Milestones:

OUR REVIEW:

The Switchblade is an elegant solution to turning a fixed-wing aircraft concept into a road-worthy vehicle. It packs a sporty turbocharged 2L 300hp engine which gives a good top speed on the ground and in the air.

But hold your horses: the vehicle is currently sold to private owners as a “kit”, that may only be operated under an experimental certification. That means the kit must be 51% assembled by the owner, for which a “Builder Assist” program is offered. It is not clear if Samson Sky will be seeking Type Certification with any of their future concepts.

While the marketing on the website touts a “road-legal” design, it is also not clear which rule set it would be legal under, as requirements for “motorcycles” vary by state. In Europe, any 3-wheeled vehicle over 4 meters (the Switchblade measures 5.8 meters) would require special oversize permits.

With any new vehicle type, safety is of the utmost concern. Personal Air Mobility will be eagerly watching Samson Sky for any news regarding future certification plans.

*Range, endurance, and max speed are reported by the manufacturer. These specifications are not yet verified by performance tests. Personal Air Mobility comments on these claims in engineering reviews, but does not independently verify their validity.