The Samson Sky Switchblade flying cartook its first flight at the Grant Country International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. The three-wheel vehicle has a top speed of 125 mph on the ground and a maximum range of 450 miles. The Switchblade starts at $170,000 and requires a private pilot’s license to fly. There are already over 2,000 reservations to purchase the vehicle.
The Switchblade is a “street-legal” drive-and-fly vehicle. It flew at 500 feet following a series of short “hops”.
Other flying cars include:
- Alef Model A A fully electric vehicle with a driving range of 200 miles and a flying range of 110 miles
- AirCar A dual-mode car-aircraft that completed its 142nd successful landing in Bratislava
Here are some other flying cars and their top speeds:
- Flying car: Has a top speed of 112 mph on land and in air
- H1: Has a top speed of 140 mph and a projected range of 50 miles
- Aska A5: Has a maximum speed of 150 mph and can travel 250 miles on a single charge
- PAL-V Liberty: Has a top speed of 160 kmph on the road, and 180 kmph in the air
- Airspeeder Mk4: Has a top speed of 360 kph (225 mph) in just 30 seconds from a standing start
- SkyDrive SD-03: Has a cruise speed of 40-50 km/h (25-31 mph)
- Jetson ONE: Has a top speed of 102 kilometers per hour (63 miles per hour)
Flying cars use many technologies, including:
- Multiple electrically driven rotors
- Advanced battery and charging technology
- Gyroscopically controlled and fully autonomous flight
- Multiple safety redundancies
- Automated Air Traffic
- VTOL technology
- Propulsion methods
- Aerodynamics
- Electronics
- Lightweight materials
Flying cars use the same advanced technology used in drones. They are large enough to carry people and will be an updated version of the UAVs or drones which will be able to lift heavy weight.
Flying cars need to be lightweight in order to take off and land vertically and to fly efficiently. Advanced materials such as carbon fiber composites and lightweight materials for air mobility, such as steel, can help reduce the weight of the vehicle.
Flying cars could be more convenient than planes and helicopters because they:
- Are smaller and more maneuverable: Flying cars can navigate through tighter spaces and avoid obstacles.
- Can take off and land vertically: This means they don’t require long runways like planes.
- Are quieter: Flying cars create less noise than helicopters.
- Are easier to operate: You don’t need a helicopter pilot’s license, hangar, mechanic, or fuel source. Some models allow pilots to choose between manual and autonomous piloting.
- Could reduce congestion: Flying cars could help reduce congestion on the roads and emissions from ground transport.
- Could improve emergency services: Flying cars could be used in improving emergency services such as ambulances and fire engines
Here are some flying cars and their horsepower:
- World’s first flying race car: 1,340 hp and over 300 km range
- Flying car with BMW engine: 160 hp BMW engine, fixed propeller, and ballistic parachute
- AeroMobil 4.0 Flying Car: 110bhp maximum power
- PAL-V vehicles: 230 horsepower, four-cylinder engine powered by oil
- Terrafugia’s TF-X: 300 hp engine
- Maverick: 128 hp (95 kW) engine
Other flying cars include:
- Aska A5: Maximum speed of 150 mph and travel 250 miles on a single charge
- AirCar: Estimated range of 1000 km (621 miles) and reports an in-flight fuel consumption of 18 l / h (4.75 gallons)
The AirCar, a prototype flying car, completed the first-ever test flight between airports in Slovakia on June 28, 2021. The flight lasted 35 minutes and traveled from the international airport in Nitra to the airport in Bratislava. The AirCar is a hybrid car-aircraft that can transform itself from a road vehicle into a plane in less than three minutes. It has a maximum cruising speed of 190km/h and runs on regular petrol. The AirCar was piloted by Stefan Klein, founder and CEO of R&D company Klein Vision.
Flying cars can fly for different lengths of time, depending on the model:
- XPeng: Can fly for up to 35 minutes at a maximum altitude of 1,000m (3,280ft)
- Flying car: Has a maximum range of 180 miles (290 km) in flight
- AirCar: Has a range of about 620 miles
Other flying cars and their flight times include:
- Alef Model A: Can fly for 110 miles
- XPeng: Can fly for up to 35 minutes
The Alef Model A is a road-legal passenger car that can fit two occupants. It has a top speed of around 25 mph on paved roads. The Model A flying car price starts at USD 300,000
The Samson Sky Switchblade is a three-wheel, street legal vehicle that can drive to the airport and then fly to a destination. It has a hybrid power system that runs on regular 91-octane pump gas and can deliver up to 500 miles of range from a full 36-gallon fuel tank. In flight mode, it can get up to 200 mph and 13,000 ft of altitude.
The Switchblade is made by Samson Sky. The idea behind it is that a person could park it in their garage, drive it to the airport, fly it to their destination, and then be able to drive it around when they get there.
The target price for the Switchblade is $120,000, which is comparable to that of a well-equipped general aviation aircraft.
The Samson Sky Switchblade’s first flight took place on November 9, 2023. The flight took place at the Grant County Airport in Washington, with veteran test pilot Robert Moehle at the controls. The Switchblade flew to an elevation of 500 feet and was airborne for 6 minutes. The flight was documented by a 360 degree camera mounted on its tail.
Moehle, who previously served as test director for the Boeing 787, has notched 2400 hours in 56 commercial and experimental aircraft. His input over the past months has helped the Samson R&D team perfect the Switchblade prototype.
“The Switchblade handled great,” stated test pilot, Robert Moehle. “I’m excited to be the first to fly it away from the ground”.
Universe discoveries 