Hot Air Balloonsبالونات  الهواء  الحار

With Mike, Tommy, and Chad

Parts of A Hot Air Balloon

There are three basic parts to a modern-day hot air balloon. First is the basket. Modern day baskets, like those of 200 years ago, are made of wicker or rattan. Uncountable modern-day products have been experimented with, but none offer the strength and flexibility of wicker or rattan. Baskets range in size from those which carry only one person to those which carry over 20 people. The typical hot air balloon basket will carry 2-3 average sized people. Inside the basket is where the fuel is carried. Today the fuel of choice is propane, the same type that is put in backyard gas grills. Most baskets can carry between 20 to 50 gallons of propane, stored in 10-25 gallon stainless steel or aluminum cylinders. Also inside the basket are the instruments which are typically and altimeter, a variometer, and a temperature reading inside the balloon. There is also a drop-line and a fire extinguisher. The typical balloon basket costs between $3,000 and $10,000 new.

The second part of a hot air balloon system is the burner. It draws fuel from the cylinders in the basket and ignites it, spraying the resultant flame into the balloon. To do this, a pilot light is lit at inflation. The pilot controls the flame with a blast valve. When he opens the blast valve, the liquid fuel under pressure in the cylinders expand down their fuel hoses. The liquid enters the burner, then proceeds through series of coils located at the base of the flame. Here the liquid is heated from previous ignitions, and changes into a gas. The gas is then sprayed onto the pilot light., resulting in the magnificent blue flame. Pilots have the option of bypassing the coils and spraying liquid propane onto the burner. This produces a less-powerful, less compact yellow flame that results in less heat, but also in less noise. It is useful when flying over livestock that are easily scared. The system is designed with power in mind: todays powerful burners are capable of 40,000,000 BTUصs.

The third, and surely most visible, part of the modern balloon system is the envelope, or balloon. Typically made of rip-stop nylon the envelope can be as simple as a one color, standard balloon shape or as complex as a multi-colored Harley Davidson shape. The imagination and the pocketbook is about the only limit. The envelope is made of dozens of individual panels sewn together. It is coated on the inside with a glaze to help the material retain heat. This coating is gradually worn away by the intense heat inside the balloon.