Why are balloons used in crafts? Original use of balloons

Air is necessary for all living beings to breathe and create organic matter, and it also protects the Earth from cosmic radiation. Thanks to the wind, moisture and heat are spread across the entire surface of the planet, and if there were no wind, the land would turn into a lifeless desert. But the benefits of air do not end there; many simply do not know how people use the properties of air, and yet it has penetrated into many areas of human life.

Human use of air properties

Even in ancient times, people invented a sail for traveling on the ocean and a wind wheel, which helped with housework. But it has not lost its relevance in our time. It is now used in wind farms, which is the cleanest way to generate electricity because environment it does not become dirty.

Even though air is very light, it also has weight that can push lighter objects and gases out. Thanks to this property, people release a balloon filled with hydrogen, which carries instruments that report the weather in the upper atmosphere. Air, like water, tends to expand when heated. From which it becomes lighter and rises. It was this property that was used by the first balloonists, who flew in balloons that were filled with hot air.

Air is less dense than water. But when developing high speed, you can rely on it. The discovery of this property made it possible to create airplanes and helicopters that are more reliable than flying balloons. It is due to the low density of air that a person is able to move through it many times faster. Due to the fact that air has low density, it conducts heat poorly. Thanks to this, a person puts on warm clothes, thereby surrounding himself with an air shell and he is not cold, just like the ruffled birds and animals. Now you know how to use the properties of air, and you will certainly take advantage of its benefits for your own purposes. And if you want to get acquainted with them in more detail, then you can read the article using the link - “

The hot air balloon has neither motors nor the usual rudder. From the entire technological arsenal - only burners, sandbags and a special valve in the upper part of the dome for air etching. How to control this aircraft?

From the history of aeronautics

Birth balloons became the first real embodiment of mankind's age-old dream of conquering the fifth ocean. In 1306, the French missionary Bassu first described how, while in China, he witnessed the flight of a hot air balloon during the accession of Emperor Pho Kien to the throne.

However, the birthplace of aeronautics is considered to be the French town of Annoney, where on June 5, 1783, the brothers Etienne and Joseph Montgolfier lifted into the sky a spherical balloon they created, filled with heated air.

The flight of the aircraft, weighing about 155 kg and with a diameter of 3.5 meters, lasted only 10 minutes. During this time, he covered about a kilometer at a 300-meter altitude, which was an outstanding event for its time. Later, hot air balloons began to be called hot air balloons in honor of their creators.

The Montgolfier brothers' balloon consisted of a linen shell covered with paper. To fill it with hot air, a fire of finely chopped straw was lit. And 3 months later, an addition was made to the design of the aircraft in the form of a special basket for passengers.

Modern balloons are undoubtedly more advanced, but they are made according to almost the same design. To make the spherical shell of the ball, a special thin and durable polyester material is used. The air heating system has changed. The fire function is performed by an adjustable propane gas burner installed in a basket directly under the dome.

Despite their greater dependence on the wind, modern hot air balloons are controllable. The flight altitude is adjusted by an outlet at the top of the canopy using a rip cord. A side valve is provided to change the course. There are also more complex designs, where another one filled with helium can be placed inside the main dome.

How to control a hot air balloon with a basket

Flying a balloon is an activity that requires serious preparation and considerable financial costs. Suffice it to say that a balloon pilot training course today costs about 200 thousand rubles. The price of the balloon itself (depending on the model) is comparable to the price of a passenger car.

Preparation

The flight is preceded by careful preparation. First of all, it is necessary to study the weather conditions - cloudiness, visibility and wind speed. In accordance with the received data, the flight route is planned. Due to unforeseen changes in weather conditions, a route is chosen where there are enough places along the way for safe landings.

Takeoff

It takes the entire crew to make the balloon take off. The best place to start is a flat area 50 x 50 meters in an open field, where there are no foreign objects nearby - poles, trees, power lines.

Then the assembly of the ball begins: burners are attached to the basket, which are connected by special hoses to gas cylinders. After a test run of the burner, the crew begins to stretch the canopy (necessarily in the direction of the wind). Next, the stretched canopy is fastened to the basket with special carabiners.

The next step is to fill the dome with cold air using a fan, after which the burner starts to heat the air. The heated air lifts the dome from the ground, and the crew (with passengers) takes their places. To prevent the ball from flying away, it is first tied to the car.

Flight

Despite the lack of a motor and wings, the balloon is controllable, which requires certain skills. The main controls are the burners and the exhaust valve. To gain altitude, the burner is turned on and the air is additionally heated, and to decrease, the valve opens slightly. Horizontal flight occurs due to a tailwind. This is where the pilot's skill comes into play. So, to fly faster, it can increase its flight altitude, where the wind speed is stronger.

