A New Livery For A New Era!
Imagine designing the best aircraft livery in the world and it must be for a Sierra Leone Flag carrier!!!!!!
As promised in the last post, the Air SL livery was done almost ten years ago and although it still looks modern and fresh today, other liveries are beginning to creep up to it. How can we keep the flag ahead and beyond. I have started here and would like your comments and to know which is most successful and the direction I must go. You are my client and I aim to please!!!
LIVERY A
LIVERY B
LIVERY C
LIVERY D
LIVERY E
LIVERY F
AND ONE FOR THAT OL’ FAITHFUL
LIVERY
Air Vision
Now that we have had our independence for 50 yrs, it is our responsibility to ensure our children will be free to celebrate our ‘Centenary’ by developing ourselves and country. Sometimes a vision will start with a dream so here is one!
The Air Bureh Concept
Watch The Air Bureh at The New FNA
Imagine exporting agricultural produce! Flying Cassava, Banana, Peanuts, Plantain and other yummies via Air Bureh so they arrive at their destinations FRESH! It could be a sustainable means of living and could provide the necessary funds to develop our airport.
Existing Airport Layout
New Terminal 2
New Airport Proposal
Developing our airport would provide vast employment possibilities as well as help our tourism industry. This new airport proposal utilises the existing space available within the airfield.
By including taxiways around the runway, we can greatly increase the aircrafts capacity of the airport as well as cater for the needs of modern day juggernauts of the skies such as the Airbus A380 and the Antonov An-225 (largest aircraft in the world). This could help Lungi Airport become the hub of Africa or a world transit point.
Resurrecting The National Flag Career
Watch The AIR SL at The New FNA
All this from Cassava, Banana,Peanuts and Plantains so next time you walk around in Sierra Leone, let us think “what can I do with the things we have?” The aim of Mysalone.com has always been to demonstrate the potential power of design and transportation within our nation.
Watch The Airport Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_s6y23FwvI
The A380 Air SL livery demonstrated here was a 2005 university project. Since then, this type of livery has become popular. Therefore as we aim to be unique at Mysalone.com, we will have one more project whereby we will design a special national livery for Sierra Leone. Watch this space!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Solar-Poda Concept
Overview
The chaotic non-subsidised Poda-Poda and shared Taxi system in Sierra Leone is very competitive and cost effective when compared with e.g the heavily subsidised Transport for London. In 2010 the UK government paid on average £5 per journey in subsidy for every journey made on London Transport. (British figure based on article given below).
The Solar-Poda takes inspiration from the simplistic but highly successful design thinking behind the famous British Electric Milk floats and pushes this thinking further into this millennium. Pushing this thinking further is intended to be part of the solution to the transportation and environmental issues faced by growing cities such as Freetown and her neighbouring ECOWAS counterparts.
The Solar Poda can give countries like Sierra Leone a strong international recognition as a leader of cost effective and eco-friendly transportation. By designing this vehicle to be manufactured using skills presently available within Sierra Leone can create employment, a strong self sustaining culture and future.
A Milk Float
The Story
It was whilst studying vehicle design comparing the non-subsidised Freetown public transportation systems to that of other countries in the world that I began to realise that the chaotic Poda-Poda and shared Taxi system in Sierra Leone is very competitive and cost effective when compared with e.g the heavily subsidised Transport for London (TFL). The UK government will give TFL £40 billion in grant between 2010 and 2017 but there will still be 1.4 billion a year short fall according to the Mayor of London. According to Transport for London there are 1.1 billion Journeys made on its transport system annually which makes the subsidy per journey to be presently around £5. (British figure based on article given below).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/04/boris-london (Tranport for London Gov. Funding)
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx TFL annual passenger figures
The Solar Poda like the Milk Float is powered by rechargeable batteries that can last for years powering strong electric motors inorder to advance the Sierra Leonean cost effective tr. The Solar Poda incorporates two motors directly connected to the rear wheels thus eliminating the need for many complex mechanical parts such as the combustion engine, clutch, gear boxes and other mechanical linkages.
