REGENT Seaglider Achieves First Flight

REGENT’s electric seaglider achieved its first series of flights on August 15, 2022 in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, proving its full ‘float, foil, fly’ mission—making it the first craft to take off from a controlled hydrofoil to wing-borne flight. The seaglider technology demonstrator is a quarter-scale prototype for our 12-passenger seaglider, Viceroy. The prototype is an unmanned, remotely operated technology demonstrator that was built to prove the transitions for the seaglider’s float, foil, and fly modes of operation. The REGENT seaglider, a new category of electric vehicle that operates exclusively over the water, is the first-ever vehicle to successfully utilize three modes of maritime operation—floating, foiling and flying—marking a major step forward in maritime transportation. The successful flight demonstration of the quarter-scale, 18-ft wingspan technology demonstrator was the final step in proving the feasibility of seaglider technology. REGENT is now focusing on developing its full-scale, 65-ft wingspan prototype with human-carrying sea trials expected to begin in 2024. Explore the seaglider: