Remembering Skyacht One, the Most Lavish and Outrageous Embraer Private Jet Ever

The answer was the Skyacht One concept and it was unveiled to the public to great fanfare in 2016, riding a couple of newscycles well into the next year.

Based on the media coverage alone, it was widely believed that Skyacht One would be built in at least one example, using the Embraer Flagship Lineage 1000E as a base. The fact that SottoStudios promised extra customization with any other choice of aircraft added to the appeal of the concept.

However, the Skyacht One never went anywhere further than the virtual paper it had been drawn on. To this day, though, it remains one of the most outrageous and good-looking conceptual studies into private flying, a private jet with such a strong personality and such marked attention to detail that it only gets better the more you look. We're paraphrasing from Sotto himself.

The inspiration for Skyacht One was the classic Rolls-Royces and the Bentleys from any multi-millionaire garage, which, in turn, often look to classic sailing yachts or dayboats for styling cues. As Sotto researched the project, he eventually came across the Thunderbird yacht, and he decided to do what it did for luxury assets, but backward.

We'll explain. Thunderbird is often described as the result of a passion for aeronautics and luxury, and too much money to burn. It's a spectacular 1940 yacht built for San Francisco tycoon George Whittell to match his favorite polished aluminum DC-2 airplane, so it's often compared to an aircraft that floats.

Whittell's eccentricities far exceeded the commission of a yacht to match a plane: he kept a pet lion and a baby elephant as his home on Lake Tahoe, owned six of the rarest Duesenberg cars, a couple of airplanes, and one superyacht. Getting a 55-foot (16.7-meter) sportsyacht to match his favorite plane was down on that list, but it's the thing that secured him a place in the history of maritime design.

Designed by John L. Hacker and built by Huskins Boat Works, Thunderbird was delivered in the summer of 1940. It boasted a mahogany-clad hull with a brushed aluminum superstructure, and was originally powered by twin 550 hp Kermath V12 aircraft engines that took it to a maximum speed of 32 knots (37 mph/59 kph). It was, in short, the perfect combination of outrageous luxury and outstanding performance, so it was an instant standout.

That alone set the bar very high for the Skyacht One. The source of inspiration is obvious from the fake mahogany "hull" on the aircraft, the mahogany stabilizer and the polished rudder, with a pearl white superstructure.

The interior is even more striking, and not just because it lives like the interior of a proper vintage yacht. Sotto has chosen to divide the layout in different areas, each with various customized layout possibilities. There's a Chartroom, a Conference Room, a Main Cabin, and a Master Cabin with an ensuite bathroom that would put to shame the most exclusive hotels.

For a private jet estimated at well over $86 million (so about $111.5 million today, adjusted for inflation) and the Embraer's generous layout, you'd expect Skyacht One to offer more sleeping cabins for the guests. It didn't, which made it the most outrageous luxury "toy" for the discerning billionaire.

The running theme in all these areas was that of navigation. You had planetary clocks embedded in the tapestry on the walls, armillary spheres, charts, marquetry clocks, and Fornasseti rugs that brought to mind the golden age of luxury travel. Even the bulkhead walls were planked and pegged as on a yacht, and the windows were wrapped in brass and encased in mahogany, with bejeweled levers that activated leather blinds.

What didn't bring to mind comparisons to classic yachts, evoked grandeur but with the intimate vibe of a gentlemen's private club.

Nothing really was left to chance, and no detail was overlooked. The faucets in the master bathroom, for example, were throttle-like controls, with a gauge in the center indicating water temperature with a gold indicator. Counters here were solid malachite, and features ranged from a spa-like shower to a vanity with a backlit bronze mirror.

Sotto's goal was to make the Skyacht One like a fine home packed with antiques, where everything has a story to tell, as long as you're willing to stop and listen to it.

That's not to say, though, that the design itself was dated: guests could still enjoy modern comforts throughout. TV sets were hidden into the furniture and would only come into play when needed, there was adjustable smart lighting so you could set the mood you wanted throughout the day, and there were all the pampering features imaginable. Internet, too, so you could actually do some work in the Conference Room.

The concept also made ample use of Embraer's Lineage SkyPorts, a sort of fancy skylight that allowed guests the chance to take in the views from three sides. They certainly helped make the overcrowded, overwhelming spaces feel just a tiny bit less intimidating.

Skyacht One was designed to "break new ground in experiential luxury" and as a showcase of the infinite potential to customizing a private jet. The only conditions were an unlimited budget for the aircraft and a SottoStudios contract – and the desire for something as out of the ordinary as a flying yacht.