Image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center
eol.jsc.nasa.gov/Videos/CrewEarthObservationsVideos/
Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration ,Thomas Edison (c. 1903)

For a while, we almost had it. Before America’s comprehensive climate and energy bill turned into a devastating failure in 2010, the U.S. seemed to be on the verge of having an energy plan based on a sustainable vision for the future. But today, with “climate,” “clean energy investment” and “green jobs” being dirty words to one major political power, we’ve moved further away from that goal than ever.
That’s why the Rocky Mountain Institute’s recent project, “Reinventing Fire” — a peer-reviewed, commercially-viable vision for the future of energy — should help inform the future conversation around energy. In typical RMI fashion, it provides an aggressive-but-plausible scenario for economic prosperity based on clean energy and efficiency, blending together the different disciplines from the organization.
RMI’s book on Reinventing Fire will be out soon. For now, the organization reminds us where we are today and what the future could be:
What could the energy landscape of 2050 under the Reinventing Fire scenario look like?
Under the plan, we could be looking at $5 trillion in net savings. If you can’t imagine that, just look at the infographic RMI put together below.
JR: It’s all plausible, except for the hydrogen (which only plays a small role in their scenario) — see “Obama, Chu try to slash the multi-miracle hydrogen program once again.”

For a while, we almost had it. Before America’s comprehensive climate and energy bill turned into a devastating failure in 2010, the U.S. seemed to be on the verge of having an energy plan based on a sustainable vision for the future. But today, with “climate,” “clean energy investment” and “green jobs” being dirty words to one major political power, we’ve moved further away from that goal than ever.
That’s why the Rocky Mountain Institute’s recent project, “Reinventing Fire” — a peer-reviewed, commercially-viable vision for the future of energy — should help inform the future conversation around energy. In typical RMI fashion, it provides an aggressive-but-plausible scenario for economic prosperity based on clean energy and efficiency, blending together the different disciplines from the organization.
RMI’s book on Reinventing Fire will be out soon. For now, the organization reminds us where we are today and what the future could be:
What could the energy landscape of 2050 under the Reinventing Fire scenario look like?
Under the plan, we could be looking at $5 trillion in net savings. If you can’t imagine that, just look at the infographic RMI put together below.
JR: It’s all plausible, except for the hydrogen (which only plays a small role in their scenario) — see “Obama, Chu try to slash the multi-miracle hydrogen program once again.”
SeaSTOL VLJ stands for Sea Short Take Off and Landing Very Light Jet. If you don’t get the idea of very light jet, you might understand if the term used were “personal jet”. Based on Paul Bertorelli from AvWeb the term of very light jet is not used in aviation industry anymore, the more popular term is personal jet. This future vehicle was born out of the intention to develop practical transportation design.
VLJs are small jet aircraft for about 5-8 people that are small enough to utilize small airports. In other words, in the future, it is very possible to take taxi flights from one point to another without compromise and saving a lot of your time. Eclipse is one of most well known VLJ companies, at some point they were looking at 5000 orders and increasing. There are about 20 new models coming between 2010 and 2014 that mainly focus on American market. However, not a single VLJ is a seaplane.
Designer : Tomas Brødreskift


Text from Tomas:
I wished to take a look at how I could improve and hopefully visualize, design and build a new solution to the Watergoing Aircraft of today, by utilizing this new and unique technology, consisting of small compact, light – weight jet engines, and avionics that will allow anything. I believe both the technology and the market is ready, and in place to take on these challenges. It is impossible to look at the future without taking into account that water – and air has to be utilized and investigated further in order to make personal transportation many steps easier and more comfortable. This SeaSTOL VLJ project produced a concept model of a new Waterborne VLJ Aircraft shape.
A plane is categorized and constructed from a set of factors regarding three basic areas:
These are important questions which have been taken into account in this project as well. But, the design of modern aircraft should also to a great extent answer users’ questions & problems with existing platforms. In SeaSTOL VLJ project the aircraft is designed to cover the gap between the conservatism and technology in the commercial VLJ marked with the excitement & bald designs in the experimental class of aircraft. Seaplanes are by far some of the most flexible aircraft that exist. my goal at the end was to blend the technology & durability of modern VLJ`s with this `flexibility` & try to enhance the `flexibility`, in order to achieve the making of visual interpretations that could support the “fun factor” & excitement we find in experimental aircraft design.
It is clear in my mentality that this flexible seaplane VLJ has an irresistible culmination of qualities, and presents a new class of aircraft altogether.
The SeaSTOL VLJ project was done whilst studying Industrial Design in Essen, Germany in 2008. But it has never been published at extent to date, and still remains a dream to be built in the future. Today I am managing a small aircraft company in Norway called Equator Aircraft Norway SA. We are developing a smaller seaplane called the EQP2. The SeaSTOL VLJ is still on our design table, and I hope to realize it. Please feel free to visit our website for more info on the Equator System as well.










The story of SeaSTOL VLJ : Sea Short Take Off and Landing Very Light Jet is an original content from: Industrial Design News

