Rhode-Island based Regent Craft has flown its full-scale Seaglider with two captains on board for the first time, bringing the company closer to commercialising an electric vessel that flies above water.
The ‘Viceroy’ prototype travelled 596 metres across Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island at a height of 10 metres. The flight lasted 30 seconds.
The test moves the Viceroy beyond its earlier uncrewed demonstrations and into the final stage of sea trials. The company has spent much of this year increasing the vessel’s speed on hydrofoils before attempting powered flight.
“This is the moment we have been envisioning and tirelessly pursuing for the past five and a half years,” said Billy Thalheimer, Regent’s Co-founder and CEO. “Regent has successfully proven safe, efficient ground-effect flight.”
The Viceroy is designed to operate in three stages. It begins as a conventional boat, rises onto hydrofoils as it accelerates and then lifts off to fly within one wingspan of the water. At that height, the wing benefits from ground effect, reducing aerodynamic drag and allowing the craft to fly more efficiently than it could at higher altitude.
That operating model also gives Regent a different regulatory route from electric aircraft developers. The company classifies its vessels as maritime craft, meaning they fall under US Coast Guard oversight and are operated by certified mariners rather than pilots.
The company is now trying to turn the technology into a production vehicle. Its latest flight came less than a week after Regent announced a $240m Series B funding round to expand manufacturing.
Regent completed a 255,000-square-foot factory in Quonset, Rhode Island, in June. The facility will produce the 12-passenger Viceroy alongside Squire, a smaller uncrewed seaglider designed for defence and other applications.
The commercial vehicle is expected to carry 12 passengers and two crew at speeds of up to 180mph with a range of up to 180 miles. Luxury coastal travel operator The Twenty Five has committed to buying up to 60 Viceroys and will act as Regent’s US launch partner.
Regent is also developing the technology for military use. The US Marine Corps Warfighting Lab has funded its work through a contract worth up to $15m, while the company has a cooperative research agreement with US Special Operations Command.
The next step for Viceroy is a broader flight-testing programme before production begins. The latest test gives Regent a crewed vehicle to put through those trials, with the company now targeting commercial and defence deliveries.
