How to Build a Balloon Blimp
Blimps are a common sight at many major sporting events. Whether taking aerial shots of an event or advertising a sponsor, these non-rigid, free-flying aircrafts generally rely on helium to stay afloat. It is fairly easy to construct your own balloon blimp, and it makes for an interesting school science project.
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Things You'll Need
- 3 large party balloons
- Helium gas
- A wooden dowel (approximately 3 feet long)
- Cellophane tape
- Two paper cups
- Pennies
- Paper
Instructions
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1
Fill the balloons with helium gas. Local party shops are a good place to find the balloons.
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2
Locate the midway point along the dowel with the measuring tape and mark it at the 18-inch point.
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3
Calculate the two midway points between the center and the ends. On a 3-foot-long dowel, these points will each be an equal distance of 9 inches in from the ends and away from the middle.
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4
Attach the three inflated balloons to the dowel with tape. Place a balloon at each end of the dowel and one in the center. Keep a firm hold of the blimp to prevent it from floating away.
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5
Attach a piece of tape to one side of the cup. Then position the cup at the midway point between the balloons and fold the tape over the dowel to the other side of the cup. Repeat this process with the second cup so that each cup is located on either side of the middle balloon.
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6
Add the same amount of pennies to each cup to act as the balancing ballast that will stop the blimp from floating away. Keep adding the pennies until the positive buoyancy of the blimp has been reduced to a gentle rise.
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Tear the paper into small pieces and continue to add the pieces to the cups attached to the gently rising blimp. Stop when the blimp reaches neutral buoyancy and is floating in a stationary position.
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Tips & Warnings
Remote-controlled motors can be added to larger-scale models.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
