Why do balloons fly? How to make a balloon.

Lovers of flying on balloons are all over the world, and they can offer hot air balloon travel for both money and volunteer assistance to their ground crew. If you have already tasted the delights of such flights and now want to independently pull the lines and light the burner, traveling solo, then first you need to take a course of training and certification. Getting to know how the balloon works will give you an edge and help you decide if this hobby is right for you.

Steps

Part 1

We figure out why the ball flies. Operating principle balloons very simple. As you heat air or any other gas, it becomes less dense. Just like an air bubble rising in an aquarium, hot air will rise above the denser, colder air that surrounds it. It is necessary to warm up the air in the ball to the desired temperature, and he himself will be able to lift up both the dome and the basket along with all its contents.

We study the construction of the ball. Its structure is so simple that you can already easily navigate in it, then learning the necessary terminology will help you and your team communicate with each other:

We put on protective clothing. The pilot must wear safety goggles as he will be near the flames. Also, the pilot and crew must wear durable gloves, long sleeves and long pants made of fabric that does not contain nylon, polyester or other flammable materials.

• Everyone who is in the basket should keep in mind that the balloon can land in mud or hard-to-reach terrain, and therefore wear clothes and shoes as comfortable as possible.

1. In order to climb higher, you need to release more propane. To increase the propane supply to the fire, you need to open more the explosive valve on the hose attached to the gas cylinder, which is usually located directly under the burner. The more you open the valve, the more large quantity hot air rushes into the ball and the faster it rises. ...

   • Dropping ballast or any heavy object placed on the sides of the balloon will reduce its overall density and also cause it to rise upward. For obvious reasons, this technique is not recommended when flying over populated areas.

2. Learning how to stay at a stable altitude. Like any object warmer than its environment, the balloon cools over a long time, which causes it to gradually decline. To stay at the same height, you must use one of the following tricks:

   To lower, open the parachute valve. Remember the parachute flap is the flap at the top of the envelope. In its normal state, it is hermetically sealed and, in order to open it, you need to pull on a red line, which is called a break line. This allows hot air to escape through the top. Keep the line taut until the ball is down to the desired mark. Then release it and the flap closes again.

   We control the direction of descent or ascent. It is impossible to directly influence the direction of movement of the balloons. There are several air currents that are layered one on top of the other. Raise or lower the ball, catching different cross-currents of air, and it will change direction. Pilots are often forced to change their route to accommodate the desired air flow.

   Check the strength of the wind. Knowing when a flight should be canceled is a very important factor in pilot training. Flight at strong wind extremely dangerous, and it is prohibited to exercise it. Beginners should stick to simple rule: fly either in the first hours after sunrise, or a few hours before sunset, when the wind direction is more predictable and its speed is slow.

   Check for life support items. The basket should contain at least: a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, a topographic map, an aviation map, an altimeter (a device for measuring altitude) and a logbook in which the pilot records all the details of the flight. Check the propane sensor in the cylinders. You need to make sure they have enough fuel to fly - they typically run around 30 gallons (114 liters) per hour. For long flights, you will also need a radio and possibly electronic navigation equipment.

   Fill the balloon to take off. Almost all balloons require the help of several people to get off the ground. First, the burner must be secured to the basket frame and positioned to the side of the envelope that is on the ground. Raise and straighten the mouth of the envelope, and for ten minutes, using a powerful pump, pump air, which is then heated by the burner. Usually, while the balloon prepares for flight, the basket is held on the ground by people or tied to a car. When the passengers and the pilot are seated in the basket, the pilot releases a powerful jet of flame from the burner and the ball is lifted off the ground.

   During the start, you need to be extremely careful. The pilot has to be very focused and watch how the envelope is inflated and the ground crew is in control of all lines. Constantly look around in all directions in order to spot trees or other objects that the balloon may stumble upon during takeoff. As soon as you feel the first gust of wind during the ascent, immediately fix your gaze on the obstacle, which is located on the take-off course and do not take off from it until the ball overcomes the obstacle. This helps to quickly detect and react to course deviations, accelerating takeoff.

   Study all weather events in the flight area. To earn a flight certification, prospective balloon pilots must pass a meteorological test to understand how temperature, altitude, and humidity interact and affect each other, and what they can tell you about the state of the air. different kinds clouds. Of course, it will not work to list everything in this manual, but a couple of examples can be given:

   • Significant changes in wind direction as you go up or down are called gusts and require special attention as they can speed up or slow down your movement. If a strong gust of wind extinguishes the flame of your burner, light it again and, to avoid falling, heat the ball as quickly as possible.
   • If the balloon reacts slowly to your actions, or you notice that the air, instead of rushing you upward, is wasted, then you are in an "inversion" - a state in which the higher you go, the warmer the air around you becomes. ... It is possible to compensate for inversion by increasing the amount of heated air or, on the contrary, by decreasing it, depending on the direction of movement.

