The test marks the start of the final stage of the programme's sea trials. REGENT spent the summer raising the vessel's hydrofoiling speed ahead of the flight, part of a testing effort during 2026 covering both on-water operations and simulation-based development. The company has previously flown 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," said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO. "The VICEROY seaglider flight marks the start of a new era in mobility, unlocking opportunities across passenger travel, defense missions, and cargo transport. We're now moving quickly toward production to deliver seagliders to coastlines around the world."

Mike Klinker, co-founder and CTO, said the flight test "validates years of rigorous engineering and operational work and gives us the confidence to move into full-rate production".

Three operating modes

Seagliders are high-speed hydrofoiling WIG craft. The vessel starts on its hull at low speed, transitions to hydrofoils once clear of the dock, and then flies within one wingspan of the water surface. Hydrofoiling provides wave tolerance and manoeuvrability in harbours and near coastlines, while a triple-redundant digital control system manages stability, allowing the captain to operate the craft in flight as a boat.

VICEROY is designed for speeds of up to 180 mph over a range of up to 180 miles, seating 12 passengers and two crew. In the United States, seagliders are captained by certified mariners and regulated by the US Coast Guard, and by national maritime authorities elsewhere.

Order book and defence work

REGENT reports a global order book spanning six continents with several years of manufacturing capacity booked. Earlier this year the company named The Twenty Five, a coastal travel operator and membership platform, as its first domestic delivery and US launch partner for operations in the north-eastern and south-eastern United States, with an order for up to 60 VICEROY seagliders.

As a dual-use company, REGENT is developing a family of seaglider systems for military missions including contested logistics, MEDEVAC and CASEVAC, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and launched effects. It holds a USD 15 million contract with the US Marine Corps Warfighting Lab and a CRADA with US Special Operations Command. Its autonomous drone SQUIRE completed its first defence-specific WIG flight earlier this year.

Manufacturing

In June, REGENT completed construction of a seaglider manufacturing facility at its Quonset, Rhode Island headquarters, coming online this year as the production hub for the order book. The site will house structural assembly, wing and hydrofoil integration, battery and systems installation, and water-based testing, with direct waterfront access for sea trials. Built to scale in phases, it will handle end-to-end production of the 12-passenger VICEROY and the SQUIRE drone.

REGENT will continue flight testing VICEROY as it moves towards full-scale production.

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