SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 27, 2025 – For anyone who has ever dreamed of driving to the airport, unfolding wings and taking off into the sky, the latest patent for the Switchblade flying car is one more sign that everyday air travel might soon feel a lot more real. Samson Sky, the company behind the Switchblade, has just secured an exclusive tail fold patent that makes its futuristic vehicle easier to live with in a normal suburban lifestyle.
A flying sports car that still lives in your garage
At its heart, the Switchblade is designed to behave like a sporty, hybrid-electric car on the road and a high-performance aircraft in the air. It seats two people side-by-side, with room for travel bags, and promises sports car performance with 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in about five seconds and a top road speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). In the air, it aims for an estimated cruise speed of 160 mph (257 km/h) and a range of up to 500 miles (805 km) on premium auto gas.
Crucially for everyday life, the Switchblade is built to fit into a standard home garage. Instead of needing a hangar or special shelter, owners can park it like a regular car, then drive to a nearby airport via highways or local roads. Once there, a push of a button from within the cockpit transforms the vehicle from driving to flying mode in about three minutes.
Why this new tail-fold patent really matters
The newly granted design patent focuses on a unique tail fold and retraction mechanism. At the touch of a button, the tail and propellers retract cleanly into the body of the vehicle, protecting the flying surfaces whenever the Switchblade is in drive mode. This is not just a cool party trick — it has real-world benefits for everyday owners.
Company officials believe that fully enclosing the tail and propellers on the ground can help meet strict insurance requirements and make the Switchblade easier to insure. It also reduces the risk of damage when maneuvering in tight parking spaces or around other vehicles. As CEO and designer Sam Bousfield puts it: “We are the only flying car that can comply with this very important insurance requirement of protecting the flying surfaces while driving,” stated Bousfield. “We are also the only flying car with high-performance in both driving and flying modes.”
From Oregon to the world: a global flying car community
The Switchblade project is based in Prineville, Oregon, but its fan base is already global. According to Samson Sky, there are nearly 2,700 reservations from more than 50 countries, including all 50 U.S. states, representing over $500 million in future revenue. That kind of worldwide interest hints at a new class of personal mobility — part sports car, part private aircraft, and very much aimed at adventurous travelers.
For international buyers, Samson Sky plans to offer both left- and right-hand drive controls, making the Switchblade easier to adapt to different road systems. The vehicle passed a key milestone with its official First Flight in November 2023, and more patents are still in progress in the U.S. and abroad.
What living with a flying car could feel like
While the Switchblade is still moving toward full production, it already paints a vivid picture of what future mobility might look like for enthusiasts who want more than a regular car or even a private plane. Imagine:
- Driving from your home garage to a local airport in a sleek, hybrid sports car.
- Transforming to flight mode at the airfield and cruising hundreds of miles above traffic.
- Landing near your destination and folding everything away again for regular road use.
Because the flying surfaces are enclosed while driving, owners don’t have to worry about wings or tail sections sticking out into traffic or scraping against garage walls. And with an estimated price around $200,000 USD, the Switchblade targets a niche but passionate audience that prioritizes freedom, speed and a very personal style of travel.
3 ways the Switchblade could change your trips
For lifestyle-focused readers, the Switchblade isn’t just a technical achievement — it’s a new way to think about weekend escapes and long-distance journeys. Here are three ways it could make travel feel different:
- Turn long drives into short hops: Instead of spending hours in highway traffic, you could fly up to 500 miles on a single tank, opening up more spontaneous weekend destinations.
- Keep everything under one roof: Because it fits in a standard garage and uses existing airports, you don’t need separate storage, a hangar, or a second vehicle for the drive to the airfield.
- Blend thrill and practicality: With sports car acceleration on the ground and true aircraft performance in the air, it offers both emotional excitement and practical point-to-point mobility.
For now, the Switchblade remains an exclusive vision of future mobility — but each new patent, like this tail fold design, moves it a step closer to becoming a real option for adventurous drivers and flyers. Learn more and follow the project’s journey toward production at https://www.SamsonSky.com.