Prineville, Ore., United States, November 15, 2024 – Samson Sky, the innovative producer of the Switchblade Flying Sports Car, has appointed Michael Maxwell, a renowned composites manufacturing expert, as its R&D Chief. Maxwell’s extensive experience in advanced composites and program management will be instrumental in advancing the Switchblade from prototype to production.
After the milestone First Flight of the Switchblade Flying Car in November 2023, Samson is gearing up for production. According to company officials, Maxwell will play a crucial role in helping Samson streamline their R&D efforts and accomplish getting the Switchblade into production.
Maxwell is a top performing Program Manager, leveraging 20+ years of experience working with Boeing, Toyota, NASA, DOD and other groups, and was instrumental in preparing the Switchblade for its successful First Flight Program.
“Michael Maxwell’s wealth of knowledge and experience in advanced composites makes him an invaluable member of Samson, and we’re excited to have him leading our R&D and production efforts,” said Sam Bousfield, CEO Samson Sky and designer of the Switchblade. “We validated the production vehicle last May at the University of Washington’s Kirsten Wind Tunnel in Seattle, including proving a massive 20% increase of performance over the original design. Now our efforts are to fast track the Switchblade into production.”
Maxwell played a key role as Composite Manufacturing Manager from 2020-2023 for SpinLaunch, named on the Time100 Influential Companies of 2022 for creating a new, cleaner method of launching satellites into space. There he ran operations to create the world’s largest carbon fiber part ever produced – a 1.5 ton, 100-foot-long satellite launch mechanism. He also managed production planning for composite manufacturing of all carbon fiber structures, hardware and mechanisms for the vacuum-sealed centrifuge that operated the 1.5 ton launch tether; it stands as tall as the Statue of Liberty, and is located at Spaceport America, New Mexico.
“I look forward to helping take this across the finish line, and bringing the Switchblade through the last steps into a vehicle that is ready for serial production,” said Maxwell.
The Switchblade Flying Sports Car is a street-legal, hybrid electric vehicle that is high-performance both on the road and in the air. You park the Switchblade in your garage, and drive it from there to a nearby airport. Once there, the wings swing out and the tail extends in under three minutes. You fly your registered aircraft to the airport nearest your destination, then simply land, transform back to driving mode – the wings and tail safely stowed and protected – and drive the last few miles to your destination. The Switchblade seats two, side-by-side, with room for travel bags, and flies up to 500 miles on a single tank of premium auto gas.
PLEASE NOTE:
The Switchblade is an Experimental category aircraft. The FAA does not provide Certification for this category of aircraft – they certify aircraft that are fully produced in a factory by the manufacturer. With all Experimental aircraft, the FAA designates that the owner must build 51% of the vehicle. All Switchblade owners will spend one week at the Samson Builder Assist Center, building 51% of their Switchblade. Following this, Samson will complete their vehicle.
About Samson Sky
Samson Sky aims to revolutionize personal and commercial transportation with mobility solutions that enhance freedom of movement. The Switchblade Flying Sports Car combines cutting-edge aeronautical and material sciences with sleek design, reducing travel times significantly. Samson Sky envisions transforming logistics, enabling commercial carriers to bypass ports and transport goods directly to destinations up to 2,000 miles away.
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