Govind Tekale
Flights with a one-quarter scale prototype Seaglider have been completed by Regent, which is releasing a full-scale mock-up. Described as a new category of vehicle that is fast, efficient, & emission-free, the Seaglider leads the way in maritime transportation.
Set to take flight in 2024, Regent’s electric Seaglider can carry 12 passengers & 2 crew at a speed of 160 knots. Called the Viceroy, Regent’s flagship Seaglider has a range of up to 180 miles, which is expected to increase to more than 450 miles with next-generation battery technology.
An $11 billion market is served by the Seagliders, which Regent projects to swell to as much as $25 billion as battery technology advances. Providing a quick, low-cost, sustainable coastal travel solution, Regent is on a mission to change regional transportation for the better.
Regent‘s Electric Seaglider (RES) operates a few meters off the water’s surface, combining the high speeds of an aircraft with the low operating costs of a boat. No flight plan or pilot’s log is needed, as the electric Seaglider is designed to be regulated & certified by maritime authorities.
REGENT completed the world’s first all-electric Seaglider flight with 3 modes of maritime operation, including floating, foiling, & flying. $8 billion in orders have been received by REGENT from a variety of companies around the world, reflecting the need for fast, reliable, & sustainable maritime transportation.
REGENT is expanding its global headquarters in the US state of Rhode Island, to manufacture the Seaglider backlog. As REGENT prepares to begin deliveries by mid-decade, it is adding up to 600,000 sq ft of new manufacturing & testing facilities.
Its supply chain is being shored up by REGENT by selecting EP systems for the batteries & MAGicall for the motors that will power the prototype’s all-electric distributed propulsion system.
Expertise for REGENT’s strategic investment is brought by the appointments of ex-Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg & David Neeleman, co-founder of Breeze Airways, JetBlue, & Azul Airlines, to its Board of Advisors.
A tipping point for many of the new-technology aerospace ventures is the middle of the decade. The launch customer of REGENT will be Mokulele Airlines, a commuter airline operating inter-island flights among the Hawaiian Islands, owned by Southern Airways.
A fleet of 11 Cessna 208EX Grand Caravans serving ten destinations within Hawaii is operated by Mokulele Airlines. The coming two years will reveal who is going to make it through certification & into production, though on the face of it, REGENT has a fighting chance.
The Electric Seaglider of REGENT is expected to play a significant role in reducing congestion by providing an alternative zero-emission travel method.
The company has already begun establishing the manufacturing capabilities & supply chain partnerships that will give them the robust ability to scale global production & deliver on their backlog safely & effectively.
Muilenberg, from his 38 years of experience, sees REGENT as having the winning combination of a transformative product & technology, a realistic plan, & the ability to go from ideation to production readiness.
