Sam Bousfield, inventor of the Switchblade™ spoke to a crowd during a forum at the recent Golden West Regional Fly-In and Air Show in Yuba City with a scale model at his side.

What if you owned a vehicle that could take you "down the road" as well as up, up and away, into the friendly skies?

Parked in your home garage, it would await your plans for a road and/or air trip. Just pack, load and go.

Forget about long waiting lines at the airport terminal. No more boarding passes and passing through security. No sitting at the departure gate hoping your plane leaves on time.

You can get above all of that without leaving the comfort of your own vehicle.

The Switchblade™ Multi-mode Vehicle (MMV) is just the ticket to independence and faster travel. No more hassles of commercial flights with the traveling masses.

As pilot of your Switchblade™, you drive to the airport, extend the wings and fly to an airport close to your destination at 160mph. There's room for one passenger and 50lbs of luggage in the comfort and safety of your Switchblade™.

When you land, retract the wings and drive to your final destination. The scissor-wing design has a retraction system that swings the wings closed like the blade of a pocketknife.

The Switchblade™ will be as exciting on the ground as it is in the air," said inventor Sam Bousfield. "Past attempts to build a flying car have concentrated on four-wheeled vehicles."

Airplanes have three.

"The three-wheeled Switchblade™ offers a lighter, more functional and aerodynamic vehicle to achieve stylish, safe and affordable performance," according to Bousfield. "On the ground and in the air."

On the ground the Switchblade™ is targeted for 50+mph and in the air is anticipated to achieve 22mpg at up to 150mph.

"It uses unleaded automotive gas, not expensive aviation fuel," said Bousfield.

The ground test-vehicle was showcased at the recent Golden West Regional Fly-In and Air Show in Yuba City. The full-sized tube frame was used to validate the drivetrain and suspension and to fine-tune ground handling.

The target date for the first flight is late 2010, with kit deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Bousfield in the pilot's seat of Switchblade as he begins the first test of it's drive-ability.

Bousfield and Sharon Weinberger, a writer for Popular Mechanics, take a test drive.

Bousfield and Don Campbell standing next to the Switchblade gives a sense of height and lenth of the Multi-mode vehicle.

This sideview shows the location of the engine.

According to information supplied  by Samson Motors:
The composite frame with steel keel will be provided as a kit aircraft, meeting the newest FAA guidelines. State of the art fully equipped Assembly Assistance Centers will provide expert training and guidance to help reduce build time and ensure proper construction. Switchblade™ Learning Centers are being established to provide valuable training experience for learning how to drive and fly this unique Multi-Mode Vehicle, taking full advantage of its capabilities.

STANDARD FEATURES:
Driver adjustable seat, continuously variable transmission (cvt) with forward, neutral, reverse, and flight mode, leather interior, safety glass front windshield, lexan side windows, heating & air conditioning, mp3 player, seat belt / safety harness, front and rear disc brakes, video rear view monitor, glass cockpit, extendable wings, dual ground/air lighting system, redundant ignition system, redundant battery system, Navigation radio, ELT (emergency location transmitter), back-up air speed, altimeter and attitude, ballistic chute recovery system, turn by turn ground GPS.

Preliminary Specifications:
    •    Estimated GTOW = 1500 LB (Gross Take-off Weight)
    •    LENGTH = 15’ 6”
    •    WIDTH = 5’ 6”
    •    HEIGHT = 5’1”
    •    SEATS = 2 (side by side)
    •    SPEED = 90+ mph on wheels – 150 mph cruise flying
    •    RANGE = 880 miles ground,  340 miles air
    •    MPG = Estimated 50 mpg ground, 22 mpg air
    •    WINGSPAN = 23’ 5” main.
    •    WING LOADING = 20 psf
    •    ENGINE = 150 hp Freedom Motor twin rotor (or applicable motorcycle engine)
    •    ESTIMATED TBO = 1500 hours (Time Between Major Overhauls)
    •    FUEL = regular unleaded automobile gasoline (any fuel capable - freedom motor)
    •    FUEL CAPACITY = 16 gallons including reserve
    •    STALL SPEED = 61 mph (with flaps extended)

To keep up-to-date with the Switchblade, visit:www.samsonmotorworks.com/.

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner