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Seagliders’ – the electric boat-plane hybrid

You might be used to take-offs and landings, but you soon might need to get ready to “float, foil and fly.”

Those are the three phases of a journey aboard a seaglider, a new type of fully electric boat-plane hybrid that could become a mainstay of coastal communities the world over, according to its maker, Rhode Island-based startup REGENT.

Just like a boat, a seaglider initially floats, then as it picks up speed it foils — gliding over the surface of the water using wing-like structures called hydrofoils, which retract as the vehicle finally takes off for the flying phase. It never reaches the sky, but rather flies up to 30 feet (nine metres) above the water, to leverage a principle called “ground effect,” which promises a smooth ride with reduced drag compared to a normal flight.

“We’re going to put humans on board a full-scale, 15,000-pound (6,800-kilogram) prototype later this year,” says Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT, adding that the first seagliders will carry up to 12 passengers and will have a range of about 180 miles (290 kilometers), which would put them in direct competition with small ferries and seaplanes.

More than 600 seagliders have already been sold for a total of over $9 billion, according to Thalheimer. The vehicles will be manufactured in North America, but REGENT recently signed a deal with the government of Abu Dhabi to build a second plant in the United Arab Emirates, to serve clients in the region and across Europe and Asia.

Once operational, seagliders will then connect Abu Dhabi to Dubai, as well as island communities that are currently underserved by existing services.

“We want to prove to the world that this is possible,” says Thalheimer, “specifically that in one vehicle you can float, foil and fly.”

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