Is It Finally Here?!?!

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Flying Car You Can Park in Your Garage Lifts Off on Maiden Voyage: Meet the $200,000 Switchblade

Last year, GNN reported on the Samson Switchblade, a street-legal car that had received its airworthiness certificate from the FAA, and was ready to begin testing.

Last week, a veteran pilot took the Switchblade up on its maiden flight; driving it to the airport, deploying its wings and tail, and taking off for a 6-minute flight 500 feet above the ground.

The highly-anticipated two-seater received 2,300 reservations from 57 countries and all 50 states in the US, and the news of the successful maiden flight will likely see that grow.

Here’s exactly how it works. It needs an airport runway to take off and a private pilot’s license to fly. It uses unleaded gasoline rather than leaded airplane fuel and needs three minutes to switch into flying mode.

The aircraft can then be flown to the airport nearest your destination at up to 200mph and within a range of 450 miles. It can reach altitudes of 13,000 feet supposedly. Once landed, it folds in its wings and tail and is small enough to be parked in a normal garage.

“Today is the culmination of many years of hard work and persistence to make the vision of a flying sports car a reality,” said Sam Bousfield, Samson Sky CEO and designer of the Switchblade. “This puts us on the path towards producing thousands of Switchblades to meet the large and enthusiastic demand we’re receiving.”

There's a two minute video in the link about the first flight. I'm definitely interested in seeing how this develops over the next few years and see where all of the interest in it leads.

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4 Unique Flying Cars That Are Currently In Development (msn.com)

In July 2024, Minnesota became the second state to approve regulations for flying cars. New Hampshire was the first state to do so. In light of these developments in legislation, one naturally wonders if flying cars are on sale .

There are plenty of options, but none have entered the delivery stage.

The development of flying cars has come a long way, as they are expected to be delivered as soon as next year. In this article, we will look at the four flying cars that are currently in development.

The Flying Cars and some info below

Doroni Aerospace Flying Car

According to the CEO of Doroni Aerospace (Doron Merdinger), Doroni flying car is set to "offer a safe, practical, inexpensive and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional automobile transportation." One of its flying cars, the H-1 Hummingbird was even type certified by the FAA last year, and is expected to be delivered next year.

Photo: Doroni Aerospace

Payload: 500 lbs (227 kg)

Range: 60 miles

Cruise Speed: 100 mph (160 kmph)

By the end of last year, more than fifty test flights using the X8 prototype eVTOL (of the Hummingbird) had already been completed. The H-1 Hummingbird's batteries can be charged by 60% in less than twenty minutes.

Terrafugia Transition

Terrafugia Transition is a flying car that received its type certification as a light-sport aircraft (LSA) in January 2021. Terrafugia is a carbon-fiber driveable aircraft that can fit in a standard-sized garage. The hybrid design of the engine allows the Terrafugia to work with either of the following:

• Premium grade automobile gasoline
• Or the 100LL aviation fuel

Capacity: Two passengers, one crew

Engine: Single Rotax 912ULS piston engine

Maximum Speed: 95 knots (110 mph, 180 km/h)

Terrafugia can be flown in autopilot mode and has an avionics panel on its dashboard. Other features of the aircraft include a folding wing and twin tails.

The history of Terrafugia goes as far back as 2006, when graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) planned to design a vehicle that one could drive to an airport and fly after the wings were unfolded.

Has yet to be approved by the NHTSA for highway travel.

ASKA's A5

Product development: 2018

Special Airworthiness Certification: 2023

Maximum range: 150 miles

Maximum air speed: 150 miles per hour

Aska claims that the A5 is the "world’s first flying car to start the Type Certification process with the FAA". This four-seater flying car is capable of driving along a road like a car and capable of taking off as either of the following:

• Vertical takeoff and landing ( vtol )
• Short takeoff and landing ( STOL )

The fully functional prototype of the A5 debuted at CES Las Vegas in 2023. The aircraft also received two "Best of Show Design Awards" at CES 2023. ASKA claims that the A5 flying car's full-scale prototype "successfully aced its first airborne tests, lifting from an airfield with hovered thrust while the vehicle was tethered to the ground."

The A5's special airworthiness certification signifies that its design complies with exhaust emission standards and noise and fuel venting standards. The certificate was issued after it completed over 300 miles of road testing with a Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) number plate.

Has $50M in pre-orders.

Samson Sky Switchblade

Estimated Cost: $170,000

125+ miles per hour (201 km/h) [as a car] 190 mph (305 km/h) [while flying]

From within the fifty states in the US, more than 2,300 reservations for the Samson Sky Switchblade have already been made. When the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, approved regulations regarding flying cars on May 15, 2024, it was believed Samson Sky's “roadable aircraft” (i.e., the legal term for flying car) had played its part.

During its maiden flight, the Switchblade had achieved an altitude of 500 feet. On occasion, CEO Sam Bousfield, expressed his delight:

"Today is the culmination of many years of hard work and persistence to make the vision of a flying sports car a reality. Someone asked me how it felt to see the Switchblade fly. I thought about it, and realized this is what it feels like when your dreams come true."

The first flight came after fourteen years of design and testing. It has been estimated that the Samson Sky Switchblade can reach an altitude of 13,000 ft. Global Air reported that Samson had enlarged the wings of the Switchblade from 67 square feet to 99 square feet. This was an increase of nearly 150 percent.

Uses unleaded auto gas and transforms in three minutes.