Regent Craft's Seaglider vessel prototype, the Viceroy, has successfully completed its first human-crewed flight, making it the largest-ever all-electric wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft to fly with people on board. The flight marks the first time a wing-in-ground effect vessel has been engineered and readied for commercial and defence operation at scale, solidifying America's leadership in ground effect flight and positioning Regent as the pioneer of this transformative transportation technology.

The first flight took place at Regent's headquarters on Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, with a crew of two captains aboard. The Seaglider flew a distance of 1,956 ft at a height of 33 ft above the water for 30 seconds.

The Viceroy prototype flight test provides critical validation of the innovative technology and marks the start of the programme's final stage of sea trials. The Regent team spent the summer increasing the vessel's hydrofoiling speed in preparation for the flight, part of a comprehensive testing effort throughout 2026 spanning both on-water operations and simulation-based development. These efforts continue to refine vehicle performance, de-risk operations and accelerate Regent's readiness for commercial service and defence applications. Regent has previously demonstrated flight of its uncrewed Squire Seaglider drone.

“This is the moment we have been envisioning and tirelessly pursuing for the past five and a half years: Regent has successfully proven safe, efficient ground-effect flight,” states Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO at Regent. “The Viceroy Seaglider flight marks the start of a new era in mobility, unlocking opportunities across passenger travel, defence missions and cargo transport. I'm so grateful to the amazing team who made history today. We're now moving quickly toward production to deliver Seagliders to coastlines around the world.”

“Completing this flight test validates years of rigorous engineering and operational work and gives us the confidence to move into full-rate production,” adds Mike Klinker, co-founder and CTO at Regent. “We showed today that flying a Seaglider is every bit as smooth and safe as we designed it to be. I can't wait to get on board and to share the experience with others as we make our vision for the future of maritime mobility a reality.”

Seaglider vessels are high-speed, hydrofoiling WIG craft that combine the speed of an aircraft with the convenience of a boat. The vessel operates in three modes, float, foil and fly, starting on its hull at low speed, transitioning to hydrofoils once clear of the dock and then taking flight within one wingspan of the water's surface.

Hydrofoiling gives Seaglider wave tolerance and manoeuvrability in harbours and near coastlines. A triple-redundant digital control system manages stability autonomously, so even in flight, the captain drives the Seaglider like a boat: left, right, fast and slow. The digital control system offers a level of safety and control that no WIG craft has achieved before it.

The Viceroy vessel will be able to fly at speeds up to 180 mph for up to 180 miles and seat 12 passengers and two crew. Onboard, passengers can expect ample legroom, large windows and a quiet ride, all while travelling faster than a ferry and skipping the delays of airport-style check-in.

Regent's Seaglider vessels are captained by certified mariners and regulated in the US by the US Coast Guard and by maritime authorities in countries around the world.

Regent has a global order book spanning six continents with multiple years of manufacturing capacity booked. With 40 per cent of the world's population living in coastal communities, Seagliders represent the future of coastal mobility, augmenting existing transportation networks and using existing port infrastructure to deliver innovative, high-speed, comfortable travel between coastal hubs.

Earlier this year, Regent announced that The Twenty Five, a luxury coastal travel operator and membership platform, will be its first domestic delivery and US launch partner for Seaglider operations in the Northeast and Southeast US, with an order for up to 60 Viceroy Seagliders.

As a dual-use company, Regent also continues to build momentum in defence markets as it develops a full family of Seaglider systems for military missions, including contested logistics, medevac and casevac, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and launched effects. Regent has a $15 million contract with the US Marine Corps Warfighting Lab and a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), supporting innovation in agile, next-generation maritime mobility.

The company's autonomous Seaglider drone, Squire, completed its first defence-specific wing-in-ground effect flight earlier this year, a milestone that proves the platform's autonomy systems and lays the groundwork for future defence and commercial applications.

In June, Regent completed construction of the world's first Seaglider manufacturing facility, a 255,000 sq ft site at its Quonset, Rhode Island headquarters that is coming online this year as the global production hub for the company's order book. The facility will house structural assembly, wing and hydrofoil integration, battery and systems installation, and water-based testing, with direct waterfront access for sea trials and proximity to Rhode Island's maritime manufacturing workforce.

Built to scale in phases, the site will handle end-to-end production of the 12-passenger Viceroy vessel and the Squire drone, anchoring a domestic supply chain and reinforcing America's maritime manufacturing base.

Regent will continue advancing the Viceroy Seaglider prototype through a rigorous flight testing campaign as it moves toward full-scale production and delivering Seagliders to commercial and military customers around the world.