REGENT Completes First Crewed Test of Viceroy Hydrofoil Seaglider
REGENT Craft has successfully conducted the first crewed test of its Viceroy prototype, a next-generation marine vessel designed to operate in three modes: floating on its hull, gliding on hydrofoils, and flying in ground effect.
This milestone follows earlier float-mode trials completed in March and marks a critical step in validating Viceroy’s performance in hydrofoil mode. In this intermediate phase, the vessel lifts above the water surface, providing improved maneuverability, smoother ride quality, and accelerated transition toward flight.
Even before reaching full ground-effect flight, Viceroy already demonstrates impressive speed — up to 50 knots (around 93 km/h), twice that of conventional hydrofoil vessels. Once fully airborne in ground effect, it is expected to reach speeds of 180 mph (290 km/h) and a range of 180 miles on a single electric charge, making it the world’s largest all-electric wing-in-ground effect craft to date.
“Our prototype Seaglider lifting onto its foils for the first time is a major milestone — a true testament to years of innovation, persistence, and world-class engineering by our team,” said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT. “This achievement brings us one step closer to full-scale crewed flight, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s next.”
The 12-passenger Viceroy, nicknamed “Paladin,” measures 55 feet in length with a 65-foot wingspan. It is classified as a maritime vessel, not an aircraft, and is operated by certified mariners under regulation from the U.S. Coast Guard and global maritime authorities. The U.S. Coast Guard approved REGENT’s navigational risk assessment in August 2024, and Bureau Veritas granted Approval in Principle for Viceroy in August 2022.
Since its founding in 2020, REGENT has secured a reported order backlog exceeding $9 billion across six continents. The company has formed strategic partnerships, including a service agreement with UrbanLink for South Florida and Puerto Rico, a $10 million contract extension with the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, and test programs with ADNOC Logistics and Services in the UAE.
REGENT is currently constructing a 255,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at Quonset Business Park in Rhode Island, scheduled to become operational in 2026. The first manned flight of the Viceroy Seaglider is targeted for late summer 2025.
