Balloons are the earliest aircraft in human history, more than 100 years before the invention of airplanes. Hot air balloons are used almost every day in Europe, the United States and other developed countries.

Balloon is the earliest aircraft in human history, more than 100 years before the invention of the airplane. To date, there are more than 20,000 hot air balloons in the world. Hot air balloons are used almost every day in Europe, the United States and other developed countries.

From Kongming Lantern to Manned Hot Air Balloon

The oldest "hot air balloon" in the world is the Kongming Lantern, which appeared in ancient China. It is at least 1,000 years old. At that time, people tied bamboo strips into square frames and put stickers on them to make lanterns. They then light the turpentine on the tray below, and the rising smoke lifts the lantern into the air. This kind of paper lantern is used for military communication and is also called Kongming Lantern. It spreads widely among the people. So far, Kong Mingden's flying activities are still continuing, but its meaning is no longer used for communication in the past, but has become a folk custom of praying for blessings and making wishes, and has become a part of traditional Chinese culture .

Compared to today's hot air balloons, Kongming lanterns work in a very similar way: as the air is heated and expanded, it becomes less dense, pushing objects upward. It can be seen that Kong Mingteng is the most original hot air balloon. However, the Kongming Lantern cannot carry people.

The inventor of the manned hot air balloon is the French Monfil brothers. When an object is burned, smoke will billow out, and clothes baked on the fire can be lifted up by the heat from the fire, which inspired the idea of ​​hot air balloons.

As early as 1782, the Montgolfier brothers began making hot air balloons. From 1782 to the first half of 1783, they produced several balloon models for launch experiments. In June 1783, the Montgolfier brothers made an 800-cubic-meter hot-air balloon using , flax, and . The balloon was burning straw so that the hot-air balloon could take off. They thought the smoke would help the balloon take off, and specially added some damp cloth and carrion on top of the straw. After thick smoke filled the balloon, the balloon lifted off nearly 100 kilometers to a distance of 2,000 meters.

On September 19 of the same year, the brothers raised a 1,400 cubic meter hot air balloon with a diameter of 12 meters and a height of 26 meters, made of linen oilcloth, to an altitude of 500 meters in front of the French king and ministers. The balloon flew 4,000 meters in the air for eight minutes before landing on the outskirts of Paris. This flight established great confidence for humans to take off in hot air balloons.

On November 21, 1783, the Montgolfier brothers put their elaborate 2,200 cubic meter hot air balloon into the center of Paris and invited two French youths to ride it. The balloon lifted off 1,000 meters and flew 10 kilometers in 25 minutes, creating a first in human history. This flight predated the Wright brothers' airplane by 120 years.

While the Monfil brothers were studying hot air balloons, French physicist Jacques Charles was also studying hydrogen balloons. On August 27, 1783, Charles released a hydrogen balloon nearly four meters in diameter. It flew for 45 minutes, floated and landed 25 kilometers away. On December 1, 1783, Charles personally piloted his hydrogen balloon with M.N. Robert. They flew for two hours and covered 36 kilometers. The continuous manned flights of hot air balloons and hydrogen balloons successfully created the history of human beings taking off in balloons.

On June 5, 1785, J.F.P. Rozier, one of the first human launchers, and a manufacturer jointly developed a balloon mixed with hot gas and hydrogen. Unfortunately, during the first test flight, the balloon caught fire in the air and crashed, killing Rozier. The hybrid balloon used in modern flights was named the "Rozier Balloon" in honor of this brave pioneer.

Towards modern applications

More than 170 years after its invention, hot air balloons are difficult to popularize due to materials and fuel. It wasn't until April 15, 1956, that the airbag heating problem was finally solved. That day, American James Cantor successfully flew for 26 minutes in a hot air balloon equipped with a new propane burner. Later, the balloon material was nylon cloth used in U.S. military parachutes, which is light weight and high strength. New fuels and spherical materials provide broad prospects for the development of hot air balloons.