3. Check the direction and speed of the wind, learn to read the weather chart, using this data to get an overall picture of the speed and direction of the movement of air currents. To check local conditions, spit or splash some shaving cream on the rim of the basket.

   Learn to navigate. In order to plot course and flight altitude, balloon pilots are trained to use topographic map and an altimeter. Obtain an aviation map from your regional aviation authority and use it to get around the routes of airliners. Also come in handy GPS module, a magnetic compass, and a pair of binoculars, but are not required for short flights unless required by local hot air ballooning regulations.

Everyone rests differently. Someone spends their free time with a book in their hands, and someone likes to receive thrill- for example, scuba diving or skydiving. An unusual, exciting type of recreation includes a walk on hot-air balloon... One has only to imagine flying at the behest of the wind at an altitude of three hundred meters, and it is already breathtaking. Traveling in a hot air balloon is not the cheapest entertainment, but even one flight will be remembered for many years!

Who among us has not dreamed of flying in a hot air balloon, being in the basket of a balloon, testing our courage and admiring the city from a height ... Someone was stopped by fear, someone was stopped by the price. Many people simply did not think that it was that simple.

The balloon is the very first aeronautical device invented by man. The most amazing thing is that it is still very popular in last years... And this is understandable. It is difficult to describe the feelings of a person flying in a wicker basket three hundred meters above the ground. It seems that there is no basket, and only the wind carries you, and an amazingly beautiful view opens up below.

Progress has given us many different types of transport. But this does not mean that the old ones will cease to be used forever. Of course, on a modern airliner you can get to the right place in a matter of hours, but in a hot air balloon you can take a romantic ride, test your courage and admire the beautiful views. Today it is quite possible. You just need to remember that ascending into the sky in a balloon is a rather serious adventure, and in order to minimize the risk, you need to carefully choose the company that organizes your flight.

Videos and photos of such flights can be easily found on the Internet. But it's one thing to look at photographs, and quite another to find yourself in the basket of a balloon and experience the amazing sensations of flying. Not everyone decides to do this, and even risky parachute jumps are much more popular.

Every person at least once in his life wants to do something special, to test his courage, willpower, to get new impressions. Traveling on a hot air balloon is romance, delightful emotions, and, of course, a dose of adrenaline, when you feel how the balloon is rapidly gaining altitude, and three hundred meters of air separates you from the ground under the deceptively thin bottom of the basket. But, at the same time, hot air balloon rides are one of the safest types of recreation. The design of the balloon practically excludes the possibility of an accident.

What does a balloon consist of and how does it fly?

The balloon consists of a basket and a shell, which is filled with hot air - everyone knows that. Naturally, the ball flies only in the direction of the wind, and the pilot during the flight can only control the burner by adjusting the air temperature, that is, by decreasing or increasing the altitude. But what about the route? It is, of course, there, but it is planned even before takeoff, based on meteorological conditions - first of all, and the direction of the wind. Naturally, the wind can change during the flight, but the balloon does not rise into the air without an escort car, which follows the balloon and picks up passengers at the landing site.

The question of who invented the balloon will certainly be of interest to every student. After all, this aircraft was created in the distant 18th century and has stood the test of time, as it is used in aeronautics today. Techniques and materials change and improve, but the principle of operation has remained the same over the centuries. That is why the appeal to the personalities of those people who came up with this amazing new means of transportation seems to be especially relevant.

short biography

The Montgolfier brothers were the inventors. They lived in the small French town of Annone. Both from childhood were fond of sciences, crafts, technology. Their father was an entrepreneur, he had his own paper mill. After his death, the eldest of the brothers, Joseph-Michel, inherited it and subsequently used it for his invention.

For his scientific achievements, he later became the administrator of the famous Paris Conservatory of Arts and Crafts. His younger brother Jacques-Etienne was an architect by his education.

He was fond of the scientific works of the outstanding British natural scientist who discovered oxygen. This hobby led to the fact that he began to take part in all the experiments of his older brother.

