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Elon Musk’s no stranger to knowing how to grab people’s attention, and his latest Tesla Roadster stunt had plenty of people wondering whether a real-life flying car is finally becoming a reality.
While the footage was certainly impressive, one company has been working on something designed to do much more than put on a show.
Samson Sky CEO Sam Bousfield has spent years developing the Switchblade, a vehicle that can travel on roads and take to the skies
And when he saw what Tesla had unveiled, he admitted he felt a rather unexpected emotion.
Flying car CEO says he was ‘very relieved’ by Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster stunt
Speaking to Supercar Blondie, Bousfield described the flying car Tesla Roadster footage as ‘one of the coolest things [he’s] ever seen’.
He added: “For a moment, Elon Musk brought spaceflight on the stage in front of hundreds of people.”
However, despite the excitement surrounding the footage, Bousfield was quick to point out that the Roadster wasn’t actually a flying car.
“I was actually very relieved,” he said. “I was very relieved when I saw what he had because I went, okay, fine. He’s just trying to add wow factor to the Roadster.”
He continued: “That was a really cool stunt. Added wow, that wow factor. He’s not got a flying car. This is great.”
Bousfield explained that Samson Sky has a different goal from Elon Musk’s, focusing on regional transportation rather than short-lived spectacles.
“The difference is that we’re in it for the long haul for actual regional transportation,” he said.
The Switchblade can transform from a car into an aircraft
The company’s answer to the flying car dream is the Switchblade, a three-wheeled vehicle designed to be driven on the road and flown between destinations.
Bousfield explained that owners would keep it in their garage, load their luggage into the front trunk, and drive to a nearby public airport.
Once there, the transformation is designed to be remarkably straightforward.
“You push the button, it automatically deploys the wings, tail, and gets set up for flight,” he explained.
The Switchblade is designed to reach 160mph in the air, allowing it to cover regional journeys of approximately 186 to 497 miles.
And when it reaches its destination, drivers don’t have to leave their aircraft behind.
“Three minutes later, everything’s buttoned up again,” Bousfield said.
“You’re driving in a vehicle which sort of looks like a pointy-nosed Ferrari and you can’t tell it’s an aircraft.”
He also revealed that the Switchblade can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in around five seconds on the road.
“It’s not supercar, but it’s fast enough,” he joked.
Samson Sky hopes to begin production within 18 months
After years of development, Bousfield told me the company hopes to begin producing the Switchblade within 18 months.
“Oh, heck yes. I am so excited,” he said when I asked how he felt about reaching this stage.
“This is not only a dream come true for me, but it is something that I wanted to do this lifetime. I just said, ‘This is what I’m going to do. I’m going to make this happen’.”
There have been plenty of challenges along the way, including a custom transmission that took eight months and $250,000 to develop before the motor it was designed for went out of production.
The company subsequently moved toward a hybrid-electric setup that can use different gas motors to power a standard generator.
Bousfield also believes flying cars could eventually change how people think about getting around, particularly when it comes to business travel.
He suggested owners could visit several cities in one day and still make it home for dinner, without relying on commercial airport security queues or rental cars.
And while Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster may have given the world a glimpse of something extraordinary, Bousfield is hoping the Switchblade can help make the flying car a practical part of everyday life.
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