During EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024, Samson Sky unveiled a new design for its flying car, the Switchblade.
After having its first flight in November 2023, the Switchblade went through the production engineering phase, which “yielded tremendous improvements, including a new, sleeker body shape and thruster design,” company officials reported.
“We validated many parameters during flight testing including stability in all three axis, positive control authority, balanced control feel, and effectiveness of the flaps for descent and landing,” said Samson Sky CEO and Founder Sam Bousfield. “We also validated that we needed more thrust and less drag.”
The engineering team “dove right into solving the thrust/drag issue and considered all options, including tweaking the existing single large, ducted fan at the rear of the vehicle,” company officials said.
“When all configurations were reviewed, there was no question that we should embrace a more streamlined body design with thrusters,” Bousfield said. “It allowed us to keep what worked well during flight testing, plus more fully protect the flying surfaces in ground mode.”
“In May of this year, we used a mostly 3D printed model to validate the enhanced configuration in the Kirsten Wind Tunnel at the University of Washington in Seattle. The new, larger wing and tail complemented the thruster efficiency increase and body drag decrease to tremendously improve upon our initial design,” he said.
Key takeaways:
- Switchblade signature wing swing and overall layout remain the same
- Increase of MGTOW to 2,600 pounds
- Wing area increased from 67 to 99 square feet
- Decreased landing speed
- Decreased takeoff speed
- Sleeker body with reduced drag
- Thrusters in clean air increased propeller efficiency significantly
- Two additional patents filed
- Hybrid electric drivetrain
- Increased fuel capacity to 40 gallons
- New tail fold design fully encloses and protects the tail in drive mode
The company claims the Switchblade has already achieved 125 mph in ground testing, while the recent wind tunnel testing confirmed the ability to fly in cruise mode at 160 mph.
“The new design destroys the misconception that a flying car has to be a mediocre car or a mediocre plane or both,” Bousfield said. “A respectable 0-60 mph time of 5.6 seconds is projected for the hybrid electric vehicle in ground mode, which I think most people will really enjoy.”
The design is now in the production phase. Samson’s schedule has three Production Prototypes to be built over the next 18 months to validate the assembly process. The Production Fixtures can then be moved to the initial production facility for the start of serial production, according to company officials.
The Switchblade reservation list tops 2,600 from more than 57 countries, with firm deposits taken for 530 of those to lock-in a fixed earlier delivery position, company officials continued.
Future plans include the development of an AI co-pilot and a Pilot Training Program for Switchblade owners who will need to become pilots, they added.
For more information: SamsonSky.com
How many years have you been at it?
The low wing close wheel/fuselage design gives me crosswind landing concern. Full crab technique requires perfect timing in light airplanes to avoid rapid buildup of cross runway velocity vector. Wing down top rudder technique with this design will cause dangerous wingtip runway clearance.
I always marvel at designers and developers and think the switchblade is really cool, but is it and other flying cars in reality just a dream?
Not to be a wet blanket, but how will flying cars be insured–as a plane, as a car, both? Will aviation insurance companies cover the vehicle only when it’s in the air and will auto insurance companies cover the vehicle only when it’s on the ground? For that matter, will the flying car be able to meet the government imposed safety standards on the modern car/truck and if so, what does the safety structure do to the weight of the flying car? Then there is the FAA and one must ask how this will affect medical certificate requirements, currency requirements, annual inspection requirements, and will a twin engine rating be required to fly the switchblade? In the interest of MOSAIC, has the flying car been considered as a MOSAIC participator or will it fall into a whole new category? My hope is that the designers and developers of flying cars in general have had all of these questions answered prior to dedicating time, research, design, and engineering (aka $$$$$). At the end of the day, I’d love to see flying cars become a reality, but I have had these questions for quite some time with no one providing answers. I’d appreciate responses from readers of this thread by educating me if I have been missing something.
As an educated aeronautical engineer my mouth waters over this mind blowing design, but I have concerns over all the foldable components – lots of places for failures. Are the joints strong enough and are they up to multiple folding events, possibly each day?
Just asking.
Hello, you designers and producer of the Switchblade.
Your Switchblade caught my eye last year. Such a revolution in design and capability from the original flying cars of decades ago, think Taylor and others.
Yes, this design is definitely roadable and flyable, yet reminded me more of an airplane than an auto at first glance.
The upgrades are real steps forward from your original concepts. Oh, to sit in one of these new Switchblades of today and tomorrow and drive on a runway at an airport and take off for those infinite destinations of dreams. Comments????
Ann Holtgren Pellegreno