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Regent (YC W21) Raises $9M to Build 180MPH Flying Electric Ferry
- icinnamon 5y agoEverything is going electric. Aircraft, cars, boats, trains, etc. Love seeing somebody invent an entire new vehicle. REGENT is going far beyond just strapping batteries to an existing mode of transport. I’ve had the opportunity to work with the founders from the very early days. If anybody can pull it off, it’s Billy and Mike.
- wthalheimer 5y agoHi, I’m Billy, CEO of REGENT, happy to answer any questions!
- zeeshanqureshi 5y agoFlying = Hydrofoil?
- icinnamon 5y agoCheck this out: http://regentcraft.com/video http://regentcraft.com/video It actually flies, taking off after the hydrofoil kicks in.
- zeeshanqureshi 5y agoHoly shit! That's awesome and very impressive indeed. So, is it meant to hover right above the surface and not fly at higher altitudes? And if that is the case, can some version of this be built for land too? Sorry if these are silly questions.
- icinnamon 5y agoThese are great questions! I'll let Billy and Mike chime in, but it's meant to take advantage of WIG efficiencies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground-effect_vehicle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground-effect_vehicle) which lets the aircraft have a much longer range and a shorter certification pathway.
- zeeshanqureshi 5y agoThat is very interesting. Hope to see it in action soon. Also I just realised what the answer to my question for 'why not on land' was, and I feel silly.
- mikeklinker129 5y agoMike (CTO@REGENT) here— we fly in ground effect, which is typically at altitudes less than 1/2 your wingspan. We fly, but low to help with aerodynamic efficiency and remain in the maritime domain.
- zeeshanqureshi 5y agoThanks Mike. How does you seaglider deal with bad weather, sea swell etc.?
- delbalso 5y agoI am excited to see how the infrastructure bill supports new electric tech like REGENT. This seems like one of the first applications of a WIG that has the potential to go mainstream and start a real paradigm shift in regional transportation. Coastal cities should be all over this!
- delbalso 5y agoI am excited to see how the infrastructure bill can help drive adoption of electric transportation solutions like REGENT.