Regent's Ground-Effect Vehicle Reimagines Coastal Travel

Regent Craft is developing the Viceroy, a 16.8-meter electric wing-in-ground-effect craft intended to make coastal trips faster than ferries without the infrastructure demands of conventional aircraft. By flying close to the water, its wings gain extra lift and reduce drag. The vessel can move from floating near docks to hydrofoiling and then flying about 10 meters above the surface. It uses 12 electric motors and a battery pack of roughly 500 kilowatt-hours. Regent says it can travel up to 290 kilometers per hour, cover 290 kilometers, and carry 12 passengers plus two captains. Its first crewed flights took place in September, including a 596-meter, 30-second test.

The company sees island routes and congested coastal journeys as a market underserved by both ferries and air travel. It has raised more than $340 million, reports a $10 billion order backlog, and plans to begin commercial production in late 2027; a travel company has ordered as many as 60 craft. Regent’s case also rests on easier operation and oversight: current rules classify low-flying WIG craft as maritime vessels, potentially allowing Coast Guard regulation and operation by qualified mariners rather than airline pilots. Federal law nevertheless requires the Coast Guard and FAA to work out oversight. Hydrofoils, automated controls, redundant systems, and sensors are designed to address the difficult transition between water and flight and the hazards that plagued earlier Soviet ekranoplans. Regent is also testing a smaller uncrewed version for military communications and medical uses.