Can you imagine pulling your car out of the garage, then flying to work every single day? It could be a possibility in the near future! The Switchblade, a personal aircraft that doubles as a car, could be just weeks away from take off and getting its wheels off the ground after a Federal Aviation Administration inspection on July 15 determined it’s safe to fly.
The project has been going on for 14 years, and Sam Bousfield, CEO of Samson Sky and inventor of the Switchblade, said he’s “stoked” to reach this milestone. After passing the FAA inspection, his team wasted no time in beginning the high-speed taxi test. They were out on the taxiway the next day.
Sam Bousfield, is an architect-turned-inventor, talked about how he’s been dreaming of and drawing flying cars since kindergarten.
Some of us carry a pocket knife, think about a pocket knife and the portability, the car/plane, the Switchblade’s wings slip smoothly into the body of the vehicle with the touch of a button, seamlessly transitioning from sky to air. Its tail also retracts seamlessly, depending on if you are flying or driving.
Think about it! A 4 hour trip can be turned into 2 hours. The idea is that the vehicle could be parked in a garage, driven to an airport, flown to a new destination, and then driven anywhere on the ground after it lands…MINDBLOWING.
Samson Sky is trying to make the Switchblade a world-class vehicle, giving it all the amenities of a car, including a hybrid electric drive system.
The Switchblade can hold two people, it flies at 160 mph and reach a max elevation of up to 16,000 feet – much lower than the 30,000-40,000 feet to which a commercial jet climbs. Bousfield said this allows passengers and pilots to take in the views from a whole new perspective.
When the Switchblade hits the market, they’ll expect to cost about $170,000.
From the website, you can reserve a Switchblade in advance. There’s no cost to make a reservation. You will need a deposit of $2,000 will be due within 45 days of the Switchblade’s first public flight.
So far, more than 1,670 people have made reservations, and the company said the number grows almost daily.
A couple things to think about, is there insurance out there for a flying car? The company said, you would need to purchase both car insurance and aircraft insurance. Another thing to think about, will a person need to get a pilot’s license? You’ll definitely need a drivers license!
Would you be willing to test one of these or even ride in it?
