The Soviet Union experimented with wing-in-ground craft in the 1960s, but bad weather, crowded harbors, and poor safety records held them back. Billy Thalheimer, Co-Founder & CEO of REGENT, explains how the Seaglider fixes all three, giving crews a craft that operates like a boat but flies at up to 180 miles an hour.
Billy walks Steve through float, foil, fly operations and the first flight of the 15,000-pound Viceroy. He explains how REGENT tailors its pitch to each Department of War stakeholder, from contested logistics to medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).
Topics discussed:
- Solving wave tolerance, maneuverability, and safety in wing-in-ground craft
- Operating across float, foil, and fly modes
- Navigating a maritime-led regulatory pathway under Coast Guard jurisdiction
- Expanding the Viceroy's flight envelope with multiple tests per week
- Building a quarter-million-square-foot factory for Seaglider production
- Reserving production slots for commercial and defense deliveries
- Selling contested logistics and medevac to Department of War stakeholders
- Addressing switching costs when introducing a new mode of transportation
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