We've been dreaming and waiting for the flying car of the future for what feels like an eternity. We're still to get it, on a wide scale and under the conditions we were promised, and there's still no clear deadline in sight, but at least we're one step closer to that reality.
Baby steps, and all that.
Samson Switchblade, the so-called world's most sought-after flying car and the flying sportscar of tomorrow, has taken that giant step towards reality. The brainchild of creator and designer Sam Bousfield, Switchblade had been in the works for more than 14 years and has blown through several deadlines already since its official introduction.
But all this was forgotten in early November 2023, when it achieved its first flight. For six minutes, Samson Switchblade remained airborne at an altitude of 500 feet (150 meters) after taking off at the Grant County Airport in Washington, with veteran test pilot Robert Moehle at the controls.
Photo: Samson Sky
After the short flight, the flying car made a smooth landing and went back into the Samson facility, where the data compiled will be used for the production of the first prototypes.
Video of the historic flight is available at the bottom of the page. Bousfield rightfully calls it the culmination of 14 years of hard work and a dream come true, but it's only the beginning of the journey. The flying car received FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) certification last year, but the road ahead is still challenging and filled with obstacles.
"This puts us on the path towards producing thousands of Switchblades to meet the large and enthusiastic demand we’re receiving," Bousfield adds in a statement, again stressing the importance of this first flight. It's all about putting things in perspective with a project like this, and the perspective here, according to the designer, is that there's real potential with a hybrid dual-purpose vehicle like this one.
Photo: Samson
According to Bousfield, initial demand for the roadworthy aircraft has been nothing short of astounding. Samson Switchblade has over 2,300 reservations from 57 different countries and all 50 U.S. States. If you consider that the cheapest model will start at some $170,000 and the most expensive go as high as $770,000, that's no small feat, either.
As of the time of press, production is estimated to start sometime in 2024, so all these people hoping to get their car up in the air still have to work on their patience.
The car that could (and will) fly
Samson Switchblade was announced more than 14 years ago and has been struggling to get off the ground (heh) since. While certain features about it have changed over the years with the development of new tech, the basics have remained the same: Switchblade is a sports car that "grows" wings and a tail to get off the ground.
Photo: Samson
As such, it’s the perfect vehicle for the daily commuter: you drive it for as long as you can, and then, as you hit a roadblock or when you need to be more time-efficient, you take it up in the air. On paper, that sounds easy as pie, but the reality is different.
Samson Switchblade aims to achieve that with a transformable body, thanks to fold-up wings and tail. As you can see in the video of the inaugural flight, the current state it's in is that of a proper, albeit small, aircraft.
The transformation from car to airplane will take three minutes and will be fully automatic. However, takeoff will require 1,100 feet (335 meters) of tarmac, so it'll have to happen at an airport.
Figures publicized so far include a maximum speed of 125+ mph (201 kph) in road mode and 200 mph (322 kph) in aircraft mode. At a cruising speed, Samson Switchblade will have a range of 450 miles (724 km) in the air and will be able to hit a max altitude of 16,000 feet (4,877 meters).
Photo: Samson Sky
Legally a trike in road mode, Switchblade will require a double license to operate – and double insurance, too. It'll use a hybrid electric system for propulsion (a Samson SC200 3-cylinder gasoline engine with Skybrid electric hybrid tech) and F1 tech for safety, like a safety inner cell that will protect the two occupants in case of a crash. Speaking of crashes, an accident on the road will most likely ground it as an aircraft.
Bousfield notes that the modified engine will use unleaded auto gas instead of leaded aviation fuel, so you'll be able to fill up at the pump, just like you would a car. You'll also be able to park it inside a garage like a regular car.
The cheapest, $170,000 Samson Switchblade will be the first production series release and will hit the market as a home-made kit, which means buyers will have to assemble it on their own. Samson plans to offer assistance through specialized centers, where assembly will be achieved in less than a week. We have a feeling this kind of assistance will come at an extra charge.
The $770,000 custom Limited edition will be a millionaire's toy with yet-to-be-revealed features. Samson is hoping to sell at least 200 units of these, but Bousfield never said if such an expectation was based on actual demand or just wishful thinking.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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