Interesting Facts About Hot Air Balloons
The first hot-air balloons appeared in the 1700s. These balloons used hot air produced by fires on the ground before they took off, which limited how long they could stay aloft. For more than 100 years, most balloons used hydrogen or helium instead. In 1960 Ed Yost pioneered the use of on-board fuel, in the form of propane, and the modern age of hot-air ballooning began.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
The Montgolfier brothers of France invented balloons. In 1782, their very first prototype hot-air balloon rose 3,000 feet into the air and stayed aloft for about 10 minutes. The next year, in 1793, another hot-air balloon made by the Montgolfier brothers reached 6,000 feet and flew about a mile in ten minutes. In September of that year they sent a sheep, a duck and a rooster up in the basket of a hot-air balloon to test the effects of flight on animals. In November of 1783, Francois Pilatre de Rozier made the first manned flight. He rose 84 ft over Paris in a tethered hot-air balloon and stayed aloft for 20 minutes.
Records
-
In 1987 Richard Branson and Per Lindstrom made the first successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a hot-air balloon. Their flight took 33 hours. The next year they made the first successful flight across the Pacific Ocean. In 1999 Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones made the first around the world flight by a hot-air balloon. Their balloon stayed aloft through the entire trip without refueling. The highest hot-air balloon flight, as of January 2011, was by Dr. Vijaypat Singhania. He reached 68,986 ft over Mumbai, India, on Nov 26, 2005.
-
Envelope
-
The actual balloon part of a hot-air balloon assembly is the envelope. The envelope is made from a special fabric of nylon and polyester woven together. This fabric is not airtight so it is coated with sealant. The envelope is made in sections, called gores, which are sewn together. Most balloons are either round or tear-drop shaped. A flap is built into top of the envelope so hot air can be released as needed.
Basket
-
The basket of the balloon, which carries the burner and any passengers, is also called the gondola. Some gondolas can carry as many as 20 passengers. Most baskets are woven from different types of cane, which is more durable for repeated landings than aluminum or plastic. Open baskets have one big compartment, while T-partition have sections separating the burner from the passengers. In addition to increasing safety, the T-partition makes the basket stronger.
Burner
-
The burner is the heating unit that produces the hot air to lift the balloon. The fuel for the burner is pressurized propane in cylinders. The layout of the burner allows the pressurized liquid propane to become gas before it is lit, which makes the flame stronger. The smallest balloons use a single burner, but a double unit is more common. Large balloons, which can lift up to 20 passengers, have as many as four burner units linked together.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit balloon 01 image by John R. Amelia from Fotolia.com
