Regent Craft has begun hardware and systems integration of its full-scale seaglider prototype, a key step forward in the company's journey to revolutionise regional coastal mobility. The Viceroy seaglider prototype will provide technical validation of full-scale operations and offer the world's first opportunity for a human to experience seaglider travel.

Over the next few months, Regent will be assembling major structural components and installing critical onboard systems such as motors, batteries, electronics, mechanical systems and vehicle control software. Sea trials with humans on board begin later this year.

“We're moving more quickly than any other advanced electric mobility platform to create the world's first passenger-carrying seaglider,” says co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer. “We've proven seagliders can successfully float, foil and fly; the integration phase is a major moment that brings us closer to experiencing float, foil and fly firsthand. I’m looking forward to getting on board myself.”

After coming up with the idea for the seaglider in 2020, Regent designed and operated a quarter-scale prototype over a period of 18 months, conducting hundreds of hours of on-water tests and demonstrating the world's first seaglider flight. Last spring, the company unveiled a full-scale seaglider mockup.

Over the past year, Regent has been developing and conducting rigorous tests of the seaglider subsystems both in physical and emulated tests. The company takes advantage of digital twin technology to simulate real-world testing and will verify these tests on the water with its first full-scale seaglider prototype.

“Our ability to meet our ambitious goals is a testament to the hard work and diverse expertise of our engineering team,” says co-founder and CTO Mike Klinker. “It's exciting to see all the structures and systems come together quickly and safely to make our first full-scale seaglider prototype a reality.”

Regent recently received approval from the US Coast Guard for its Navigational Safety Risk Assessment, which allows the company to test the prototype in Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. This followed an extensive third-party analysis of navigational safety and consultation with more than 20 local stakeholders on environmental concerns and economic impacts from operations.

Regent will test the prototype in its three modes: floating on the hull at the dock and in speed-restricted waterways, foiling on wave-tolerant hydrofoils in marked channels and commercially navigable waterways, and flying over the open water in ground effect, always staying within one wingspan of the surface of the water.

According to a recent global survey, 86 per cent of coastal residents would be interested in using a seaglider for regional coastal travel. Regent has secured more than 600 seaglider orders valued at more than $9 billion from leading airline, ferry, freight and lessor operators around the world.