Spotlight on Samson Sky

I know what you’re thinking—another week, another flying car startup. Just hear me out.

Samson Sky produces the Switchblade, a competitor of Alef Aeronautics’ Model A and Aska’s A5, both of which I’ve highlighted in this spot before. It’s a two-seat, three-wheel, street-legal flying sports car that parks in the owner’s garage, drives on highways, taxis, and takes off at an airport runway, and flies like an airplane. The vehicle is expected to cost $170,000, and Samson Sky just garnered record sales at EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh.

But there’s a catch to Switchblade—you build it yourself. That’s because Samson Sky is certifying it as an experimental kit-built aircraft, which requires the owner to build 51 percent of the vehicle. This is interesting for a few reasons. For one, it skirts a more rigorous FAA certification path, which should allow Switchblade to fly sooner. But it also adds an element of risk to the vehicle since it’s not manufactured on a production line.

However, a Switchblade purchase comes with access to the Samson Builder Assist Program, a team of engineers that works with owners to build their portion of the vehicle. It’ll be interesting to see how much faster—if at all—Samson Sky’s business model can get Switchblade certified.

Jack Daleo, Staff Writer