(The high-performance “flying sportscar” accelerates on the ground from zero to 60 mph in just 60 seconds | Renderings courtesy of Samson Sky)
If an aerodynamically designed, high-performance sports car that accelerates from zero to 60 mph in just 60 seconds sounds appealing, imagine if that vehicle could be driven to a nearby airport and transformed into an equally high-performance aircraft in under three minutes — able to reach a flying cruise speed of 160 mph. That’s no longer the stuff of science fiction, but rather the culmination of a 15-year effort to create the world’s most sought-after flying sports car — the Switchblade.
“There have been hundreds of designs for flying cars, but no one has pulled it off until now,” said Sam Bousfield, whose path from initial conception to production started with drawings when he was in kindergarten, and has reached the point where 2,700 buyers from 57 countries (and all 50 U.S. states) — a number that grows daily — are clamoring for their own Switchblade once the vehicles are available.
Developing an enhanced body design is the latest milestone for Bousfield and his Samson Sky team, spurred by flight testing that — while validating many key parameters of the original design — resulted in a sleeker body and thruster propellers that “elevate the Switchblade to the next level, and give us the green light for production,” he said.
As Bousfield explained, “A company developing a brand-new aircraft never goes into production with their initial design, as there are always changes and modifications based on things learned from flight testing, as was the case with the Switchblade. Our new design improves performance by 20 percent — increasing the aircraft’s ability to fly faster. In addition, the cockpit is wider, and the wings are bigger, which allow it to carry more weight.”
He also noted that “Although the tail pulled forward into the back of the Switchblade and was protected by the bumpers in the original design, neither the tail nor the propeller was fully enclosed when driving on the ground. In the streamlined design, both the wings and tail are completely tucked away and protected inside the vehicle — just the body of the Switchblade shows.”
Bottom line: These improvements result in an aircraft that is simpler and easier to build. “Everything we do is with the mindset of how we are going to produce thousands of Switchblades to meet the incredible demand we have,” said Bousfield. (Existing reservations represent a potential sales value of more than $450 million.)
Having validated the Switchblade’s “new and improved” design through wind tunnel testing — standard practice in the aviation industry, and widely used by Boeing, Airbus, Cessna, and many others — Samson Sky will be building three test vehicles over the next 18 months. These will be used for intensive testing on every aspect of the vehicle, both flying and driving.
“Once testing is completed, we’ll shift everything to a new production facility (location TBD), and initially hire about 130 employees,” Bousfield said. Samson Sky’s existing facility in Prineville will be devoted to R&D, with a staff of about 20 people, including composites manufacturing expert Steve McGinnis, who has worked in leadership roles at Virgin Galactic, Mooney Aircraft, ICON Aircraft, and the Amazon Drone Project, and been instrumental in over 20 aircraft designs.
Bousfield envisions production of the Switchblade starting in late spring or early summer of 2026.
Samson Sky will subsequently build assembly facilities around the country where customers can fulfill FAA requirements to build 51% of the aircraft they have purchased. (This process, lasting about a week, will be supervised and highly computerized to maintain a consistent quality level, Bousfield emphasized.)
Estimated pricing for the Switchblade’s base model remains at $170k, despite the time spent in modifying its original design. “We feel this is very reasonable for a street-legal, hybrid electric vehicle that can be parked in a garage, as opposed to renting an airplane hangar for as much as $2,000/month,” he said.
A limited Switchblade model with an estimated pricing of $770k is also in the pipeline. “Individually crafted, it includes a higher horsepower engine; different tires and wheels; a choice of interior finishes; a different tail; and even bullet-proof construction, if desired,” noted Bousfield. “Each person’s Switchblade will be the only one in the world — their own customized personal space.” Base-model buyers also have options such their choice of paint colors.
Bousfield’s wife Martha, who has been an integral part of Samson’s development from the beginning, serves as reservations manager. In communicating with customers from around the world, she has learned that “the majority plan to utilize the Switchblade for a combination of business and pleasure. By copying their logo and company colors onto their Switchblade, for example, they’ll be able to use the vehicle as a business tool, with its mobility allowing them to be much more responsive to their clients.”
Sam Bousfield, who is understandably excited about moving Samson Sky into the production mode, can still recall those first years when he was focused on R&D issues such as ground handling and steering to keep the Switchblade from overturning, choosing an engine, and creating the aircraft’s own transmission. “We didn’t even get into major design until after the first five years,” he said, “and I recognize that the production phase will be just as challenging — if not more so. I’m learning something every time I turn around, but realizing this many years ago, I have put together the team to make it happen.”
Bousfield credits the success of the Switchblade to “a great team that keeps moving forward despite the setbacks we’ve faced along the way. In our minds, we’re so close, and need to keep our word and our integrity by producing what we promised.”
Will the Bousfields use a Switchblade themselves? “Heck, yes,” said the husband-wife team. “From a practical perspective, we can’t wait. Plus it’s so cool.”
