Electric Seaglider Combining Hull, Hydrofoils and WIG Flight Takes Off

An unusual all-electric aircraft has completed its first crewed flight, combining three different ways of moving through or above the water in one vehicle. REGENT Craft’s Viceroy prototype took off from Narragansett Bay in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, on September 2, 2026, according to New Atlas. The vehicle is designed as a seaglider, with a floating hull for operation on the water, hydrofoils for faster movement during takeoff, and a wing-in-ground-effect configuration for low-altitude flight. The Viceroy is powered by 12 electric motors positioned along the leading edge of its wing. Once airborne, its short, wide wing is intended to use the wing-in-ground effect, in which air trapped between the wing and the surface increases lift. This allows a vehicle to carry more payload than a conventional aircraft of similar size, according to the report. Wing-in-ground-effect vehicles have historically faced difficulties during the transition from water to flight. They can be unstable in pitch and difficult to handle at low speeds, particularly in rough open water. The Viceroy’s hydrofoils are intended to address that phase of operation by lifting the vehicle above the water as it accelerates. This reduces wave drag and is designed to improve maneuverability and stability before takeoff. During the test, two pilots operated the Viceroy as it flew 1,956 feet, or 596 meters, at an altitude of 33 feet, or 10 meters. The flight lasted 30 seconds and used a triple-redundant digital fly-by-wire system to automatically control pitch, roll and altitude. New Atlas reported that the short flight was intended to test the basic principles of the design rather than demonstrate the vehicle’s full capabilities. The test makes the Viceroy one of the more unusual aircraft prototypes to combine waterborne operation, hydrofoil technology and wing-in-ground-effect flight in a single electric vehicle.