A small company based in Oregon dubbed Samson Motors
has just previewed the upcoming flying sports car it intends on launching in
2018.
The Samson Switchblade features three-wheels and is
powered by a liquid-cooled 1.6-liter V4 engine with 190 hp, driving a large
propeller at the rear. The company claims that the Switchblade will be capable
of reaching 200 mph in the air and have a cruising altitude of 13,000 feet.
When used in flight mode, the Switchblade measures
6.2m long and has a wingspan of 8.2m. It also weighs a mere 794 kg, can
reportedly take off in roughly 335m, and will have a range of 450 miles. To use
the Switchblade on the road, the wings can be folded away and the tail can be
detracted, shrinking the vehicle’s length to 5.1m. Road speeds of up to 160
km/h are allegedly achievable.
Curiously, the vehicle has been given an
experimental/homebuilt classification meaning at least 51 per cent of the
Switchblade needs to be built by the owner. In
essence, the Switchblade is a flying kit car. Thankfully, Samson will help
customers build the vehicle at a Samson Build Assist Center.
In the event that something goes wrong during a
flight, Samson has fitted a large parachute. The company intends on selling the
Switchblade to customers for roughly US$ 120,000. An additional US$ 20,000 will be
added to that sum if owners want the help of Samson to build the flying car.
