It looks like Henry Ford is getting the last laugh.
The founder of Ford Motor Co. F made a startling prediction way back in 1940 when he declared that "a combination airplane and motorcar is coming."
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"You may smile, but it will come," the legendary business titan said.
Bear in mind, Ford made this statement just 37 years after Orville and Wilbur Wright took to the air in the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, so flying cars were pretty much the stuff of science fiction.
SWITCHBLADE FLYING SPORTS CAR MAKES HER OFFICIAL FIRST FLIGHT
— SamsonSky (@FlyingSportsCar) November 10, 2023
First flight of the Samson Sky Switchblade. Check out the video below.
First flight was achieved under cloudy skies in Moses Lake, Washington at the Grant Country International Airport. https://t.co/BQ7xYCC5wG
Time passed, however, and the flying car has moved from Jules Verne and Buck Rogers to reality, with Morgan Stanley forecasting in 2019 that accelerating tech advances and investment could create a $1.5 trillion market for autonomous urban aircraft by 2040.
“The intersection of many technologies, such as ultra-efficient batteries, autonomous systems, and advanced manufacturing processes are spawning a flurry of activity in this space," said Adam Jonas, Head of Morgan Stanley's Global Auto and Shared Mobility research team.
While the idea of flying cars may seem fantastical, Morgan Stanley said much of the ecosystem is already in development in complementary technologies.
Company says 'history has been made!'
Military drones have been around for years, and electrified, autonomous vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (VTOLs) are gaining traction.
In logistics, drone package delivery is in active testing. Improvements in batteries, artificial intelligence and satellite communications are also expanding the possibilities.
Naturally, a number of companies are looking to get into this market, including Alef Aeronautics, Jetson, and the electric vehicle maker Xpeng XPEV, whose flying car unit, Xpeng Aeroht, in January received a special flight permit in China for its two-seater X2 flying EV.
Samson Sky recently announced the first flight of the Switchblade, a three-wheel, street legal vehicle.
The Switchblade made its first flight in the sky over Moses Lake, Wash. on Nov. 9 at the Grant Country International Airport.
"History has been made!" Samson Sky declared on its website. "After a smooth takeoff, test pilot Robert Moehle flew her up to 500 ft., cruising over the massive airport and rolling countryside for just short of 6 minutes, before coming in for a nice landing."
The company also posted a video of the Switchblade's first flight.
The Switchblade, which has an estimated price of $170,000, can drive at a maximum speed of 125+ mph. While in the air, the flying car can travel at an estimated speed of 190 mph and reach as high as 13,000 feet.
Owners will be able to drive their Switchblade from their garage to the airport where they can transform the vehicle into flying mode in under three minutes. Then they'll be able to fly up to 500 miles without refueling.
The Switchblade seats two, side-by-side, with room to store smaller travel bags.
Worldwide demand
The vehicle’s wings and tail fold in, protecting them while in driving mode, while the engine powers the wheels on the ground and the propeller in the air.
"Today is the culmination of many years of hard work and persistence to make the vision of a flying sports car a reality," creator, designer and CEO Sam Bousfield said in a statement. "Someone asked me how it felt to see the Switchblade fly. I thought about it, and realized this is what it feels like when your dreams come true."
The company said worldwide demand for the vehicle is clear as it has over 2,300 reservations from 57 countries and every state in the union.
A private pilot's license is required to fly the Switchblade, but Samson Sky said it is seeing more and more reservations coming in from non-pilots, who plan to learn to fly.
Some of the biggest names in the tech sector have tried to launch flying vehicles with less than stellar results.
Last year, Google GOOGL co-founder Larry Page’s flying car startup Kittyhawk said it was winding down.
In 2021, Uber UBER handed its flying car project, Uber Elevate, to the air taxi start-up Joby Aviation. Uber said it would invest $75 million in Joby’s effort to build a flying taxi, while agreeing to become partners with the start-up when the flying car reaches the market.
And last year, Tesla TSLA CEO Elon Musk revealed a Tesla flying vehicle, but the company has not begun marketing or selling such a vehicle.
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