Cutting-edge 'seagliders' will be built in Rhode Island

[TexasTowelie]

BRISTOL, R.I. — The Moore Brothers Company, a composite manufacturing, research, and development firm, will join forces with Boston-based Regent Craft to create a new, cutting-edge seaglider, an innovation that will combine “speed, comfort, and navigation systems of an aircraft with the convenience, maneuverability, and affordability of a boat.”

The all-electric vehicles will be able to transport commercial passengers and cargo with a range of 180 miles at a speed of 180 miles per hour, according to company executives.

Regent Craft, a Boston-based venture-backed company, announced in April 2021 their plans to build the seaglider, which will fly along coastal routes operated by airlines, ferry companies, and governments.

The vehicle will provide harbor-to-harbor, overwater transportation at “a fraction of the cost, noise, and emissions” of existing regional transportation modes, like aircraft and ferries.

Read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/13/metro/cutting-edge-seagliders-will-be-built-rhode-island/

[captain queeg]

1. Looks a lot like the craft the USSR created awhile back

It’s based on “surface effect” (I think that’s the term). But they never overcame the need for smooth waters. Didn’t work with choppy seas, but the idea certainly has promise.