Crafting a hot air balloon is not difficult
Here's the more challenging version to try
This article is a Forum booklet article.
The instructions presented here have already been tried out with great success by inexperienced participants in a BESJ leadership course. Despite great skepticism on the part of the spectators, the thing lifted into the air and disappeared from the astonished eyes
Preparations
First think carefully about how big the hot air balloon should be. A height of about two to three meters is easily possible. First draw a plan of how the whole thing should look like. The instructions result in a balloon of about 2.5 meters in height.
Material
- 100 sheets of newsprint
- enough glue
- 2 m wire (1 mm)
- 2 m aluminum foil
- Bostitch
- 1 pack of cotton wool
- 2 dl methylated spirits
To glue the paper together, a space of at least 6 x 6 m is required.
Building instructions
Building instructions
- First, assemble the four sides into a rectangle shape (3 x 6 newspapers, fig. 1). Make sure that the newspapers are glued überall and that there are no gaps in the glue line.
- Half the pages along the dotted line. Glue them back together according to Fig. 2.
- Now glue the four sides together and insert the lid (fig. 3).
- Now the edge of the opening (about 40 x 40 cm) is protected with aluminum foil against flames striking to the side. To do this, lay the foil in a ratio of 3:1 around the edge (the higher piece against the inside) and fasten it with the Bostitch.
- Finally, stretch the corners apart with a wire cross and attach a large cotton ball in the crossing point. Make sure that the wire cross is pointing upwards into the balloon and that the cotton ball is resting on the wire. By the fact that the flame is burning inside the balloon, the risk of burning down as a result of crosswind greatly reduced.
Start
Four large people, each on a ladder or similar, hold the balloon in the corners of the roof so that you can crawl under the balloon. Now pour enough methylated spirit over the cotton wool. It should be dewy (do not add more!). After you have ignited the cotton wool, wait until the sides bulge outwards noticeably before letting go. Only now is the air heated enough to support the weight of the balloon.
Enjoy the flight!
Source link
- Content and image: Forum Child Issue 3/04, page 21. hot air balloon Mega.
© Copyright www.forum-kind.ch - Author: Lori Keller, BESJ Secretary
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