Other Advantages of today’s direct drive electric motor is the fact that they can also act as part of the braking system by reversing the current flow. This braking system called Regenerative Braking converts the vehicle’s kinetic energy back into electricity that gives charge to the batteries.
Furthermore the large Solar Roof Panel captures the vibrant long sunshine days of the ECOWAS region and converts it into electricity throughout the day thus reducing the cost of charging the vehicle through other external charging sources.
The silence of an electric motor and the lack of exhaust fumes will be a great benefit in terms of noise and air pollution. Furthermore the Solar Poda is longer giving extra seating capacity per journey. The extra seating capacity combined with the ease of maintenance of this simple vehicle system and the fact that the energy to power the vehicle is gained freely through natural sources will give the operators a higher profits with reduced running cost. This could be a win situation for passenger and drivers because the cost of travelling on the Solar-Poda can be lowered and the income of the operators increased.
The Solar Poda is designed to be constructed with skills abundantly available within the ECOWAS region such as window frame constructors and mechanical welders to build the vehicle skeletal space frame structure. The generator mechanics together with motor mechanics can assemble the battery, motor drive train and drive interface as the automotive body repairer and boat fibre glass repairers construct the lightweight fibre glass body panels. The Solar Poda is a great initiative to improve national image, create employment, a strong self sustaining culture and future.
The Solar Poda can give countries like Sierra Leone a strong international recognition as a leader of cost effective and eco-friendly transportation.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/04/boris-london (Tranport for london Gov. Funding)
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx TFL annual passenger figures
Tribute to Triple C and The New Salone Borbor Album
Preview the album. A good mix between concious hiphop, Sierra Leonean beats and true Sierra Leonean Enjoyment
Bureh Concept
Overview
‘Retaining the Classic and Versatile status of the Simple Land Rover in a world where it is becoming increasingly redundant’. Designing with opinions from the ECOWAS.
1st Class BA (Hons) Transportation Design, Northumbria University, UK 2006
Museum exhibit at the Italian National Car Design Museum in Turin (Museo dell’Automobile, Torino) 2006
Royal College of Arts, Masters Degree Entrance Competition, 2006
Brief Story
Bureh Concept was designed following a research trip to Freetown to understand the way mechanics operate there. The valuable opinions gathered from their work maintaining NGO and local vehicles in challenging environments that often lack the necessary facilities lead to many new design thinking and avenues. Some of these mechanics had travelled throughout the ECOWAS which made them very informative.
This was crossed with info gained from paratroopers in the British Army who had toured theatres such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland. Compiling the findings with those of Land Rover enthusiast/connoisseurs, the aim of this project was to ‘Retain the Classic and Versatile status of the Simple Land Rover in a world where it is becoming increasingly redundant’.
The Bureh Concept was my Bachelor Major project as well as my dissertation. The execution of the project together with the validity and avant-garde thinking of the above sources resulted in my 1st Class BA Honours in Transportation Design from Northumbria University in Newcastle in 2006. The Bureh Concept became a Museum exhibit at the Italian National Car Design Museum in Turin (Museo dell’Automobile, Torino) as well as reaching the final stages of international design competitions.
Above all, the Bureh Concept showed my talent because it was the project that won me a place at the Royal College of Arts to study Vehicle Design at Masters Degree Level in competition with other designer from around the world.
Ernest in Primary Landscape
Ernest in Primary Landscape
This painting breaks some of the fundamental Art rules. Firstly it is a portrait in landscape format and the subject is largely offset and not central.
The second rule would make my A-Level Arts Teacher churn in his grave as he always said “Never paint in straight primary colours it must be a mixture even if you are painting a monochrome!”
The third point is dignitaries are always painted or depicted in a flattering manner except in the news papers. The queen on pound sterling notes doesn’t show her age. Here I have painted the Sierra Leonean president without flattery or insult in the colours of the national flag
My aim here is not to only capture the essence of a man in a pensive mode but also to use the colours of the Sierra Leonean flag to ask this ask people from nations this question
Who is responsible for growth in a nation?
