Imagine going from Boston to Provincetown in 20 minutes in a boat that flies?
The Seaglider, a vehicle that’s part boat, part aircraft and all electric, just might deliver. That’s the vision and mission of Billy Thalheimer, Mike Klinker and a team of more than 60 people at Regent Craft in Rhode Island.
Regent founders — CEO Thalheimer and CTO Klinker — have degrees in aerodynamic engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and worked for Boeing for four years. But Thalheimer used the example of a bird in flight to describe how the Seaglider works.
The vehicle takes advantage of a cushion of air over the ocean, Thalheimer said, like a pelican flying over the water. Watch a video of the long-winged bird riding air currents close to the waves and you get the idea. It can rise and fall with the waves without flapping at all. The Seaglider even looks like a bird with its curved 65-foot wingspan.
Advancements in aviation, boating and racing technology, improvements in battery waterproofing, and a momentum toward zero emissions are powering the development of the Seaglider, Thalheimer said Tuesday.