An incredible hybrid high-speed yacht-seaplane vehicle has completed successful flight tests and is ready now for production.
Designed for sustainable maritime travel, the fully-electric seaglider operates a few meters off the water’s surface on hydrofoils until it needs to fly and Rhode Island-based company Regent say it couples the high speed of an airplane with the low operating costs of a boat. This clearly isn't one of those 'maybe' ideas judging by it's order book.
“With orders totaling over $7 billion, Regent will commercialize seagliders for sustainable high-speed, regional mobility with first passengers boarding in 2025,” the company stated along with the announcement that they achieved an initial series of test flights of the craft.
The seaglider has a range of 180 miles (290 km) and able to fly at 180 mph (290 kph) and Regent has plans to service island and coastal communities.
“Seagliders will bring welcome relief for travelers seeking an alternative to traditional air travel servicing coastal communities such as New York City, the Hawaiian Islands, Barcelona, Tokyo, and many more worldwide,” said Billy Thalheimer, CEO and co-founder. Adding: “40 percent of the world’s population lives in coastal communities. These successful flights give us full confidence in our ability to apply this technology at full scale and bring seagliders to global commercial service by 2025.”
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