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About the Aircraft.
A
hot air balloon is one of the most fantastic aircraft to ride in, as well
as to fly.
Limited by the ability to only control up and down. The modern hot air
balloon is a highly challenging aircraft to fly.
With
today's modern balloons and the pilots who fly them, statistically a hot
air balloon is one of the safest forms of flight.
Here is how the aircraft works.
Heating air will cause the molecules to spread apart. When the
molecules spread the density of the air becomes less. Heat the
air some more and it becomes lighter still. This is what we call
"LIFT".
The amount of weight you can LIFT is
determined by two things.
1.
The amount of air. (more
commonly referred to as the Volume)
2.
The amount of heat you apply to that air.
Lets
look at the second rule first. The limit of heat is determined by
the fabric used to make the balloon. You can only heat the fabric to
a certain temperature before you cause damage to the fabric. If you want to
carry more weight you must have a balloon that holds more air.
This
brings us to rule #1. To lift more weight you need a larger balloon.
Hot air balloons come in different sizes. The size of the balloon
determines the number of people it will carry.
The
Fabric part of the balloon is called the Envelope. The
Basket is
referred to as the Gondola (gone-DOH-la)
or (the bottom end).
The bottom end includes the burners, basket, flight instruments and the
fuel tanks. Everything that goes at the Bottom End
of the balloon.
The
bottom end is matched in size to the envelope. In other words a 4
passenger balloon will have a smaller gondola and envelope than a balloon
that holds 8 passengers. Generally, the size of balloon used is
determined by the number of people needed to be flown on that day.
SO
FAR,
We
have learned the terms Gondola, Bottom End,
Envelope, and Volume. Volume in a balloon is determined in
Cubic Feet. An average sport balloon is around 65,000 cu.ft. A
passenger ride balloon can be anywhere between 90,000cu.ft. to 240,000cu.ft.
Yes up to 4 times as big, as the size of a personal sport balloon.
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