Wednesday, May 12, 2021 5:30:27 AM
Regent to build high-speed electric ground-effect "seagliders"
By Loz Blain
May 11, 2021
https://newatlas.com/aircraft/regent-seaglider-ground-effect/
Boston company Regent is building an electric ground effect vehicle capable of flying 180 miles at 180 mph Regent
Boston-based company Regent has taken US$465 million in pre-orders for its super-fast electric "Seaglider." Using the wing-in-ground effect, this 180-mph (290-km/h) beast promises twice the range of an electric aircraft, and a revolution in coastal transport.
"The speed, comfort, and navigation systems of an aircraft with the convenience, maneuverability, and affordability of a boat," reads the Regent press release, marking approximately the first time boats have ever been called affordable or maneuverable.
So, what is this thing? Well, it's the latest incarnation of a ground-effect vehicle, or GEV – with a couple of twists. GEVs are aircraft designed to fly so low (within one wingspan of the water's surface) that they ride on an air pressure cushion between the wing and the surface, giving them extra lift and radically boosting their efficiency. They can't – or at least, don't – fly outside the ground effect, enabling them to be certified and registered as boats in certain areas.
There have been several iterations of this idea since the 1960s. The most famous GEV is likely the giant Soviet Ekranoplan, capable of lifting 600 tons of cargo and hitting speeds up to 310 mph (500 km/h). Things have been a lot more humble in recent years; in 2018 we wrote about Singapore's reverse delta-winged Wigetworks Airfish-8, which is already up and running. But Regent adds some new elements to the mix.
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MUCH MORE
https://newatlas.com/aircraft/regent-seaglider-ground-effect/
By Loz Blain
May 11, 2021
https://newatlas.com/aircraft/regent-seaglider-ground-effect/
Boston company Regent is building an electric ground effect vehicle capable of flying 180 miles at 180 mph Regent
Boston-based company Regent has taken US$465 million in pre-orders for its super-fast electric "Seaglider." Using the wing-in-ground effect, this 180-mph (290-km/h) beast promises twice the range of an electric aircraft, and a revolution in coastal transport.
"The speed, comfort, and navigation systems of an aircraft with the convenience, maneuverability, and affordability of a boat," reads the Regent press release, marking approximately the first time boats have ever been called affordable or maneuverable.
So, what is this thing? Well, it's the latest incarnation of a ground-effect vehicle, or GEV – with a couple of twists. GEVs are aircraft designed to fly so low (within one wingspan of the water's surface) that they ride on an air pressure cushion between the wing and the surface, giving them extra lift and radically boosting their efficiency. They can't – or at least, don't – fly outside the ground effect, enabling them to be certified and registered as boats in certain areas.
There have been several iterations of this idea since the 1960s. The most famous GEV is likely the giant Soviet Ekranoplan, capable of lifting 600 tons of cargo and hitting speeds up to 310 mph (500 km/h). Things have been a lot more humble in recent years; in 2018 we wrote about Singapore's reverse delta-winged Wigetworks Airfish-8, which is already up and running. But Regent adds some new elements to the mix.
...
MUCH MORE
https://newatlas.com/aircraft/regent-seaglider-ground-effect/
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