Viceroy Seaglider Rises out of the Water

Viceroy Seaglider. © Regent

Regent’s Viceroy Seaglider, a wing-in-ground-effect prototype, has lifted out of the water for the first time, successfully completing its initial low-speed tests in hydrofoil mode.

This electric aircraft is designed to travel only over water in three ways: floating on its hull, gliding above the surface on hydrofoils, and flying just above the water using ground effect, staying within one wingspan of the surface.

Regent’s latest sea trials focus on testing how well the craft performs on hydrofoils, ahead of its first full flight later this year.

Viceroy Seaglider. © Regent

Regent CEO and cofounder Billy Thalheimer, said:

“Seeing our seaglider prototype rise onto foil for the first time marks a major milestone and a powerful validation of the years of innovation, grit and world-class engineering our team has poured into this vision. This achievement brings us one step closer to crewed flight, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”