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Regent – Electric coastal travel

regentcraft.com

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Re: Regent – Electric coastal travel

#201

Post by dmurray »

lastofthemojito wrote: post #63

I was initially skeptical, but seeing Mokulele Airlines (an airline serving Hawaii) flash by on the carousel made me consider that this might have at least some real-world uses. It's insane to me that the vast majority of inter-island travel in Hawaii (an archipelago where generally each island is visible from the next) is via jet aircraft. You have to spend hours (especially if you're checking bags) getting to the a…

> It's insane to me that the vast majority of inter-island travel in Hawaii (an archipelago where generally each island is visible from the next) is via jet aircraft.

Why jets? In the Caribbean, where distances are longer, turboprop aircraft are standard for island hopping and I thought these made more economic sense for short distances.

Re: Regent – Electric coastal travel

#202

Post by roflyear »

noitpmeder wrote: post #29
fnord77 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

so if a sailboat suddenly veers into the path of this thing, what is it going to do? Collide or ditch "GEVs may be unable to climb over or turn sharply enough to avoid collisions, while drastic, low-level maneuvers risk contact with solid or water hazards beneath. Aircraft can climb over most obstacles, but GEVs are more limited. "

Realistically these things aren't going to be operated in-flight anywhere close to the proximity of other craft. They'll motor from dock out to a predefined and clear[able] "runway". Once you're clear of a port most stretches of open water are mostly empty (even those within sight of shore) -- it should definitely be possible to plot "cruising-altitude" courses that never place you within (N) of a hazard. And if ther…

Bro no. Lol. There will be boats there.

Re: Regent – Electric coastal travel

#203

Post by jeffybefffy519 »

simonw wrote: post #99

If you haven't encountered wing-in-ground-effect vehicles before I have a treat in store for you... go and read about the Soviet Lun-class ekranoplan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lun-class_ekranoplan Then check out this Livejournal post where someone snuck into a dry dock and took photos of a rusty old one... including photos taken inside! https://igor113.livejournal.com/51213.html

rctestflight on youtube has a great series on ground effect vehicles: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXvxJNOIXBsMyYPykdtoWRj1m...

Re: Regent – Electric coastal travel

#204

Post by slashtom »

wthalheimer wrote: post #82
lastofthemojito wrote: post #63

I was initially skeptical, but seeing Mokulele Airlines (an airline serving Hawaii) flash by on the carousel made me consider that this might have at least some real-world uses. It's insane to me that the vast majority of inter-island travel in Hawaii (an archipelago where generally each island is visible from the next) is via jet aircraft. You have to spend hours (especially if you're checking bags) getting to the a…

Superferry was a huge case study for us. We went to Hawaii, interviewed everyone involved, and learned the lessons. We're taking a different approach that focuses on community and environmental considerations first. Look for more exciting news in Hawaii soon!

This is going to be an uphill battle in Hawaii.

Hawaii is notoriously difficult to do business in, Hawaiian Airlines has become entrenched in protecting these routes, Southwest has been moderately effective but it's at a significant cost, and mokulele has had some serious negative press over the safety of their aircraft.

Part of the super ferry demise wasn't just NIMBYs' but entrenched politics and money.. glad you folks are brining some innovation and wish you luck on some much needed disruption.

Re: Regent – Electric coastal travel

#205

Post by zo1 »

wthalheimer wrote: post #91
tr33house wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

how much is one of these going for?

This is one of those "let me connect you with our sales team" questions ;) Operating cost is about half that of an aircraft though. 100% battery electric propulsion system!

But why?

Does the price vary and you don't want customers to know they got different deals? Or you don't want competitors to know?

Re: Regent – Electric coastal travel

#207

Post by lelanthran »

KennyBlanken wrote: post #106
gedy wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The protesters' concerns were that a ferry of this size could strike and kill whales during its voyages despite this never occurring during the years the faster Seaflite interisland ferries operated. NIMBYs ruin everything, I doubt they were really concerned about the whales.

