Title caught my attention but there was no mention as to why. Might be entertaining to someone that has no clue about either airplane but if you're trying to make a decision of which airplane to purchase, it's no help. First the Progressive aerodyne has been around for 30 years. Icon is relatively new and just recently certified. The newest version of the Searey has a carbon hull. tube and fabric wing and tail feathers. The Icon is all fiberglass and carbon. Which makes it look swoopy doopy but it's heavy. Can't get the folding wing option with the retractable gear option together. The Searey has a much better wing.. fly's circles around the Icon. The Searey is a taildragger and is better suited for rough terrain and SAND. The Icon has a shopping cart nose wheel that will burry itself in the sand. The Searey has sliding canopy's that can be opened in flight. Also opened upside-down while under water, which is very important. Since most seaplane accidents result in drownings because the occupants cant get out. Icon, has a clam shell door. Good luck. Yes the Icon has a BRS shoot. But considering the type of flying these aircraft are suited for. IMO it's not necessary. Searey is much less expensive, proven, better performance, and safer.
Yep, definitely a price difference, just like with any other premium LSA. Choice in the market is wonderful and spurs innovation. Saying one of these is superior is not accurate, they are different niches. You could argue the SeaRey is an excellent bush amphibian with a utility appearance, while the ICON is more lakes and ocean bays with a finished appearance. Each does their role fine and the customer can pick their mission and price point. Note-With ICON’s 912iS and the carbon 4 blade eProp, performance is improved. Also with the increase to 490lbs useful load (may be more depending on specific airframe mods and paint type) gives more mission flexibility. Will be good to see how the performance comparisons change. SeaRey has options coming too which will be cool to see. Consumers will be the winner indeed. I will say until you fly an ICON and feel how it handles and see a demonstration of the spin resistant wing, you just won’t grasp ICON’s beauty and aerodynamic forethought. Yes it comes at a price, but that’s no different than buying a car. A Toyota will get you there, but traveling in a luxury BMW will give you a different feel when you get there. It’s not right or wrong, it’s a personal thing. I want them both to flourish! Not hate’n, just saying…
With Icon in receivership, looks like SeaRay ought to buy them up and get all their patents and technology and merge the designs. ICon has folding wings for garage storage and boat launch capabilities plus fully retractable landing gear and, instead, of wing pontoons, it has wide stabilizers on the hull which are walkable for entry and exit.
As of 03/01/24 Progressive Aerodyne Searey looks to have gone out of business. I had heard about this last year. Drove by the shop today and it no longer bares their name. Does anyone have any insight on this? Are they still making parts if this is the case?
around 2:28 "enjoy the smooth aerodynamics retractables offer".....well, no. Nothing aerodynamics about landing gears that still hang out of the plane.
My dad owned a Searey for a long time. It was an amazing airplane and I learned how to fly in it. It does everything the Icon A5 never could. It is a docile, accessible, fun, flying boat. Rather than dumb things down, it teaches you how to be a good, aware pilot. When people started to hype up the Icon I had no idea how anyone with a sane mind could spend their money on an Icon as opposed to the Searey. Personally, I find the styling of the Icon to be tacky and that seems to be the only positive people give it. It looks too much like a flying boat doing its best to cosplay as a Cirrus. The Searey is a flying boat for people who love flying boats, and it doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. And that's why they are loved by the people who fly them.
Well, seeing as they're basically out of business this is kind of moot but, you're obviously confusing the engines, the 912IS, 912 ULS and the 914 and there is no ROTAS engine for your electronic voice to pronounce. You left out the SEAMAX which performs better than all of them.
Built my Searey about 15 years ago. The plane is great, the video is terrible. I really wonder if this is an automated voice reading the script. And the script is awful. Many, many factual errors. Like, when the speaker says it uses a warp prop.- at that moment, the picture shows an Ivo prop…
Whoever wrote the script for this video knows jack about what hes talking about. Yes it feals like a boat in the water, because it is a boat when its in the water. WTF? No, the wheels do not fold out of the way for aerodynamics. They are still in the wind. They fold up so you dont turn a flip when you try to land in the water. Wheels down water landing means you get to go swimming. No, weight and drag is not why it noses down under power. It does that because its a high engine pusher. The center of thrust aka the engine is above the center of mass, aka the body. That's the nature of a pusher. And I am also pretty sure the searey is also sold with an optional ballistic parachute. So no, thats not something the icon has over on it. The only thing the icon has over the searey is its marketing budget.
No chance… unless, you know, you want to land in water. In that case, as any seaplane pilot will know, that 1/3 take off distance the Searay has means the difference between taking off in the sheltered area of a lake and/or in between boat wakes; or becoming a boat that needs to be towed out of the water…
Never seen what eoild be a serious presentation that mix wiews from real aircraft and that of the MSFS Searey. Why not comparing them on the simulator to show us wich one is better, next time? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ah yes you can retract the landing gear to enjoy the smooth aerodynamics???? WTF its stilling the air flow don't sell me that Bull $hit. Great airplane but idiotic presentation.
