Two years ago, the carcar American flying sports machine Switchblade had obtained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly. A year later, it made its maiden flight in real conditions. Today its designer, Samson Sky, shows the new design of the future production version of this particular vehicle.
A much more fluid and slender aesthetic than that of the current prototype. On the road, apart from the fact that this car rests on only three wheels, with its new design, nothing indicates that it is capable of flying. In this mode, the wings are folded under the body and the tail forward in a cargo hold. Nothing sticks out!
The car promises to be fast, since during tests, the prototype managed to reach a vitessevitesse 201 km/h. It must be said that to take off, this high speed remains essential in order to ensure the portanceportance necessary. In flight mode, the wings and tail are deployed and this operation would only take three minutes, according to the firm. The machine then behaves like an ordinary passenger plane.
The design has been completely redesigned and, in car mode, there is nothing to show that the machine is also capable of flying. © Samson Sky
Already 2,300 reservations
In flight, the Switchblade has a maximum range of 805 kilometers with its tank with a capacity of 125 liters of car gasoline. Its maximum altitude would be limited to 4,000 meters and its cruising speed of 257 km/h. The machine is propelled by two propellers placed at the rear on a porticoportico located on the thin tail. With the new design, these propellers are also folded into the body in car mode.
Knowing that the machine will be sold to be assembled directly by its buyers, Samson Sky has also imagined this new design to simplify this operation. Despite significant progress and the creation of the first molds for the final bodywork, the commercialization of the production flying car is not for tomorrow. The company is still developing prototypes for flight and road testing. There are three of them and their testing will extend over the next 18 months. Despite this, reservations for the Switchblade are already said to be over 2,300. Its price will be around $170,000.
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