test pilot, the test successfully demonstrated the wingtips’ effectiveness and increased safety margins should such conditions ever be inadvertently encountered.

Going forward there are a number of areas still being meticulously refined on the A5, including gear installation, aerodynamic refinement and drag reduction of the hull, water-rudder improvements, and spray-pattern optimization. Stay tuned.

Hydro Test Photo Gallery

YORBA LINDA, CA (April 2, 2009) — John Force Racing, headquartered in Yorba Linda, Calif., will be expanding its tradition of giving back to the community beginning April 25th when the first of seven John Force Cruise Night Car Shows will be held. Participants and spectators at the John Force Cruise Night Car Shows are being encouraged to bring a can of food that will be donated to the Orange County Food Bank. For each can donated a raffle ticket will be distributed good for a chance to win a 52” Sanyo Flat Screen TV. If participants bring one can of food they get one ticket if they bring twenty cans of food they get twenty tickets or chances to win. The raffle will be held on Halloween at the final John Force Cruise Night Car Show of the season.
“In December we have built up a tradition of giving toys to kids in need with the John Force Holiday Car Show that benefits the California Highway Patrol’s “CHiP’s for Kids” program. During these tough economic times we felt that we needed to do something for our community right now, and tying in with our fans at the John Force Cruise Night Car Shows just seemed like a perfect fit. Our goal is to collect as many cans of food as we can, and help make an impact on the community. We are asking everyone to get involved whether they are a participant or a spectator,” said Craig Hoelzel, John Force Racing – Director of Special Promotions & Car Show Manager.
“The Orange County Food Bank is excited to team up with John Force Racing. The needs of the community are growing during these tough times and we really need the food,” said Kristin Kvesic, Orange County Food Bank.
A special award will be presented at each Cruise Night for the “Most Food Given.” Cruise Night Car Shows will be held from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the John Force RaceStation on April 25th, May 30th, June 27th, July 25th, August 29th, September 26th, and October 31st. At each Cruise Night Car Show there will be family fun, food and entertainment for all ages.

2009 John Force Car Show Schedule

All John Force Cruise Night Car Shows will be held at John Force RaceStation, 22722 Old Canal Road, Yorba Linda, CA 92887

For More Info: www.JohnForceRacing.com or (714) 921-1651

April 25 4pm-7pm

May 30 4pm-7pm

June 27 4pm-7pm

July 25 4pm-7pm

August 29 4pm-7pm

September 26 4pm-7pm

October 31 4pm-7pm

WHAT:
Pep Boys announces the grand opening of it’s first Speed Shop located in downtown LA. With SEMA-style show vehicles, vendor product demonstrations, giveaways and special promotions, the event is designed to introduce our Speed Shop to the LA performance enthusiast community and reintroduce Pep Boys to the area in general.

WHO:
Barry Meguiar: host of Car Crazy TV/Radio and President and CEO of Meguiars,
Gale Banks: founder and CEO of Banks Power
Adrienne “AJ” Janic: co-host of TLC’s Overhaulin’ and host of Hot Import Nights
Casper Canul: the first professional Latino drifter in the Formula D series,
Genevieve Chappell: “The Queen of Cars,” known for hosting on ESPN and the Speed Channel
All will be taking photos and signing autographs. Local community members and auto enthusiasts will be joining in the fun and participating in the weekend’s events.

WHERE: 1200 W. Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007

WHEN: Saturday, May 30 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 31 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES:
Barry Meguiar: Saturday 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Adrienne “AJ” Janic: Saturday 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Gale Banks: Saturday 11 a.m. – 1pm and Sunday 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Casper Canul: Saturday 10 a.m. – 12 p.m and Sunday 10 a.m. – 12 p.m
Genevieve Chappell: Saturday and Sunday 10 am. – 12 p.mn and again from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

MORE:
Pep Boys has approximately 6,000 service bays and over 560 stores in 35 states and Puerto Rico. Along with its vehicle maintenance and repair capabilities, the Company also serves the commercial auto parts delivery market and is one of the leading sellers of replacement tires in the United States. Customers can find the nearest location by calling 1-800-PEP-BOYS or by visiting www.pepboys.com.

