The 'Switchblade' Flying Car is Ready for Takeoff

An anonymous reader shares this report on The Switchblade, 'an aircraft that doubles as a car.'

It could be 'just weeks away from getting its wheels off the ground after an inspection by America's Federal Aviation Administration determined that the vehicle is safe to fly:

The project has been 14 years in the making, and Sam Bousfield, CEO of Samson Sky and inventor of the Switchblade, said he's 'stoked' to reach this milestone. After passing the FAA inspection, his team wasted no time in beginning the high-speed taxi test. They were out on the taxiway the next day. '[The crew] took off their 'I'm doing R&D' and they put on their 'I am flight test' crew hat, and I think that really set the tone for everything after,' Bousfield said. 'So, we're in a different game now....'

Just like a pocket knife, the Switchblade's wings slip smoothly into the body of the vehicle with the touch of a button, allowing it to seamlessly transition from sky to air. Its tail also unfurls or retracts, depending on if it's being used to fly or drive. The idea is that the vehicle could be parked in a garage, driven to an airport, flown to a new destination, and then driven anywhere on the ground after it lands. When a trip is over, the user can fly it home or fly it elsewhere.

'The side windows (in the doors) will be power windows,' noted a tweet Thursday on the car manufacturer's official Twitter feed @FlyingSportsCar.

And Maxim points out that The Switchblade can be flown at up to 200 mph and as high as 13,000 feet, 'for up to 450 miles, with the 190-hp liquid-cooled three-cylinder powering the single propeller.'

On the ground, the Switchblade can achieve a brisk 125 mph, making it similar to 'a little flying sports car,' Bousfield added.

Before production begins, the Switchblade has more regulatory hurdles that flying cars will need to overcome. Owners will need a pilot's license and either a motorcycle or driver's license to operate it in both flight and ground modes, plus car/motorcycle and aircraft insurance. But for now, the FAA flight approval has inspired Bousfield to keep charging ahead....

It will be at least a few more years before civilians are flying their own Switchblades, which are expected to cost around $170,000. But anyone can join the 1,670 people who have reserved one free of charge.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.