Regent seaglider prototype cleared for flight testing
Rhode Island-based seaglider startup Regent has received regulatory approval to commence testing of its all-electric Viceroy seaglider.
The 12-passenger craft is designed to operate exclusively over water, either as a conventional boat, hydrofoil, or flying in ground effect. Existing battery technology will give the craft a range of 160 nautical miles, with the Viceroy set to enter service “by mid-decade”.
US law defines seagliders (which operate within one wingspan of the waters surface) as maritime vessels and are therefore regulated by the US Coast Guard, with technical support from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
With approval granted by the US Coast Guard (following a Navigational Safety Risk Assessment), testing of the full-scale seaglider prototype can commence in Narragaansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. This assessment included input from more than 20 stakeholders, including the FAA, the US Navy, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and sailing organisations.
“US Coast Guard approval of Regent’s Navigational Safety Risk Assessment marks a significant step in bringing us closer to seaglider prototype testing with humans on board,” said Ted Lester, vice president of certification at Regent. The company added that “testing of the full-scale prototype with humans on board will begin later this year, with the first flight planned for early next year”.
Regent also notes that “the US Coast Guard review on seaglider prototype testing is part of a larger collaboration between Regent and the regulatory authority to advance seaglider certification in the US”.
