PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — We’ve reported several times over the years about the dream of a Prineville man who developed the Switchblade “flying sports car,” most recently in 2020 when it was tested on a runway. It reached speeds of 138 miles per hour. was calculated as the takeoff speed of a unique “crossover” flight drive vehicle.
Sam Busfield is a dreamer of a Samson Sky Switchblade, a road-legal three-wheeled vehicle that he can drive from his garage to the nearest local airport.
We recently achieved a major milestone with our first flight out of Moses Lake, Washington/Grant County Airport.
Its creators say flying cars will make local travel easier, faster and more fun. The Switchblade travels at a speed of 195 miles per hour, and his seats are two abreast.
Kelsey McGee speaks with Samson Sky’s CEO and engineering advisors to learn more about the prototype. Her reports will be broadcast on her NewsChannel 21 at Five.
Here is a video and news release about the company’s first flight:
The maiden flight of the switchblade will take place soon
Make local travel easier, faster and more fun
MOSES LAKE, Wash. – (November 9, 2023): The world’s most popular flying car, the Switchblade, recently completed its maiden flight in Washington state. The first flight took off from Moses Lake/Grant County Airport, which is often used by Boeing and other major aircraft manufacturers for flight tests. Veteran test pilot Robert Mehle completed the flight, capping years of research to prove creator and designer Sam Busfield’s dream that a truly high-performance flying car could exist.
The first flight was completed under cloudy skies and calm winds. Samsung SkyTeam members stationed along the runway watched in anticipation as the switchblade took off smoothly and flew to an altitude of 500 feet. Flying over the vast airport and surrounding hilly terrain, the switchblade remained airborne for nearly six minutes before lightly touching down to complete its maiden flight.
Test pilot Robert Mehle said, “The control of the switchblade was excellent. We’re excited to be able to fly it from the ground for the first time.” Mr. Mole received his flight test training at Boeing, where he served as test director for the 787 aircraft. He has flown his 2,400 hours in 56 types of aircraft, including commercial and experimental aircraft. His input over the past few months helped his R&D team at Samsung perfect this aircraft. Flying blade flight prototype.
There is clear global demand for this vehicle, with over 2,300 reservations received from 57 countries and all 50 US states. With future owners all over the world, the Switchblade dashboard is designed for both right-hand and left-hand drive.
“After 14 years of design and rigorous testing, our first flight is a major milestone,” said Sam Busfield, CEO of Samsung Sky and Switchblade designer. The Samsung team plans to use the flight test data to finalize production engineering and build several production prototypes. We are on track to produce thousands of switchblades,” added Busfield.
The Switchblade has a maximum driving speed of 125+mph (201 km/h) and an estimated maximum flight speed of 190 mph (305 km/h). The vehicle has a unique hybrid electric system that uses unleaded automotive gasoline rather than leaded aviation fuel. Owners will be able to refuel at any auto gas station. More than nine patents have been issued or filed for switchblades in the United States and abroad.
Owners can park safely in their garage and drive the street-legal switchblade to a nearby airport. Once there, the vehicle switches to flight mode within three minutes and flies the registered aircraft up to 500 miles to its destination before refueling and cruising at 160 miles per hour.
The Switchblade can seat two people side by side and has space for a small travel bag. The wings and tail are folded to protect the wings and tail during driving mode. The engine powers the wheels on the ground and the propeller in the air.
Estimated price starts at $170,000. The price includes the Samsung Builder Assist program, where the owner spends a week assembling parts of the vehicle at a build center.
No special skills are required, as Samsung experts will guide and supervise every step of this process. Samsung will then complete the assembly of the rest of the vehicle. A commercial pilot’s license is required to fly a switchblade, but Samsung Sky is increasingly being booked by non-pilots who plan to learn to fly the switchblade.
“Today is the culmination of years of hard work and persistence to make our vision of a flying sports car a reality,” said Busfield. “Someone asked me what it felt like to see a switchblade flying. I thought about it and realized this is what it feels like when a dream comes true.”
To learn more about Switchblade and track its progress toward mass production, visit:
www.SamsonSky.com