Solar UFO
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
On January 20, I released my first UFO-shaped solar balloon. It only needs 20 bags to construct
and the excess (waste) amount of plastic is very small. It is about 8 to 9 feet wide and held
in a saucer shape by attaching the ends of a 3-ft piece of string to the top and bottom (on the
inside) of the balloon. When tethered, its shape was distorted, so I decided to just stick a tag
on and take it out to the park and let it go. I'm still wondering how many people actually thought
it was a real UFO; when it reached around a thousand feet I couldn't see the creases in the plastic,
and it looked a lot like a UFO.
The video...
Giant EZ Tube takes pictures!
Friday, January 4, 2008
My newest design, following the EZ Tube, is the Giant EZ Tube, measuring 15 feet long with a 5 foot diameter. On its first day of flying, I sent it up with a camera that weighs no less than 6 ounces with batteries. When the balloon was fully inflated and heated up, it took the camera up surprisingly fast and soon reached well over 200 feet high, probably a lot more. I got some fantastic photos, which I put in the photo gallery.
The EZ Tube features a drawstring at the open end. To inflate the balloon, just hold it open and run into the wind to fill it with air. When it's almost full, pull the drawstring and it closes the open end. Aerial photography has never been easier or cheaper! Build your own or purchase pre-built Giant EZ Tubes today.
New balloon design - the EZ tube
Saturday, December 15, 2007
This is my latest design, which I am calling the EZ tube. It is basically a short tube balloon with a length of 10 feet and a diameter of about 3 feet. What makes this
so cool is its drawstring sealing mechanism. After the balloon is filled, pull the string and the mouth closes. Instructions will be available soon, and it also will appear in the shop.
Prototype tested and failed
Thursday, December 13, 2007
One of my newest balloons, made from five bags, was released carrying just enough payload to hold the balloon upright. The balloon, which is rectangular, has a completely open bottom (like the tube balloon) and is about 4 feet wide when inflated. Because of the open bottom, it won't fly in windy conditions and was not as easy to inflate as intended.
The balloon was released today (Dec 13) and it climbed over the tallest trees, and as I watched, a small gust of wind capsized the balloon and all the air was gone within seconds. The balloon floated down to the ground, having failed the test. This definitely won't be a design appearing in the how-to pages or in the store.