Your comments are welcome but before commenting let’s ask ourselves what have I done for my country? Most Sierra Leoneans abroad criticise the Sierra Leoneans in the country and most in the country criticise the leaders. Are we not all individual with a responsibility to govern those we elect?
In Britain, many grumble at the Government for the high fuel cost and the decline in the National Health Service for example but we laugh at the French for going on strike all the time.
The French are no strangers to persecution as they were overran and made 2nd class citizens in their own country just a few decades ago but what percentage of the French population protested against the expulsion of the Roma people from France.
Guest Expert: Andrea Mocellin Compares – The Potential Of The Grand Okada and Italy’s Motoring History
Andrea Mocellin 
Automotive Designer, Turin Italy
MA , Vehicle Design, Royal College Of Arts
Andrea is a talented and highly qualified vehicle designer with a great level of his native Italian flair and a committed pursuit for design perfection. He is currently successfully practicing the design of vehicles for a highly successful Italian Brand.
What turns a transportation product or system into a social icon?
After working and studying for years on “how to shape an iconic car”, I have now ended up becoming more interested in books, article and movies that discuss social design.
Every transportation device I have seen moving around European cities are mostly influenced by “how you drive it”, “what it looks like” and “how & what it is made of”.
In the past Italy it has been a great example of how to make vehicles and products of necessity from scratch during difficult social periods. Italy’s bestselling vehicles are of honest design and are shaped with simplicity.
The first FIAT 500 and VESPA are still now two of the most recognisable vehicle on earth. It doesn’t matter what colour or special series but it is the meaning of the vehicle itself that generates the “myth”.
So simple, so desirable and so simple, – they were comfortable, functional, brilliant and easy to repair. In my opinion those bleak historical moments of an Italy devastated by World War 2 became a special innovative period. The Italian society was looking for an object/product to create growth and impact lives not just styling. This unique difference made both the VESPA and the 500 one of the most incredible and successful vehicles for the people ever made.
I hope to see the unique GRAND OKADA being made by great exciting people driving its passengers and shaping its iconic status in vehicle history rather than another “cool” vehicle to be part of a long list of scooters. I just think that it is the society and the historical moment that can help to generate a dream made in a different form than the dream one had the night before.
Andrea Mocellin
View The Grand Okada Project : http://www.mysalone.com/the-grande-okada/
Refrences
http://www.vrwiki.it/index.php/Corradino_D%27Ascanio
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurapopdesign/3534621126/
http://www.allposters.it/-sp/Fiat-500-Posters_i1848396_.htm
http://www.popartuk.com/general/cars-general/fiat-500-t83-tin-sign.asp
Bionic
What if I can ride on the back of a fly? Imagine the G-Forces, direction changes and Adrenaline Rush Fun Fun Fun!!!!
Can one legitimately make money in Sierra Leone?
Is it possible to sustainably live in Sierra Leone without having to pay anyone off or give kickbacks? Let us know your opinions, methodology or experiences?
Lamrana
Awards
Deutsche Bank Pyramid Award 2008
Transport for London Museum Long Term Exhibit 2008
Carmen Of London Transportation Award 2008
Helen Hamlyn & GMW Architect Award 2008
Royal College of Arts Master Degree Project 2008
OVERVIEW
Judges’ comment:
“A realistic, all-embracing project for a West African ferry service, showing total commitment to the idea and seeing it through. Expresses the idea of sustainable community through its use of local skills and resources. Truly inspiring – it is going to make a difference.”
http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/1454/all/1/gmw-architects-award.aspx
“The LAMRANA project takes apart the rule book of marine design and rewrote it” Julian Reichman Royal College of Arts Tutor. This is a diligent look into how Sierra Leone can attain self-sustainable growth itself using Local Craftsmanship, Local Marine Knowledge and Local Materials. The aim was to design specifically for the local skills and produce a cost effective ferry solution. The solution must efficiently overcome and compensate for the problems of expensive devices such as Radar which cannot be easily serviced in Sierra Leone. Above all it must be a beautiful, inspiring and timeless piece that Sierra Leoneans will be proud of in generations to come.
