“Things are so exciting that it is hard for me to not tell you all of what is going on. From building our first production parts to new tech for pilot controls, and dash design compatible with future Air Traffic Control systems that we are helping to develop. It is wild and fun – and adding up to our production vehicles being ready for use. Some of this just can’t be shared publicly yet, but it will be soon! “
Sam Bousfield
CEO & Founder
First Body Parts Made for Production Vehicle!
As you may recall, we shifted from making the wings first to making the body first. The reasoning being that we could complete the body and be testing on the ground while we finished making the wings and tail. Then we bolt on wings and tail and do flight testing in the coming Fall and early Winter.
We are now more than half-way through all of the body molds, and have started making body parts. The first parts that were made earlier in February were the two clamshell doors that open and close to let the wings swing in or out from the belly of the vehicle. You can see those two parts in the images above and below. They are fresh out of the oven, and have not been trimmed of excess material yet.
These parts were made using existing carbon fiber epoxy technology at Composite Approach in Redmond Oregon. In the future, we will bring in our cutting-edge thermoplastic parts manufacturing that is environmentally friendly and fully recyclable. For the first one or two hundred vehicles, we will be using the epoxy method that is common for aircraft.
This is a major milestone for Samson, and many other parts and molds have been completed since these first parts were made. The second image below is the mold for the roof and front hood of the Switchblade. This is a massive mold weighing over a thousand pounds. These molds are still temporary while we work out the first assembly, and then we will make what is called a ‘splash’ of a validated final part to use as the basis for our production molds for the next two Production Prototypes and on into large scale production for the Switchblade.
Control Systems
While we had already developed and tested a Fly-By-Wire (FBW) control system for the rudders of the flying prototype, we accomplished first flight using a mechanical system for the rudder control. We made this decision because we wanted to test flight qualities of the Switchblade and did not want to also test a new flight control system at the same time.
We are now well into the design of our Pilot Control system for production, which is a dual-path engineering effort. We are designing a system that we can install now as a mechanical system, but that can also be used for FBW control systems for once those have been tested to be as safe or safer than the mechanical controls. This gives us a shorter path to production by using mechanical controls but allows us to move to FBW controls without a major revision to our cockpit or pilot control input.
It should be a fairly invisible system change. While I can’t describe things in too much detail quite yet (patent application is still not completed), it is an exciting thing to work out! What I can tell you is that the system will be capable of dual controls (pilot and co-pilot controls), with a hand throttle, automotive brake system, and have the ability to operate on any taxiway or runway. We will update you as soon as we can.
We are also incorporating sub-systems that will be utilized in the near future for advanced Air Traffic Control that Samson is participating in. In the future, with multiple drone companies doing deliveries within cities and in rural areas, and more advanced air mobility solutions also vying for air space, we will need a more robust and fool-proof means of navigation and control. Samson is assisting in moving forward with a new system that will keep all parties safe and still allow that rapid expansion in the air that we have always dreamed about.
Prepping For Paris
As you may know, Samson is focusing our energies on building production vehicles. We have limited our desires to take the Switchblade out to multiple events knowing that production was king. That being said, we were given an offer we couldn’t refuse, as we were invited to participate in the Paris JEC show, widely considered the largest Composites (carbon fiber and fiberglass) trade show in the world. Over 150,000 people attend the three day show in Paris, France. The Who’s Who of composite and manufacturing attend, and we were invited to be part of the Aditya Birla booth. Ed Rose from Birla was very kind to offer that to us, and we have sent R&D Chief Michael Maxwell there with two small models of the Switchblade to share our vision of the future with that crowd to attract investor attention as well as supply chain partners.
In the image above you can see Michael with the partly finished flying model. These were 3D printed in sections, then bonded together and painted. He worked extra hours to meet the deadline of having a ground model and flight model ready for the show. The image below shows the two models finished after painting, and ready to ship. The rest of the Engineering Team is probably wishing they could go too, but happy to make progress while the Chief is away.
Samson had earlier chosen Beyond Motors as the primary electric motor supplier for the Switchblade. Beyond is a Slovenian company and their axial flux motors are an excellent fit for the Switchblade generators and propeller motors. These motors have been used in European Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) vehicles as well as ground vehicles, so have a track record in our industry. While we showed these motors earlier, we thought you might like to see them up close and personal. In this short video, Samson Engineer David Nobles unboxes the motors and generators for you.
This gives you an idea of their size and weight, plus they just look darn cool! Again, our hybrid system allows us to use one of several internal combustion engines to power both the propellers in the air and the wheels on the ground. We had developed a custom transmission earlier to have a mechanical system but were caught when the earlier internal combustion engine was dropped from production, making the custom transmission worthless.
Having a hybrid system allows us to use one of many engines as a generator, and we can change engines without changing the rest of the system. Since we aren’t a Ford or Chevy (who make their own engines), our strategy is to be able to use many different engines and not be limited to only one engine. This way if one engine goes out of production, we have the capability to easily use another engine and not be stopped in our production. See the link below to watch the less than 2 minute video of the unboxing.
If you are wishing you had a Pre-flight Special Switchblade
There have been 140 Pre-flight Special vehicles sold over the years, and one of the Owners now has a medical condition that precludes them from flying again and has decided to sell his Pre-flight Switchblade. These are Special Edition vehicles called the Founder Edition, with unique features that set them apart, including having the very aesthetic Limited Edition dashboard, custom seat design with Founder Edition stitching and my signature as Founder, Lidar system to call out the height above ground when on approach to landing, and many more extra features plus they are the first production vehicles to be delivered.
This allows one lucky person to jump almost to the head of the line, and with a huge discount on price – but does require the funds in advance. Since we have actually started production at this point, the risks are drastically reduced and this investment has protections, so if you want an early one and missed the chance, now is another opportunity to get in on this fantastic deal. Email me at [email protected] for the details.
Accredited Investors Only
Blue Sky Opportunity available for Accredited Investors. No other company has high-performance in both modes and a practical flying car, with a start being Experimental Aircraft and private party use, but having a broad commercial use for a Certified Aircraft flying car in the near future. AI co-pilot currently operating with full autonomous fly/drive as the end goal. Inquire at:
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Sam Bousfield
Captain, Switchblade Team
