These are exciting times and we are happy to have you on our side, pitching for our success. It is our pleasure to bring the Switchblade to the world, as we feel that a world with flying cars in it will be better in many ways.
“Exciting times for us all.”
CEO & Founder
Introduction
With just one document left to develop for our major funding, we are in a good position to finalize the location of the first US production facility, and look for more people to hire, materials to order, and consultants to expand our capabilities and get things done faster.
While this is going on, the engineering team is focused on getting as much engineering done as they can to allow the most assembly work to be accomplished as funding is received. It is a balance between funding and progress, and how to make the most of what we have at all times.
Having this ability to balance work and funding has enabled us to persist through many ups and downs of the economy. Many other companies did not survive. And we have proven that it is possible to provide a flying car that is high-performance in both modes. We flew with good air handling, achieved 125 mph on the ground, beat everything in our wheelbase in standard slalom testing, and now have a 5-second 0-60 mph capability due to our hybrid electric design.
Yes, we have to do another flight test to confirm real world capability of 160 mph cruise, but with the many wind tunnel tests accomplished, we have high confidence that we have nailed that also. It is an exciting thing to be at the forefront of this new transportation segment. Whether you are already an Owner, Depositor, Reservation Holder, or Supporter, you can also become a part owner of Samson Sky.
We have had a Crowdfunding raise open for some time but will be closing it shortly. This is available for investors and investment of almost any size. It can be found at:
For Accredited Investors, we have a Regulation D Series A round that will also be closing shortly. This will be the last of the stock available at current pricing. You all know the effect on company valuation and share price when a company receives significant funding, especially when that funding is sufficient to bring the company into production at scale.
In any event, these are exciting times and we are happy to have you on our side, pitching for our success. It is our pleasure to bring the Switchblade to the world, as we feel that a world with flying cars in it will be better in many ways.
Radiator Duct Testing Steps Accomplished
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1BRxCcayKw
We have talked about full-scale testing of the radiator duct and cooling system in the nose of the Switchblade. This work has been happening, and we have successfully completed two tests to validate two different stages of the test equipment and mockups.
In the video above you can see one of the recent tests at the Samson R&D facility that we accomplished using the Switchblade flying prototype to produce airflow through a duct section that straightens out the flow. Propellers tend to produce a swirl, and we need the airflow going into the radiator test mockup to be straight like it would in flight. To do this we used tubes to capture and straighten out the airflow. In the video Chief Engineer David Nobles is outside the vehicle giving instruction to Test Engineer Tony Nissen, at the controls of the Switchblade.
The test validated that the flow was fairly straight, and that the tubes didn’t block the airflow significantly. We also tested whether we could have the Switchblade prototype engine reach the required temperatures for this test. This is needed as we are using the Switchblade engine coolant to run through the radiator test section that will be behind the Switchblade. Using this test setup for these future tests, we can gauge whether the radiator and radiator ducts are working as they were designed.
In another test, we measured the air speed coming out the back of the vehicle. We needed to see a certain speed so that we knew we would be able to test at the right conditions to be useful. In the image below you can see the longer duct section behind the Switchblade. It looks like we have converted the Switchblade to rocket power, don’t you think?
This rear duct section allows the air pressures to even out on the way to the test portion and actually shrinks in diameter to increase the air speed so that we are testing at 100 mph or more. This is the critical air speed that we need to pass to know the radiator will handle the maximum output of heat during a hot day climb-out at maximum power.
In the image below you can see what this will look like for a completed test, with the Switchblade on the left providing accelerated air through the metal ducts in the middle and then that airflow blows out over the nose of the vehicle to create the same airflow that would be seen on take-off. The mockup of the Switchblade in the background is incomplete as it needs the radiator ducts and radiator installed, then the sides of the nose attached, plus some instrumentation connected and the tubing to carry the engine coolant to the radiator and back.
Hybrid Rear Wheel Design
The two images below show the rear hybrid wheel design based around the Asruk electric motor and our gearbox for driving. The top image shows the inside view with big lugs for the suspension mounts on the gearbox in the middle, the motor on the upper left, wheel on the right. The gearbox allows us to use smaller motors for driving which demands a lot of torque or twisting force at the wheel for those 0-60 mph accelerations we know you are going to want to enjoy (at least some of the time)!
The image second image below is another view this time looking from the outside through the wheel rim (ghosted) allowing you to see the wheel mount on the gearbox and the motor, shown here on the right. This is the lightest setup we could find that would give reasonable acceleration. We are using special gears called helical gears that are used for transmissions in automobiles as they are quieter than straight teeth gears. Helical gears have curved teeth.
The design is nearly complete, and the gear case is being run through Finite Element Analysis (computerized stress testing) to see where we need more or less material so we make a nice, light but strong case.
Motorcycle Definition Change in US Cancelled
In the last newsletter, we talked about an effort to change the definition of a motorcycle, and how that might affect US registration of the Switchblade. We had hired an excellent lobbyist and long-time Switchblade supporter to help manage our lobbying efforts in relation to this. Duane Gibson from Maryland responded and maintained good communication with the legislators involved to present our interests and needs in this kind of legislation. The bill ended up not being a threat to us, and we thank all concerned for their consideration.
We did uncover some other options to make it possible to have even easier Switchblade registration in the future, so are pursuing those as a preventive action.
How would life be if you had a Switchblade?
Sometimes, I stop and think about what life will be like with a Switchblade. Every time I drive 9 hours down to see my children and grandchildren in California, I think “I could use a Switchblade just about now”. Take that 9 hours and make it 3.5 hours door-to-door with no traffic hassles, not getting stuck behind a slow truck, not having to stop three times to stretch and take a break. Those kinds of things. Not to mention that I will have the majority of my day (and the evening) with the family, instead of traveling all day.
And then I remember what it is like to fly and be above it all. To look down upon the world below as if it were there just to entertain you. And the self-confidence of knowing that I am a pilot, trained and practiced to completely and effortlessly control this flying machine that I am causing to move through the air.
This is the life you have to look forward to with a Switchblade. If you have already Reserved – awesome! You might look at making a $500 Deposit to get a fixed Delivery Position. Depositors have a fixed position for delivery which means that they will receive their Switchblade much earlier than those who simply have a Reservation. Just food for thought.
Dream of flying!
Yours,
Sam Bousfield
Captain, Switchblade Team
Recent Media
We had additional pickup from media sources around the world from our recent Central Asia trip.
School for Startups Radio
Podcast Interview – hear Sam from 9:04 – 35:10
https://schoolforstartupsradio.com/sam-bousfield-flying-car-matthew-fornaro-business-law/
USA Today
Oregon-based Samson Sky Inks Deal in Tajikistan for Switchblade Flying Sports Car
https://www.usatoday.com/press-release/story/29381/oregon-based-samson-sky-inks-deal-in-tajikistan-for-switchblade-flying-sports-car/
EVTOL Insights
Samson Sky Signs MOU in Tajikistan to Establish Pilot Training Programs and Provide Flight Simulators in Country
https://evtolinsights.com/samson-sky-signs-mou-in-tajikistan-to-establish-pilot-training-programs-and-provide-flight-simulators-in-country/
Rotor Pro
Samson Sky Gaining Runway in Foreign Countries
https://justhelicopters.com/Articles-and-News/Industry-Wide-News/Article/184792/Samson-Sky-gaining-runway-in-foreign-countries