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/buynow/pepboys.shtml

May 1, 2009 (Huntington Beach, Calif.) – Genevieve Chappell and EBC Brakes are proud to announce that Chappell shall serve as the official spokesperson and endorse EBC Brakes for the rest of the year.

Chappell is a noted television host and pit reporter, with numerous show credits on ESPN, ESPN2 and Speed Channel. Her roles in those shows have earned her industry acclaim, including features in Hot Rod and Hot Rod Deluxe as well as serving as the Grand Marshall of the 2008 Great Pottsville Cruise. Recently, she also anchored the webisodes for Velocity Magazine.

As part of the arrangement, Chappell will appear at numerous events promoting the EBC line of braking products, which include products for race and rally cars, trucks, buses, commercial vehicles and mountain bikes. In addition, Chappell will be the face of EBC’s worldwide marketing campaign appearing in EBC Brakes’ promotional literature.

“We are very happy to welcome Genevieve back,” said Andy Freeman, president of EBC Brakes. “She brings a great energy and excitement to everything she does and we happy that she will be part of the EBC Brakes family this year.”

“This is kind of a homecoming for me,” said Chappell. “I have worked with EBC Brakes in the past, and I am thrilled to be working with them again. EBC’s products are 100% solid and it is great to represent a product that I stand behind.”

“With lots of exciting news lately – such as renewing their deal with Pep Boys, as well as their new website which will make parts lookup much easier – there is a lot happening at EBC that will make this a very fun year.”

Show and promotional appearances will be announced at a later time.

For more information about Genevieve Chappell, visit www.geneveivechappell.com

For more information about EBC Brakes, visit www.ebcbrakes.com.

The choice of both aristocrats and screen legends, Ferrari’s 250 GT California remains one of the world’s most coveted automobiles. One of just 56 short-wheelbase (SWB) variants, 3119 GT is even more rare and desirable as one of approximately 37 fitted with covered headlamps. Sold new in March of 1962 through Jacques Swaters’ Garage Francorchamps, 3119 GT features an award-winning restoration that earned Best in Class awards at both Pebble Beach and the 29th Ferrari Club of America national meeting. With its award-winning restoration, red livery, and sheer rarity, 3119 GT is without doubt one of the most desirable open top GT cars currently available.

In just a few short weeks, RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, returns to Maranello, Italy, the home of the “Cavallino Rampante”, for our much anticipated Ferrari Leggenda e Passione event. Spanning over 50 years of Ferrari history, the May 17 event will again present a thrilling lineup of some of the most important Ferrari sports and racing cars ever produced.

Click here for exciting video presentations of two of our featured cars, the 1967 Ferrari 330 P4, and the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa.
You are going to be blown away when you hear the final bid and how much this GORGES Ferrari was sold for…

Formula DRIFT Heads to Road Atlanta for Round 2: Proving Ground;
Professional and amateur drifting competitions showcased over the 2-day Drift Atlanta weekend

Long Beach, Calif. – May 5, 2009 – Formula DRIFT heads to Road Atlanta for Round 2: Proving Ground on Friday, May 8 and Saturday May 9 as part of the Drift Atlanta weekend. The 2-day event will be highlighted with both the Pro Am competition and the Formula DRIFT Pro Championship.

Formula DRIFT heads into Road Atlanta, the home of the Series’ inaugural event back in 2004. Friday, May 8 will serve as a preview day with both Pro Am and the Formula DRIFT Pro Championship practice and qualifying. Saturday, May 9 is the main event and will feature both the Pro Am Top 8 competition and Formula DRIFT Pro Championship Top 32 competition. The Top 32 format is new for the 2009 season and features more action and excitement than ever before at Road Atlanta.

The Pro Am competition will feature the top drifters from the region and those hopeful to become a Formula Drift professional driver. Registration is still open and drivers can still register for this competition. More information on registration can be found on www.formuladrift.com

Along with the on-track activities the vendor village and team pits will be open and fans can meet the drivers during the autograph session at 2:30 PM on Friday. 2009 Miss Formula DRIFT Miki Taka will be in attendance for the event as well. Additionally, the JTuned.com Auto Gallery car show will take place on Saturday and fans can see some of Atlanta’s hottest show cars.