THE STORY
“The LAMRANA project takes apart the rule book of marine design and rewrote it” Julian Reichman Royal College of Arts Tutor. This is a diligent look into how Sierra Leone can attain self-sustainable growth, using Local Craftsmanship, Local Marine Knowledge and Local Materials. The aim was to design specifically for the local skills and produce a cost effective ferry solution. The solution must efficiently overcome and compensate for the problems of expensive devices such as Radar which cannot be easily serviced in Sierra Leone. Above all it must be a beautiful, inspiring and timeless piece that Sierra Leoneans will be proud of in generations to come.
It all began in 2006; I had just become a graduate in Transportation Design and was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Royal College of Arts, to embark on their highly acclaimed two year Masters Degree course in Vehicle Design.
I began my thesis on a car specifically designed for the needs of Sierra Leonean roads and people with the intention of creating a proposal for such a car that can be built locally. An affordable car for the people has been vital to the economical growth of most Western country so my thinking was Sierra Leoneans should do the same.
Studying with great talented young designers from around the world, I began to question the above thinking as guys from countries such as USA, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and more highlighted the fact that the advent of the motorcar has resulted in so many roads being constructed in Western countries that the governments cannot afford to maintain them even with their seemingly great GDPs.
As I was living in London at that time, I decided to carry out some research in Sierra Leone in order to gain a more accurate view of the situation in the two capital cities. Arriving in Lungi, I was frustrated within the hour. By the time we left the ferry port, I realised that contrary to popular Western beliefs, the motor car as a means of personal transportation in Sierra Leone is currently highly ineffective.
Moreover when comparing the Freetown public transportation systems to that of other countries in the world, I began to realise that the chaotic Poda-Poda and shared Taxi system is very competitive and cost effective when compared with e.g the heavily subsidised Transport for London. In 2010 the UK government will pay on average £5 per journey in subsidy. (British figure based on article given below).
In terms of the percentage of average monthly work commuting cost in relation to an average monthly wage, they where both around 15% in2008/9. In terms of frequency of service and reliability of service, the fact the Freetown system is based on several smaller sized privately owned vehicles seemed to surpass London because one tube failure can subsequently hold up a whole line and thousands of travellers. One double-decker break down can make it an obstruction causing traffic. This is a daily occurrence in London and once a breakdown happens, it puts immense pressure on other services which in turn drives them to breaking point.
With regards to comfort, both systems proved to be uncomfortable and a tight squeeze especially at peak times but one is more guaranteed a seat in a Freetown poda-poda whilst in London tubes and buses there tends be more standing than seating. Looking at safety, London Transport undergoes heavy scrutiny which means the vehicles regularly undergo thorough checks compared to the lack of standardisation and poor driving conditions in Freetown. However what could not be measured was to what extent would standing passengers in a London bus or tube become lethal projectiles during an incidence and does the amount of standing passengers negate the safety effort?
With all these findings, the true picture is still very much unclear even today because It must be said that the British Government at the time of the thesis had began investing heavily in new buses and trains for London to meet the coming Olympics. Rural urban migration and the increasing number of vehicles in Post civil war Freetown was quickly bringing the public transport system to a standstill. Furthermore the colonial road network was not designed to the thinking of the Sierra Leoneans which was already posing issues that a mass produced peoples, car for every household would make an even greater problem.
The solution for Sierra Leone’s capital had to retain it cost effective factor as well as its reliability of use and frequency of service. Down cast as we were on the ferry leaving Freetown I was complaining to my fiancée who was researching “How to adapt Western managerial methods successfully to the African environment.” In frustration, she cried “for God sakes stop complaining about everything and do something about it!”
The challenge was taken up and I began to look for a vehicle or system or product that can solve Freetown’s issues. My dissertation tutor’s after analysing my findings stated “The question is Should Sierra Leone have a Peoples’ car to aid growth?”
