Video: Seaglider Full-Scale WIG Prototype Conducts First On-Water Tests
The first full-scale seaglider prototype using the wing-in-ground effect recently completed the first on-water tests of a prototype with humans onboard. According to Regent Craft, which is developing the new vessels, it was the kickoff of a testing campaign that will culminate with the first human seaglider flight at mid-year.
The company was launched in 2020 to develop the technology which it believes will present a new paradigm in travel. Its design is for an all-electric high-speed vessel that operates exclusively over water connecting coastal destinations. The vessel operates in three modes — floating on the hull, foiling above the waves on hydrofoils, and flying in ground effect within one wingspan of the surface of the water. The company’s first design, the Viceroy, is a 12-passenger vessel that can travel at up to 180 mph and up to 180 miles on a single charge.
The company successfully flew its quarter-scale seaglider prototype in 2022, validating its technological approach to redefining wing-in-ground craft (WIGs), vessels that operate in ground effect low over the surface of the water. Last year, it reported it had received permission to advance to prototype testing while raising more than $90 million from investors to develop the vessel. Regent has also advanced its maritime certification process with the U.S. Coast Guard and with maritime regulators in key markets around the world, in partnership with the maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register.
Paladin was lowered into the water in Rhode Island to start the first trials
Regent christened its new vessel Paladin before lowering her into Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The 12-passenger Viceroy seaglider prototype is 55 feet (16.7 meters) long with a 65-foot (approximately 20-meter) wingspan, making it the largest-ever all-electric flying machine.
Officially commencing sea trials, Regent’s test captains completed the first in a series of on-water tests. Sea trials follow months of sub-system testing of the critical onboard systems, including motors, batteries, electronics, mechanical systems, and vehicle control software, and will progress to the first human seaglider flight in the coming months.
The company has attracted strong attention from both regional air carriers as well as the shipping industry. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines made a strategic investment in 2024 and Brittany Ferries is among the companies reporting it was exploring using the vessels. Regent reports its total order book is valued at more than $9 billion.
Construction has started on a 255,000-square-foot manufacturing facility located in Rhode Island. The company expects the facility will come online in 2026 as it moves forward with the commercialization of its seagliders.