Prerequisites

The story of who invented must begin with an explanation of the conditions that made such an amazing discovery possible. By the second half of the 18th century, a number of important scientific discoveries had already been made, which allowed the brothers to put their own observations into practice. It has already been said above about the discovery of oxygen. In 1766, another British explorer G. Cavendish discovered hydrogen, a substance that later became actively used in aeronautics. About ten years before the famous experiment with balloon raising, the famous French scientist A.L. Lavoisier developed a theory about the role of oxygen in oxidation processes.

Preparation

So, the story of who invented the balloon is closely related to scientific life second half of the 18th century. In this case, it is important to note that such an invention became possible due to the above discoveries. The brothers were not only aware of the latest scientific discoveries, but also tried to put them into practice.

It was this thought that prompted them to create the ball.

They had everything at their disposal necessary materials for its manufacture: a paper mill, left by him from his father, provided them with paper, fabrics. At first, they made large bags, filled them with hot air and launched them into the sky. The first few experiments pushed them towards the idea of ​​creating a large ball. At first, they filled it with steam, but when it was lifted, this substance quickly cooled down, settled in the form of water sediments on the walls of the matter. Then it was decided to use hydrogen, which is known to be lighter than air.

However, this light gas quickly evaporated and escaped through the walls of matter. Even covering the ball with paper did not help, through which the gas quickly disappeared anyway. In addition, hydrogen was a very expensive substance, and the brothers were able to get it with great difficulty. It was necessary to find another way to successfully complete the experiment.

Preliminary tests

In describing the activities of those who invented the balloon, it is necessary to point out the obstacles that the brothers had to face before their experiment was successfully completed. After the first two unsuccessful attempts to lift the structure into the air, Joseph-Michel suggested using hot smoke instead of hydrogen.

This option seemed to the brothers successful, since this substance was also lighter than air and, therefore, could lift the ball up. The new experience proved to be successful. Word of this success quickly spread throughout the town, and residents began asking the brothers for a public experience.

Flight of 1783

The brothers set the trial for June 5th. Both carefully prepared for this significant event. They made a ball that weighed over 200 kilograms. He was without a basket - that indispensable attribute that we are used to seeing in modern designs... A special belt and several ropes were attached to it to hold it in the desired position until it heats up the air inside the shell. The Montgolfier brothers' balloon had a very impressive appearance and made a huge impression on the audience. Its neck was placed over a fire, which heated the air. Eight assistants held him by the ropes from below. When the shell was filled with hot air, the balloon rose up.

Second flight

The basket balloon was also invented by these people. However, this was preceded by a huge resonance, which had the discovery of unknown researchers from a small French town. Scientists from the Academy of Sciences became interested in this discovery. King Louis XVI himself showed such an interest in the flight of the balloon that the brothers were summoned to Paris. a new flight was scheduled for September 1783. The brothers attached a willow basket to the ball and claimed that it would hold passengers. They wanted to fly on their own, but there was a heated discussion in the newspapers about the high risk. Therefore, for a start, it was decided to raise the animals in the basket. On the appointed day, September 19, in the presence of scientists, courtiers and the king, the balloon went upstairs together with the "passengers": a rooster, a ram and a duck. After short flight the ball caught on tree branches and sank to the ground. It turned out that the animals are doing well, and then it was decided that the balloon with the basket would withstand a person. After some time, the world's first air flight was carried out by Jacques-Etienne and the famous French scientist, physicist and chemist Pilatre de Rozier.

Ball types

Depending on the type of gas with which the shell is filled, it is customary to distinguish three types of these flying devices. Those that rise with the help of hot air are called hot air balloons - after the name of its creators. This is one of the most convenient and safe ways filling matter with gas, which is lighter than air and, accordingly, can lift the basket with people in it. Different types balloons allow travelers to choose the most convenient way movement. The balloon burner is of particular importance in this design.

Its purpose is to constantly heat the air. In cases where it is necessary to lower the ball, it is necessary to open a special valve in the shell in order to cool the air. Those balls, the interior of which is filled with hydrogen, are called charlier - after another outstanding French chemist-inventor, contemporary of the Montgolfier brothers, Jacques Charles.

Other types of devices

The merit of this researcher lies in the fact that he independently, without using the developments of his outstanding compatriots, invented his own sphere, filling it with hydrogen. However, his first experiments were unsuccessful, since hydrogen, being an explosive substance, came into contact with air and exploded. Hydrogen is an explosive substance, therefore its use when filling the shell aircraft associated with certain inconveniences.