As I kept the debate and research, the thinking of splitting design into two categories became necessary. The Controlling Thinking relates to highly technological solutions such as Concorde which tend to be expensive and the Adaptive Thinking looks at locally available resources and drives towards simplicity such as the humble matchstick. I was convinced that whatever solution is proposed had to be of an adaptive nature as Sierra Leoneans would not want a system like London’s which is very expensive and would most likely need future governmental subsidy. Furthermore the amount of Jobs created by the solution must be the same or higher than the current system and the possibility to export this solution to the neighbouring countries with similar needs would also be beneficial to Sierra Leone.
One day as I was looking at the map, the peninsula shape of Freetown struck me and I realised an answer could have been staring at me all along. What if a series of smaller ferry boats are implemented around the peninsula and mainland coast? They could prove to be adaptive like the present Poda-Podas and shared Taxis plus there is no need to maintain the sea unlike railways.
This was a great idea except for one small problem which was I had never before designed a boat because I had so far been specialising in the design of wheeled vehicles. This innovative new proposal thinking and the theories it created fortunately won a few research grants which helped me conduct field research in the UK, Germany and France Plus boat operating courses. Furthermore the nearby London Science Museum with its vast collection of marine vessel ideas from historic to modern became a place of great inspiration. This was a place I was regularly asked to leave as they were closing because I always lost track of time.
After positive correspondence with an American professional boat builder I had achieved a rough plan of what could be the best boat ever created only to realise that this would be affordable and easily serviceable. Moreover I also realised that its expensive radar will be useless in Sierra Leone because radars are better at spotting metal objects and are not so good at spotting wooden boats or fibreglass speed boats which are the majority in Freetown.
I decided to approach the boat from a budget and business point of view and set a manufacture cost Price of £50,000-100,000 maximum. This was a tall order because in Europe 50,000 could easily be the cost of just engines and most of the engines I saw were either unsuitable or not serviceable in Sierra Leone.
At this point, months had past and the sleepless working nights were taking their toll so my fiancée now wife specifically planned a short holiday to a landlocked town called Orange in the South of France. It was here that coincidence became a saviour as I met someone who opened my eyes to the validity of ideas outside the western world.
Things began to fall into place and I realised that the only way to achieve my budget was to design for the skills sets available in Freetown. Imagine if the ferry uses the MAZDA E2200 Poda-poda engines instead? How many mechanics in Freetown are already highly competent in ensuring these engines run for long periods on a daily basis in Sierra Leone and how much of a reduction in engine cost this would be? What If the design is geared towards enhancing the local boat building skills in Sierra Leone, how many local builders would this impact?
This thinking was the origin of the phrase “For Them, By Them” meaning designing specifically for Sierra Leoneans so Sierra Leoneans can self-sustainably implement and maintain. This thinking initially came under heavy criticism from Western marine experts and Sierra Leoneans who did not believe this design thinking can work because of the lake of faith in African productivity.
One example was the thought of installing an automotive engine format in marine vessels. This had been deemed unworkable by experts for many reasons but the Adaptive Thinking stepped in to question this and make the Lamrana a winner. Teaming up with a British based aviation engineering company and a German based product development company; I was able to find innovative methods to safely and successfully resolve this issue.
Another example is Radar which as formerly explained would be useless in Sierra Leone’s reliability demanding environment. A spot lamp was implemented so others can see you, take evasive actions and warn you to prevent potential accidents.
As the Royal College of Art is effectively a competition of students from many nations in the world, The LAMRANA had to be able to stand her ground and be a great international resume for Sierra Leonean design thinking. Her unique features were therefore given the highest degree of design and styling finesse to make her into a timeless Sierra Leonean Icon, identity and sculpture that Sierra Leoneans to come will be proud off.
Stand her ground she did by winning many international awards and becoming the only marine design piece in London’s Transport Museum in 2008-2009 where she was displayed to inspire millions of international visitors.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8151355.stm “median” gross annual earnings—– £20,801,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/04/boris-london (Tranport for london Gov. Funding)
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx TFL annual passenger figures
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/17373.aspx Using monthly zone 1-3 travel card cost as average ticket
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23819295-tfls-record-pound-83bn-debts-could-send-fares-soaring.do TFL Debts crisis
Average wage to earnings ratio based on dissertation research- average wage was around Le250,000 per month and Taxi fare Le 800