A lot of sci-fi movies feature cars that can fly and people hope that one day, this would become possible. That day has finally come as a fully functioning flying car has made its first flight. With its success, anyone can now reserve a vehicle for purchase.
The Switchblade'd First Successful Test Flight
Flying cars used to just be a movie trope in futuristic movies, but Samson Sky has made it a reality after 14 years of design and rigorous testing. Called a "flying sports car," it has finally made its first flight and has done so successfully.
Test pilot Robert Moehle flew the car for its maiden flight, going as high as 500 feet and circling around for approximately six minutes before landing. "I'm excited to be the first to fly it away from the ground," the pilot expressed.
CEO of Samson Sky and designer of the Switchblade Sam Bousfield said that the first flight is a huge milestone and that it puts them on "the path towards producing thousands of Switchblades to meet the large and enthusiastic demand" they're receiving.
It's a form of travel that many people would love to try out. Instead of driving for ten hours on a road trip, the flying car would be able to take its driver and passengers to the same destination for about three and a half hours, as per Interesting Engineering.
Of course, such convenience would not come cheap. Each flying vehicle will cost around $170,000. It's relatively cheap when you compare it to exclusively ground-based sports cars. For instance, a 2023 Porche 911 can cost you up to $270,000. Just imagine what the car insurance bill would be!
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More About the Samson Sky Switchblade
It does have a huge difference in top speed since the Switchblade can go up to 125 mph while the Porche 911 can reach up to 182 mph. Regardless, Samson Sky's demonstration and marketing have been successful as they already have 2,300 reservations from 57 countries.
The hybrid vehicle has three wheels with two in the back and one in the front. It has wings, but they can be retracted when the Switchblade is driven on roads. It takes about three minutes for the vehicle to extend and unfurl its tail and wings to convert to flight mode.
While the top speed for ground driving is not as impressive, it can go as fast as 200 mph in the air, while reaching its maximum altitude of 13,000 feet. Factoring in its ability to avoid traffic, it will definitely get you to your destination in record time.
The Switchblade has two side-by-side seats, which makes it limited when it comes to passenger seating, although that might be by design as the estimated payload is 575 lb which includes luggage, and fuel. Its maximum gross take-off weight is 1,850 lb maximum.
While on ground driving mode, the flying car is 16.8 feet in length, and 20.2 feet when in flight mode. The wing span once it has been extended is 26.9 feet long, and it has a fuel capacity of 36 gallons, including reserves.
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