Oshkosh, WI – : After announcing First Flight in November 2023, Samson Sky began Production Engineering which yielded tremendous improvements including a new, sleeker body shape and thruster design for the Switchblade flying sports car. Samson revealed the new design for production vehicles publicly for the first time at AirVenture this week, the world’s largest aviation celebration. The new design is intended to elevate the Switchblade to the next level.
“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,” stated Samson Sky CEO and Founder, Sam Bousfield. “We also validated that we needed more thrust and less drag.”
Not resting on their laurels of first flight, the engineering team at Samson 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. “When all configurations were reviewed, there was no question that we should embrace a more streamlined body design with thrusters,” stated Bousfield. “It allowed us to keep what worked well during flight testing, plus more fully protect the flying surfaces in ground mode.”
Credit: Samson Sky
Samson’s AirVenture Pavilion showcased the new body design with a ¼ scale model, in addition to
having the full-size flying prototype on display. “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,” claimed Bousfield. The key
takeaways:
- Switchblade signature wing swing and overall layout remain the same
- Increase of MGTOW to 2,600 lb.
- Wing area increased from 67 to 99 square feet
- Decreased landing speed
- Decreased take-off speed
- Sleeker body with reduced drag
- Thrusters in clean air increased propeller efficiency significantly
- Two additional patents filed
- Full 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. It also has surpassed the performance of everything in its wheelbase class in Road & Track’s standard slalom course. Further, 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,” quipped Bousfield. “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 future is bright, with the design 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. The Switchblade Reservation List now tops 2,600 from over 57 countries, with firm deposits taken for 530 of those to lock-in a fixed earlier delivery position.
The project is being funded by a Regulation D Series A funding round. “Our private stock offering is gaining increased interest from investors, which I feel is due to our perseverance and consensus that we are the real deal. We don’t need any changes to Federal or State regulations, or any increase in infrastructure – we can operate now. We are providing people with a vehicle capable of bringing tremendous freedom of mobility and time savings, which seem to be highly valued assets in today’s world. I invite everyone to imagine what life would be like with a Switchblade in your garage,” Bousfield stated.
Future company plans include the development of an AI co-pilot, and a Pilot Training Program for Switchblade Owners who will need to become pilots.
For more information about the Switchblade and to follow its progress into production, visit:
www.SamsonSky.com
