This road-legal flying car makes its first six-minute flight

A veritable sea serpent in the automotive world, the flying car is about to become reality if this first conclusive test is to be believed.

Fans of the film The Fifth Element are rubbing their hands. The universe they admired will soon be similar to ours. Indeed, flying vehicle cars are in their testing phase and their upcoming marketing is no longer in doubt. Proof of this is this test aboard Samson Sky’s Switchblade flying car, described by its manufacturers as a “road-legal three-wheeled vehicle that you drive from your garage to a nearby local airport”. Lately, it has passed a 6-minute test in the air. Its creators, located in Oregon (United States), must now refine the details.

The flying car takes flight

The Switchblade is a two-seater hybrid-electric flying car available as a home building kit (including the exclusive Samson Builder Assist program) and is estimated to be priced from $170,000. With a 190 hp Samson three-cylinder liquid-cooled engine offering an estimated fuel economy of 1403 kilometers per liter on the ground. The hybrid-electric propulsion system allows the machine to be refueled at any roadside gas station. The hybrid version allows you to have a car and a plane in less than three minutes.

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A successful first in Washington

The Switchblade’s first flight took place at Grant Country International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. It lasted six minutes and reached an altitude of 152 meters. Pilot Robert Moehle, former director of testing for the Boeing 787, was at the controls.

The maiden flight marks an important milestone. This makes over 14 years old as the research team develops rigorous trials. Switchblade CEO and designer Sam Bousfield explains: “This first flight puts us on the path to producing thousands of Switchblades to meet the demand we are receiving. »

With 2,300 reservations from 57 countries, this flying car is already a success. THE Dutch competitor, Pal-V which also has a project aimed at approving a flying car, still waiting to be able to make its first flight.