The electric seaplane REGENT completed its first series of flights, proving its mission in midair, making it the first boat to take off from a manned hydrofoil.

REGENT, a pioneer in electric glider technology for sustainable high-speed sea travel, announced that its sea glider technology demonstrator has completed its first successful series of flights in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.

The REGENT sea glider is the world’s first vehicle to successfully use three operating modes at sea: swimming, hydrofoil and flight, which is an important step in maritime transport.

“This is a big moment in transportation history”said Billy Thalheimer, CEO and co-founder of REGENT. “Since the time of the helicopter, there hasn’t been a new mode of transport. Seagliders will bring the long-awaited relief to travelers seeking an alternative to traditional air travel serving coastal areas. 40% of the world’s population lives in coastal communities, and these successful flights have resulted in the full implementation of this technology and seaplanes. It gives us confidence in our ability to bring it to global commercial operation by 2025.”.

The REGENT sea glider is an all-electric screen-effect wing, meaning it flies low above the water, providing numerous aerodynamic and operational advantages, greater payload and longer range compared to other electric aircraft concepts.

The seaplane operates in three modes: from the dock, the device first moves on its hull, like a conventional boat. As it leaves the port area and gains speed, it rises on the sea buses. When a seaplane leaves a crowded port, the hydrofoil provides significant wave resistance and a smooth ride. Upon reaching open water, the seaplane takes off and accelerates to cruise speed while remaining within the wingspan of the water surface.

“People have been trying to make an screenshot habitable for 60 years, and in 15 months we went from a sketch to the first successful flight”” said Mike Klinker, REGENT CTO and co-founder. “REGENT is the first team in history to overcome the lack of low wave resistance in previous designs by combining high-speed hydrofoils with ground-effect flight – a major innovation that will revolutionize coastal transport. No vehicle in history can match our seaplane in terms of wave resistance and speed.”.

The successful flight demonstration of the technology with a wingspan of 18 feet was the latest step in proving the feasibility of sea glider technology. REGENT is currently focusing on the development of its 65-foot wingspan full-scale prototype, scheduled for sea trials in 2024.