Official press release from Samson Sky:

Improved body upgrades are incorporated

As the improved body design passed through the wind tunnel, validating the aerodynamics of this new shape and propulsion system, there would still be room to style the exterior to reflect the astonishing performance of the vehicle. Imagine a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds and a mid-air cruise speed of 160 mph!! Who other than Samson was able to achieve these noble goals? We are truly in a class of our own. And we’re discovering ways to further improve the vehicle’s appearance as we begin making the molds for the wings of the first production prototype. Be sure to check out next month’s newsletter for the release of the final body images and an in-depth look at our Builder Support Program to show just how easy it will be! Switchblade’s Enhanced Body Transformation Video

Wings forward!

The Switchblade’s signature wing orientation and layout has never changed, and the new wing shape is based on the successful wing design that flew last fall. We expanded the wing from 67 square feet to 99 square feet – an increase of 147%! The folding part of the main wing must be held in place when the wing is deployed, and it cannot move at all. It must remain stable. So we figured out how to achieve this with a simple shape that pivots down when the wing is deployed and keeps the folding part of the wing stuck in position. Very creative actually. It does not require a large electric actuator and works very simply.

Equipment shopping list

CAMX is an international composites technology exhibition held annually in the United States. Our new head of R&D, Michael Maxwell, is expected to attend this show next week to find the equipment we will purchase to equip our automated parts factory. This facility complements assembly lines and functions as our customer experience with the Switchblade Builder Support Program. In previous newsletters, we have talked about the many years the Samson team has spent researching, observing, testing and validating new carbon fiber thermoplastic materials and manufacturing techniques that we will use in production. The reason we can offer a week-long builder support experience is due to advances in automated manufacturing of carbon parts based on thermoplastic materials. Maxwell and our future President of Composites, Steve McGinnis, helped build out the Samson composite parts manufacturing component of this business. Although it will still be more than a year before we set up the first parts production operation, we need to know the latest advances and place orders for this equipment, as waiting times can be long. We also need to know the cost of the equipment we will use and the speeds at which they operate, so we can predict the overall cost of implementing them and to ensure our plans will work with the expected flow of the assembly line.

Consultants assist our staff with production

We are smart enough to know that we don’t know everything! Amazing! But we’re pretty smart. For what does not fall within our skills, we rely on a series of specialist consultants in their field, such as Patrick Johnson for the hybrid electric propulsion system. Patrick has many years of experience in aircraft electrification and the development of unique hybrid electrical systems. He has been tasked with the development of our system and will design custom controllers for the electric motors with software specifically designed to give our vehicle an advantage in operating as both a car and an airplane. The estimates for this work meet our requirements both in terms of price and deadlines. Our goal at this point is to have a flying vehicle ready and in testing by next spring. One of the techniques we use to achieve this is to break down the many steps required to achieve this goal, defining the duration of each step and the personnel required, then placing this into a critical path organized so that all the sub-steps are taken into account. the goals can be achieved to achieve the overall goal in the time we have. Microsoft Project is used to track this and is the same tool that many large manufacturers use for this purpose. Other consultants are helping us write the standard operating procedures that will be used to keep the administrative side of such a large and rapid development program in one piece, as rapid action and tight deadlines can be difficult when are not managed correctly. SOPs hold the line to ensure no steps are missed and our activities are recorded.

More staff hired

There is so much work to be done to get into production that Samson has started hiring for specific needs such as additional mechanical engineers with production engineering experience. Although most of our work at the R&D center will consist of prototypes and one-off parts, at some point we will need to figure out how to build thousands of vehicles and how to maintain them. We find that access to maintenance is often overlooked in vehicles. Since this vehicle will need to be closely examined each year during an annual inspection to keep it airworthy according to FAA guidelines, access for maintenance is very important! Additional staff will help ensure we have the bandwidth to pay attention to all aspects of this groundbreaking project.

What do you get when you deposit?

Anyone can book with no money down, but when you become a depositor, you are moved into a fixed early delivery position. This is ahead of reservation holders who have not yet placed a deposit. Reservation holders who want an early firm position can make their deposit using their existing reservation number, and they will be assigned the next available delivery position. You can drop off or book HERE

Investment opportunity open only to accredited investors

Samson has opened our first major fundraiser for a significant investment to put the Switchblade into production. This is called a Reg D Series A (first major fundraiser), and we are VERY pleased with the response and interest. This particular investment is reserved for qualified investors only due to the type of this increase. If you’ve ever wondered if you qualify as an accredited investor, you can view the requirements here: Forbes Accredited Investor Definition. To learn more about this opportunity, please use the investor inquiry form on the website: Investor Inquiry.

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