Face mask hot air balloon - GIF

[hemmjo]

If you want to make a non-trolling version of this, a the thin plastic bags commonly used to cover dry-cleaning are extremely lightweight and can lift small payloads.

They're also flammable, so free flight is not recommended in fire risk areas.

I'd be interested to see how real hot-air flying paper lanterns are put together if anyone has an example.

Long time ago, when I was teaching a drafting unit on "surface development". I had students work in groups to determine the shapes of the panels in a typical hot air balloon shape.


The sections are basically trapezoids of varying dimensions. After the paper, pencil and ruler work was completed, no computers then, students set to work creating the balloon from tissue paper and rubber cement. They scaled the balloon so the largest panels could be made from a standard 20" x 26" tissue paper sheet. I got multi-color packs of paper for them to use. They learned to get the most small pieces on each sheet. Often one large and one small, whatever worked to create the least waste. I "charged" the groups $100 per sheet they used for their balloons.

We made a "burner" from a 5 gallon bucket. They were all steel back then. Cut a hole in the side, put a 6" diameter 4' long stove pipe in the lid. Put 1/2" square mesh hardware cloth at the bottom of the chimney and window screen at the top to keep embers out of the paper balloon.

The school was out in the country, had about 5 acres open in back for activities, with a woods behind that. Used wadded up news paper for heat. The first flight went about 10' high then settled down gently. The first flight we all learned that the bottom needed more weight as the balloon turned upside down. The decided to add a construction paper collar to weight the bottom. Next time we had a calm day they flew it several times. Holding it over the heat a little longer each time. The last flight was the longest, as we all got more brave and held it down for longer. When it got up I would guess 100-150 feet, there was a breeze up there blowing toward the woods. A balloon eating tree had their beautiful balloon for lunch.

All in all it was a great activity, but we never launched the with the fire attached to the balloon. The fire stayed on the ground and we had kids with water buckets around the circle of kids holding the balloon over the heat. Wish I had photos,