Regent Craft this week submitted the design basis agreement (DBA) for its Viceroy seaglider to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), which is handling the certification process for the electric-powered, wing-in-ground effect vessel. The Rhode Island-based company announced the milestone on March 20, two weeks after starting sea trials with a prototype.

Under maritime regulatory structures, the DBA establishes what the Viceroy must do to show an equivalent level of safety to other similarly-sized vessels. Regent is hopeful the Coast Guard will approve the agreement by around the middle of this year.

The Viceroy is designed to carry a dozen passengers on regional trips along coastlines of up to 180 miles. It will cruise just above the water’s surface at speeds of up to 160 knots, operating from existing dock infrastructure.

The vessels will be operated by a maritime captain with a USCG Master Near Coastal 25-ton license or international equivalent. Regent said its captains will also need a Viceroy type rating that will involve five to six weeks of transition training (from other high-speed craft) and can be conducted at its facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

A Viceroy prototype that has been used for trials in Narragansett Bay is 55 feet long with a wingspan of 65 feet. Regent, which has named this vessel Paladin, says it is the largest-ever all-electric “flying machine.”

Sea Trials Assess Operational Modes

The sea trials will be conducted over several months to assess the three modes of operations: floating on its hull near a dock, slowly foiling on hydrofoils, and flying at high speeds within one wingspan of the ocean. According to Regent co-founder and chief technology officer Mike Klinker, by the middle of this year, the company expects to start full float-foil-fly testing.

The seaglider’s electric propulsion system consists of waterproof batteries and 12 electric motors and propellers. According to Regent, at maximum power output for the transition from foiling to flying in ground effect, each motor outputs about the same horsepower as a Honda Civic.

In January, the company started building a 255,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in Rhode Island’s Quonset Business Park. It says this will be ready to assemble the first Viceroys in 2026 and start deliveries by early 2027.

According to Regent, it has taken a mix of firm orders backed by non-refundable deposits and commitments worth more than $9 billion from civil operators in multiple countries. These prospective operators include Southern Airways and UrbanLink on the U.S East coast, UME Shipping with plans for cargo operations in the Red Sea, and Ocean Flyer in New Zealand.

Regent is also working on a proposed version of the seaplane that could be deployed for military missions and has been engaging with the U.S. Marine Corps on this plan.