Samson Unveils Switchblade Flying Sports Car
By Ti Windisch
July 26, 2017 - Samson Motors unveiled its Switchblade flying sports car project on Tuesday during a press conference at its EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 booth.
The Switchblade, which is expected to fly in the fall, is technically a motorcycle when driven on roads, due to its three wheels, and will be an experimental aircraft in the skies, as it’s sold in kits.
Estimated assembly time is three weeks, as Samson will have assembly lines set up where homebuilders can work on their kit with help from staff members. Samson estimates the cost of the kits at $140,000, which includes avionics and a four-cylinder, turbocharged engine. The aircraft parts of the Switchblade are built to FAR 23 standards, and the wings fold up into a protective clamshell while the vehicle is on the ground.
The Switchblade can reach speeds over 100 mph on the ground, and its top speed in the air is around 190 mph, with a cruise speed of 160 mph, and its range is about 450 miles. Samson says 58 units have been pre-sold, and 200 people are on the reservation list. More information can be found at the Samson booth, No. 429.
