A U.S.-based startup company Samson Motors is working on what it claims is “the world’s first flying sports car”. Read below for more information on this so-called Switchblade project.
The airborne racer can accommodate two people and comes with retractable wings and a detachable fin assembly. These require manual operation at the moment but the enterprise states it is working on a solution that would make the process fully automatic.
The vehicle is 5.1x1.8 meters large (that’s 200”x70”) while on track. Its dimensions while airborne haven’t been disclosed yet, although these are naturally going to be much larger. Switchblade has a takeoff weight of only 794 kilograms (1,750 lbs).
The vehicle is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder motor rated at some 200 horsepower. The thrust of the engine gyrates a propeller situated right behind the cockpit.
Switchblade needs a smooth track approximately 400 meters (1/4 of a mile) long to conduct safe takeoff and landing. Its peak velocity, whether on track and airborne, is currently limited to 160 km/h (100 mph). However, once the test vehicle made it to an altitude of 4,000 meters (2.5 miles), it could attain a cruise speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).
Piloting Switchblade would require both driver’s and light aircraft pilot’s licenses. The highly unusual sports vehicle is expected to be sold at U.S. $120,000.
Photo: Samsonmotorswork.com