Regent's electric seaglider skims the waves at 180 mph — and it's coming for your ferry
Regent's Ground-Effect Vehicle Reimagines Coastal Travel
Regent Craft's Viceroy, a 16.8-meter wing-in-ground craft, flew 596 meters over Narragansett Bay in September, carrying two captains — the largest electric WIG ever to fly with people aboard. Skimming 10 meters above water, it hits 290 km/h with a 290-kilometer range and room for 12 passengers. Because U.S. law classifies low-flying WIGs as vessels, they fall under Coast Guard rather than FAA oversight, sidestepping the regulatory limbo that has stalled eVTOLs. Regent claims a $10-billion order backlog, with production set for late 2027.
You're always over your landing area.
- phillipseamore
"The Seaglider is designed to handle ocean swells up to a meter and a half high" - that severely limits where it can be used or during which seasons.
- wood_spirit
China has also been developing secret modern erkanoplans https://www.hisutton.com/Chinese-WIG-2025-07.html
- ChrisMarshallNY
Here's hoping for many good-weather/calm seas days...
- thomas536
Loved ground effect since I first saw it on (iirc) beyond 2000 television program. I haven't been able to find any reference to that episode...
- adrianpike
Everything old is new again: https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2001/1001/110.html