Regent Viceroy Seaglider
Regent wants to get electric short-hop air travel to customers as soon as possible, and its Viceroy seaglider might be the way to make it happen. The Viceroy is a cross between an aircraft and a hydrofoil, similar in concept to the former Soviet Union's ekranoplans. Leaving from an ordinary dock, the Viceroy rises on its hydrofoil stilts at 40-50 MPH, and once out in open water, lifts off and flies between 15 and 30 feet off the surface, flying in ground effect to help maximize efficiency. Since the Viceroy flies low over the water, certification is handled by the US Coast Guard, avoiding the lengthy certification process required by the FAA for eVTOLs that operate over land. The Viceroy is currently undergoing testing with a quarter-scale test craft.