Switchblade - Flying Sports Car
Part car, part fold-out airplane, part James Bond
Samson Sky’s Switchblade is an interesting beast - it reminds me of one half of the Cloud city twin-pods from Empire Strikes Back, but with fold out wings and a prominant rear stabilizer. It could also double as a James Bond escape vehicle.
So you can drive on the highway - to the airport, and then fly off to your destination. The one thing that has me scratching my head - with any of these ‘winged’ non eVTOL flying cars, is the time it would take for the logistics of getting in line behind the other planes at the airport for take off. I assume you can’t just take off as soon as you get there, so to me it seems like it couldn’t be that seamless if an airport is required.
‘Say hello to travel that gives you more time to enjoy life. Say goodbye to the worst of traffic. No more commuter delays, toll bridges or roads, or construction delays. Welcome to the future!’
Yes, but what about the airport traffic?
Let’s get to some specs, shall we?
Maximum Airspeed 200 mph / 305 kph
Cruise Speed 160 mph / 257 kph
Max Driving Speed 125+ mph / 201+ kph
Maximum Range 450 miles / 724 km
Take-off Distance 1,100 ft / 335 m
Landing Distance 700 ft / 213 m
Stall Speed (w/ flaps) 67 mph / 108 kph
Pretty impressive range and speed, and price, not too bad at $175,000, but you need a decent sized runway to take off. I wonder how the 3 wheeled car handles, and how safe it is. I love that this is actually a functional vehicle. Pilot license required, though. So it won’t be for most people, except for the James Bond jetset.
Here’s a link: https://www.samsonsky.com/advantages-of-the-switchblade-transform-your-life/