Helium balloons are also called charlier. The molecular weight of this substance is greater than that of hydrogen, it has sufficient carrying capacity, it is harmless and safe. The only drawback of this substance is its high cost, therefore it is used for manned spacecraft. Those balloons that are half filled with air and half filled with gases are called rosiers - after another contemporary of the Montgolfier brothers, the aforementioned Pilatre de Rosier. He divided the shell of the sphere into two parts, one of which he filled with hydrogen, the other with hot air. He tried to fly on his device, but the hydrogen caught fire, and he and his companion died. Nevertheless, the type of apparatus he invented received recognition. Balloons with helium and air or hydrogen are used in modern aeronautics.

A balloon with a basket is a safe type of air transport that gives bright and unforgettable emotions!

The balloon is a flying device for flight, which uses gas, which is particularly light. Structurally, it consists of a shell filled with gas and a special basket designed for a certain weight. The control of such a product is carried out using a special cord connected to the sheath. As a result, hot air escapes to the outside, which helps to reduce air transport... To know the correct name for a balloon with a basket, you need to turn to the origins of history.

An excursion into history

The first hot air balloon was designed in 1783 by the Montgolfier brothers. The product was filled with hot air, due to which it could rise up. Thanks to the propane burner, the air was heated. Since the discharged hot air had less weight than cold air, the ball could be lifted off the ground and take off. These devices have been actively used for several centuries to perform aeronautics.

The first successful flight was made in a balloon, the shell of which was made of paper. Warm air circulated from a fixed pot, which served as a place for fuel combustion. The basket was made of wood and resembled a boat in its shape.

Today, many people are wondering what is the name of a balloon with a basket? Based on the type of filling of the shell, the following balls are distinguished:

• hot air balloons (filled with hot air mass);
• charlier (light gas is used - hydrogen or helium);
• rosieres (air and gas are used simultaneously for flight).

Features of flying devices

A rectangular basket (gondola) is an essential attribute of any balloon. It can accommodate from 3 to 25 people (depending on size). There is no need to worry about the safety of those present, as its edges are high enough and reach the level of the chest. For its manufacture, willow rods or rattan are used. Some areas are covered with leather for greater strength and aesthetics. The casing is made of durable polyester, polyamide or lavsan. Such materials are the most suitable, have proven themselves worthy in various climatic conditions and when exposed to increased loads.

Would you like to know what is the name of a large balloon with a basket used for tourist flights by our club? These are modern balloons with a high-quality heat-resistant shell that is airtight. They are equipped with capacious wicker baskets and a block of burners that operate on a propane-butane mixture. Barometric devices and a fan are provided, which are responsible for the flow of cold air mass into the shell.

A hot air balloon is a hot air balloon that flies due to the lift of heated air. There are gas-filled balloons in which the lift is created by gas, but we fly on thermal ones.

More than 200 years have passed since the first manned balloon flight, but circuit diagram balloon has not undergone significant changes.

How does a balloon work?

The hot air balloon consists of a shell, a nacelle and a burner (thermal installation).

The figure shows the most common balloon design.

The envelope of the balloon under the dome has a device for bleeding hot air, it is also called an exhaust valve.

This valve is opened with the help of a halyard, the other end of which is in the basket of the balloon. To reduce the forces on the control halyard and evenly transfer the load to the valve, the halyard is passed through the block, which, in turn, is attached to the lower ends of the lines.

In the normal position, the valve is held by the pressure of hot air in the shell, and the vertical bands prevent the valve from bulging outward. A dome halyard is attached to the ring, which is used to fill the balloon.

The weight of the gondola, passengers and additional equipment perceives the shell itself and the vertical ribbons. Horizontal belts have an auxiliary function and limit the rupture of the shell in case of unforeseen situations.

The hot-air balloon gondola (balloon basket) is made of vine or reed, covered with leather from the bottom. Capable of withstanding significant impacts during landings.

The heating installation, depending on the class of the balloon, consists of one or more burners connected to gas cylinders... The maximum power of each burner is high and amounts to several million watts.

As a rule, manufacturers offer customers various configurations of balloons with basic elements. As for one type of shell can be offered various options gondolas and balloon baskets can be equipped with different casings. Depending on the type and volume of the shell and burners, they can be single, double, triple and, for large-volume balloons, they can include four burners.

For flight safety, instrumentation is also required, which includes: an altimeter, a variometer (vertical speed indicator), a temperature indicator in the shell, and fuel level indicators in cylinders. In addition, a radio station is needed to communicate with the flight control center, aviation services and the escort vehicle.

An event that you will remember for a lifetime. We are ready to help you with this.