Regent Resumes Trial Operations with Electric Seagliders

Regent Craft has resumed trials with a full-scale prototype for the electric 12-passenger Viceroy Seaglider it aims to bring to market in 2027. The company reported that its 2026 test campaign will include both the Viceroy and the smaller Squire Seaglider drone.

At its headquarters in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, Regent is developing the Viceroy to operate over water in float, foil, and flight modes. The company is also resuming hydrofoiling tests and is preparing to conduct first flights with humans on board the Viceroy later this year. Trials with the autonomous Squire model are focused on validating systems, controls, and operational envelopes.

Regent’s engineering team has spent the winter months making design improvements, as well as reviewing data from the 2025 flight test campaign and simulating operations. The company is targeting both commercial and defense applications for the wing-in-ground effect (WIG) vessels, which will be certified under maritime regulations to fly at around 30 feet above water.

“There is existing guidance we must follow for regulating a WIG craft through the International Maritime Organization,” explained Ted Lester, Regent’s v-p of certification. “We are actively advancing this approval pathway in parallel with the development of our Seagliders, meaning we are working with the [U.S.] Coast Guard throughout the entire process, from initial design stages through to inspection and final approval. As part of that process, Coast Guard officials are involved in oversight and inspection, including participation in key testing phases such as sea trials to ensure the vessels meet the required safety and operational standards before entering service.” 

This summer, Regent is set to open its 255,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in Rhode Island. It has reported provisional orders from operators including Synerjet in Brazil and private members club XXV in the U.S.