Read on - what they were really afraid of was the dirty/smelly poors coming onto their precious island. You see the same BS with bike paths through residential neighborhoods. Despite studies showing that bike paths increase property values, residents bitch and moan about safety/crime. They basically figure that poor/non-white people will bike into their neighborhood and rape/pillage/burn everything. So you get a bunc…

> Despite studies showing that bike paths increase property values,

Citation needed. This is an extraordinary claim; you are going to need more than one single study done on a tiny sample with no control variables.

Re: Regent – Electric coastal travel

#208

Post by yard2010 »

jtsuken wrote: post #138
lastofthemojito wrote: post #63

I was initially skeptical, but seeing Mokulele Airlines (an airline serving Hawaii) flash by on the carousel made me consider that this might have at least some real-world uses. It's insane to me that the vast majority of inter-island travel in Hawaii (an archipelago where generally each island is visible from the next) is via jet aircraft. You have to spend hours (especially if you're checking bags) getting to the a…

To skip TSA nonsense you just need to skip TSA nonsense. Outside of the US airtravel is still relatively similar to rail. You have to be on time, you have to handle the baggage, but you can walk through xray and security within minutes and only need to show the ticket on your phone. An electric wing-in-ground-effect aircraft still looks like an airplane and might still fall under the same regulations as any other air…

While I agree it's nonsense, I'm curious what would change without harming the personal security of everyone involved? I mean this system has many flaws but no one can steal a plane again and crash it into innocent people right?

Re: Regent – Electric coastal travel

#209

Post by ggm »

jameshart wrote: post #116
wthalheimer wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seaglider entry to service is slated for mid-decade so you're spot on, all these are pre-launch sales. We're one of the few companies in the space with firm, nonrefundable deposits and contractually obligated pre-delivery payments (that scale with milestones as you mentioned) on the full first year of these orders. We take off at the periphery of harbors and fly over the open water in-between. Seagliders have 5ft wav…

> Seagliders have 5ft wave tolerance on takeoff and landing But do sea glider passengers have a 5ft wave tolerance? That sounds like a wild ride. But this is exciting... as someone who remembers taking the Hoverspeed SR.N4 from Dover to Calais, I know fast coastal transport innovation can be a game changer.

I also did the SRN 4 as a passenger and subsequently "cabbed" the flight deck when it wound up in a museum. Grandad of an offspring's schoolchum took us round the collection out of hours.

He used to fly them (and emphatically said they were flown and he was captain and captain-pilot. There was a turf war between the civil aviation authority and the maritime regulator over who had primacy, depending on if the skirt was lifting or it was floating on the sea) and wound up both volunteering at the museum, and driving end of life (normal) boats up onto cox's harbour mudflats for manual wrecking: a heartbreaking job for a seafaring man.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gx6a7UPQX4CLfz7Q9 (scans from photos)

From memory, the hover was fast but very very bumpy. Sometimes they suggested timid people use a boat. It was aircraft style seating, not like a ship at all. And very noisy.

Re: Regent – Electric coastal travel

#210

Post by borski »

yard2010 wrote: post #208
jtsuken wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To skip TSA nonsense you just need to skip TSA nonsense. Outside of the US airtravel is still relatively similar to rail. You have to be on time, you have to handle the baggage, but you can walk through xray and security within minutes and only need to show the ticket on your phone. An electric wing-in-ground-effect aircraft still looks like an airplane and might still fall under the same regulations as any other air…

While I agree it's nonsense, I'm curious what would change without harming the personal security of everyone involved? I mean this system has many flaws but no one can steal a plane again and crash it into innocent people right?

Even if that’s true, which I’m very skeptical of, the TSA has little to do with that. The armored and locked cockpit doors? Sure. Air marshals? Possibly.

But the TSA has absolutely no bearing on whether or not a plane gets hijacked. It is far too easy to circumvent.

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