ABOVE: Seaglider vessels are high-speed, hydrofoiling wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft
In a world-first, Regent Craft’s Seaglider vessel prototype, Viceroy, successfully completed its first human-crewed flight, making it the largest ever all-electric wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft to fly with people on board. The flight marks the first time a wing-in-ground effect vessel has been engineered and readied for commercial and defence operation at scale.
The first flight took place at Regent’s headquarters on Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, with a crew of two aboard. The Seaglider flew 1,956ft at a height of 33ft above the water for thirty seconds.
Seaglider vessels are high-speed, hydrofoiling wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft that combine the speed of an aircraft with the convenience of a boat. The vessel operates in three modes – float, foil, and fly – starting on its hull at low speed, transitioning to hydrofoils once clear of the dock, and then taking flight within one wingspan of the water’s surface. Hydrofoiling gives the machine good wave tolerance and manoeuvrability in harbours and near coastlines. A triple-redundant digital control system manages stability autonomously, so even in flight, the captain drives the Seaglider like a boat: left, right, fast, and slow. The Viceroy is designed to be able to fly at a maximum speed of 156kt, seating twelve passengers and two crew.
PHOTO: REGENT CRAFT
