Seaglider Begins Sea Trials, With Eye Towards On-Foil Test

Regent has shown off some of their recent Viceroy seaglider testing in bits and pieces as Spring turns to Summer, highlighting its program’s headway in developing electric ‘flight’ in ground effect.

Their first trial seaglider was named “Paladin”, and prepped for action as the Regent team loaded it into Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Paladin’s descent into the water finally ended their first ‘dry’ phase of testing, capping off “months of rigorous sub-system testing of the critical onboard systems, including motors, batteries, electronics, mechanical systems, and vehicle control software.” Their first outing was fairly mundane, from a performance perspective, as they puttered around the bay at a max speed of 16 knots. That allowed Regent to evaluate the rudder, motors, and software for issues at low speed, as anyone in the test pilot club would expect.  Eventually, these small tests will work their way up to going full-throttle towards the edge of the envelope, but for now Regent is working towards getting their Viceroy on-foil in the coming weeks.

In March, Regent began its first test ‘flights’ using a full-scale demonstrator, completing its ‘first on-water tests of the prototype with humans onboard, kicking off a testing campaign that will culminate in the first human seaglider flight mid-year.” The Viceroy is their 12-passenger seaglider prototype, with a 55-foot long fuselage and 65-foot wingspan. It’s a seldom seen type of watercraft, taking up the development of ground effect aircraft from years past. The high-speed Viceroy will be an all-electric flying machine that works between 3 different regimes of flight: The first, and most basic, is acting as a boat, using its keel to support its weight as it trolls across the surface at low speed. Once it gets up to greater speed, it transitions on-plane and supports itself with an extended submarine hydrofoil, reducing drag with a smaller contact area with the water. Finally, at its fastest speed, the Viceroy can pull even the hydrofoil out of the water and fly in ground effect, up to a max ceiling about 65 feet (its wingspan). The footage and photography that results from these tests is great news for Regent and its investors. It all allows them to show the world there’s a new option in the world of electric aviation, one particularly suited to island operation and coastal commuting, on top of it. They’ve been picking up interest in their “zero-emission” passenger transport, like a deal with ADNOC Logistics and Services for a trial run of the Viceroy as an offshore ferry.

"Sea trials are just the beginning," said Billy Thalheimer, REGENT Co-founder and CEO. "This is the first step toward delivering Viceroy seagliders around the world and fulfilling our global order book. It's a true testament to the dedication of our world-class team and partners across the globe that we've accomplished this historic milestone in just four years since our founding. Today, we’re one step closer to meeting what we have now validated as massive global market demand for seagliders."

FMI: www.regentcraft.com