Round 2: Proving Ground marks the first of three Tires.com Triple Crown events this season. The bonus prize was won last year by Rhys Millen and his victory at Road Atlanta helped lead him to his 2nd Tires.com Triple Crown trophy.

Tickets are still available for this event and start at $22 online and 2-day ticket packages are available. Tickets can be purchased via the Formula DRIFT website. Both Friday and Saturday event hours will be from 10 AM – 10 PM.

Formula DRIFT Round 2: Proving Ground Driver’s List as of May 5, 2009
(by current standings)

1. Tuerck, RyanGardella Racing / Mobil 1102 Points
2. Hubinete, SamuelNuFormz Racing / Mopar Dodge Viper 90 Points
3. Foust, TannerRockstar / Scion Racing tC 84 Points
4. Nishida, RobbieHankook Tires / Dynamic Autosports Nissan 350Z 72 Points
5. Aono, TakaTechnosquare Toyota AE86 Corolla 65 Points
6. Brakohiapa, TonyCooper Tire Ford Mustang 62 Points
6. Forsberg, ChrisNOS Energy Drink / Maxxis Tire Nissan 350Z 62 Points
6. Gittin, VaughnFalken Tire Ford Racing Mustang GT 62 Points
6. Verdier, StephanCooper Tire / Crawford Performance Subaru STI 62 Points
10. McNamara, DarrenFalken Tire / Sears Saturn Sky 61 Points
11. Pawlak, JustinMazda USA / Cooper 58 Points
15. Jeff JonesComp. Turbo / K&N Filters Nissan S13 54.50 Points
18. Yoshihara, DaijiroFalken / Discount Tire Lexus IS35050 Points
19. Maeng, JoonMaxxis / LS Auto Nissan S13.5 48.50 Points
19. McQuarrie, TylerFalken Nissan 350Z 48.50 Points
19. Millen, RhysRed Bull / RMR Hyundai Genesis Coupe 48.50 Points
19. Mohan, KyleMazda USA / Cooper Mazda RX-8 48.50 Points
19. Petty, RossGarage Boso / Falken Nissan S15 48.50 Points
19. Wan, CalvinFalken Nissan S15 48.50 Points
26. Canul, CasperARK Performance Nissan S14.5 48.25 Points
26. Mordaunt, PatrickPM Racing / Brian Crower Nissan 240SX 48.25 Points
26. O’Sullivan, EricRockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Subaru STI 48.25 Points
26. Rydquist, CarlCity Tire Nissan 350Z 48.25 Points
26. Takatori, MichihiroBridges Racing / Toyo Nissan S13 48.25 Points
26. Canul, CasperARK Performance Nissan S14.5 48.25 Points
26. Canul, CasperARK Performance Nissan S14.5 48.25 Points
26. Waldin, MattTuner Icons / Import Intelligence Nissan 350Z 48.25 Points
34. Essa, MichaelTech Trix Motorsports / DTC Performance Mazda RX-7 0 Points
34. Ewerth, RonBF Goodrich / Eneos Infiniti G35 0 Points
34. Gushi, KenScion Racing / RS*R Scion TC 0 Points
34. Kregorian, ChrisMilano Motorsports / AIT Nissan 350Z 0 Points
34. Lang, GarySpec Clutch / Hinson Nissan S13.4 0 Points
34. LeJeune, JodinBF Goodrich / Eneos Infiniti G35 0 Points
34. Miki, RyujiAPEXi / Hankook Mazda RX-7 0 Points
34. Sherman, BillRetaks / JVC Nissan S13.50 Points
34. Suell, TommyToyo Tires / Allegiant Air Toyota AE86 Corolla 0 Points
34. VanDenBrink, DougPrivateer – Ford Mustang 0 Points
34. Wagner, JohnMA Motorsports / Maxxis Nissan 240SX0 Points
34. Wilkerson, BrianMA Motorsports / Maxxis Nissan S13 0 Points
34. Yamanaka, KenjiMaziora / Signal Auto Nissan S15 Silvia 0 Points

*Subject to change

Full official standings available on: www.formuladrift.com