Descent

The landing site is selected in advance. It must be large and safe. The ideal option is a football field next to the highway. The crew radios to the ground about the landing site. Next, the pilot releases air from the canopy using a valve. The ball smoothly falls to the ground.

Balloons are products made from thin, specially processed latex. When inflating balloon When exposed to air or helium, its walls stretch and become very thin, so finished balloon products must be handled correctly.

Most often we use round balloons filled with helium or air. That's why they hang on the ceiling or lie on the floor. Immediately after inflation, they are exposed to aggressive environmental influences. Factors that are very difficult to influence include:

Sunlight, under its influence, the walls of the ball are oxidized and destroyed, the stronger the sun shines, the faster the process goes;

High ambient temperature, under its influence, the gas inside the ball heats up, which leads to increased movement of its molecules, as a result of which these molecules quickly leak through the walls of the ball into the environment and the ball loses its ability to fly;

High humidity has a negative effect on the polymer glue applied to the inner surface of the ball; it simply does not dry out and does not prevent the release of helium into the surrounding space;

Thunderstorm, in such weather the oxidation processes of the ball are accelerated many times over.

Negative factors that can be influenced include:

Suspended ceilings, which, in Russian terms, are made of compressed glass wool, sharp particles may remain on their surface, destroying the ball upon contact with them;

Strong wind, in which the balls rub against each other and in some cases may burst;

Dust raised by the wind from a nearby construction site, road, or sandbox acts on the ball like sandpaper, wiping it;

Contact with any sharp or hot objects;

Transporting balls in a dusty luggage compartment.

When using balls, these factors must be taken into account, which means:

1. Avoid direct sunlight shining on the balls.
2. Do not use balloons in hot weather or hot rooms.
3. To ensure maximum flight time, do not use balloons in areas with high humidity.
4. During storms, thunderstorms and strong gusts of wind, do not take the balloons outside.
5. Transport and carry the balls carefully.

In addition to round balls, there are various compositions of balls. When done professionally, they are made without the use of glue. This allows you to give the figures additional strength and use them not only as decoration, but also as a toy for children. Such products are influenced by all the same factors as round balls. But, when using them as a toy, you may encounter a number of problems:

When using such toys, they may burst, scaring adults or children, losing their presentation, or simply deteriorating;

When an explosion occurs, the balls scatter into small pieces, which can lead to injury to both children and adults;

Balloon products can have inscriptions or designs made with permanent markers that can stain hands, face, or clothing;

Some elements made from balloons are very small; a child can tear them off the product and swallow them.

It turns out that not only the environment can have a negative impact on the balls, leading to loss of their presentation, reducing flight time, but the balls themselves can have a negative impact on the person who uses these balls. When ordering balloons, you must take this into account.

There are varioustypes of balloons independing on the material they are made of, their purpose or how they look. Here are some interesting information about them.

History of hot air balloons

Many years have passed since the Montgolfier brothers sent their three animal passengers to see if humans could survive a hot air balloon ride. And we still fly hot air balloons because there is nothing like it.

Hot Air Balloon Facts

Balloons are simple, but there is a wide range of different balloons available for different purposes. They are used for sports, recreation, science, medicine, as decoration, in the military and for many more interesting things. By the way, if you need balloons with numbers, we recommend going to the website of the Vozdushny Store.

Balloon

Balloons may look simple, but they have many years of research and experimentation (and human lives) behind them. Today, balloons made for human flight are carefully made.

History and facts about varioustypes of balloons

Balloons: one of the oldest types of balloons and the earliest aircrafts that carry people safely into the air. They first appeared in the 18th century and are still popular today. They work because they are launched into the air with heated air, which is lighter than cold air, and because of this it lifts the balloon up. Their ancestors are flying lanterns that first appeared in third century China.

Gas cylinders: appeared simultaneously with by air balls. It is filled with a gas that is lighter than air, usually hydrogen or helium. Hydrogen is cheaper and easier to obtain, but is dangerous because it can explode when mixed with oxygen in the air. Helium is more expensive, but safer because it is inert.

Toy balloons : Small balloons made of rubber, latex or aluminized plastic and mainly used for children's play, party decoration and advertising. Before this material and Michael Faraday who made the first rubber balloon, balloons were made from pig bladders.

Weather balloons : Large balloons made of highly flexible latex to carry instruments that measure barometric pressure, temperature, humidity and other weather characteristics. One of the first to use hot air balloons was Leoen Teisserin de Bort, a French meteorologist in 1896.

Solar ball: A balloon that rises in the air when the air inside it is heated by solar radiation. The first solar globe was invented by Dominic Michaelis, a British architect and inventor in 1972.