On October 21, 1960, the first modern material hot air balloon (called a modern balloon) successfully flew in the United States.The emergence of modern hot air balloons has greatly promoted the application and popularity of hot air balloons. In 1966, the first modern hot air balloon appeared in Europe. Since then, the event has grown in popularity rapidly.

In 1973, the first World Hot Air Balloon Championships was held in New Mexico City, USA. Since then, competitions have been held every two years around the world. The International Aeronautical Federation also has world records for different types and levels of hot air balloon flights, such as take-off altitude, duration, flight distance, etc.

On March 20, 1999, Swiss pilot Pictell and British pilot Jones piloted the "Centennial" No. 3 hybrid hot air balloon and flew for 19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes, covering a distance of 40,814 kilometers, achieving a non-landing global exploration flight. On July 2, 2002, American pilot Steve Fossett completed the world's first solo hot air balloon flight of 30,299 kilometers.

What does a hot air balloon fly on?

A hot air balloon is mainly composed of an air bag, a burner that heats the air, and a basket that carries people or items.

airbags are made of high-strength nylon or polyester cloth. Although the material is thin and lightweight, it is strong. The burner is the core of the hot air balloon. When the main burner is ignited, the flame height can reach 2~3M,

quickly heats the air in the airbag to generate lift. The ignition burner is the igniter of the main burner, which is kept in a state that is not blown out by the wind. The basket is made of rattan and is used to cushion the platform. It is like a cockpit and is used to carry pilots, passengers, fuel bottles and flight instruments such as thermometers, altimeters and lift gauges. In addition, hot air balloons are often equipped with two combustion systems to prevent malfunctions in the air. Commonly used fuels for hot air balloons are propane or liquefied petroleum gas . The cylinder is fixed in the basket. A hot air balloon can carry 80 kilograms of liquid fuel.

Hot air balloons use hot air to create buoyancy. They control the ascent and descent of the balloon by adjusting the temperature of the air inside the bag with an onboard heater. Although a hot air balloon is called an airplane, it cannot fly freely like an airplane. The pilot can only control the balloon to change altitude. The rise and fall of a hot air balloon is related to the temperature inside the balloon. When the temperature inside the ball is high, the buoyancy of the balloon increases and the balloon rises; as the air inside the ball cools, the buoyancy generated by the balloon is less than its own weight, and the balloon falls. The pilot controls the air switch in the air bag, adjusts the temperature inside the air bag, and then controls the ascent and descent of the balloon.

In addition, there are differences in wind speed and direction between high and low altitudes. Near the ground, the wind direction will change and the wind speed will be significantly reduced due to the influence of terrain and buildings. If you fly from the ground to the air in the morning or evening, the wind direction may change significantly every few meters or ten meters, and sometimes the wind direction is even opposite. The pilot experiences different wind directions at different heights in the air, then controls the balloon to rise or fall to the desired wind direction height, and maintains flight in that wind layer, thereby achieving the purpose of flying to a certain target. Simply put, the balloon will fly wherever the wind blows; the balloon can fly as fast as the wind blows.

Due to the comprehensive impact of wind speed, wind direction, air pressure and other factors on hot air balloon flight, there are many uncertainties during the hot air balloon flight. Therefore, the technical requirements for pilots are very high.

The best time to ride a hot air balloon is an hour or two before sunrise or sunset because the air currents are very steady. Strong winds and fog are harmful to hot air balloons. According to regulations, you can fly freely only when the wind speed is less than 6 meters/second, the visibility is greater than 1,500 meters, and there is no precipitation in the flight airspace. The most important factor for a balloon to travel around the world is climate. Every year in December and January, the maximum speed of rivers in the upper reaches of the Northern Hemisphere reaches the highest speed of the year, with the maximum speed reaching 400 kilometers per hour. So pilots usually fly around the world in winter.

What to do besides sightseeing

For Fleet Warning: Attach the antenna portion of the radar system to a hot air balloon, which is then tied to the ship's large mast. Without electricity you could see in all directions from very far away.

Weather Observation

It is made of rubber or plastic and filled with hydrogen, helium and other gases that are lighter than air. It can carry instruments into the air for high-altitude weather observations. Large non-expandable plastic film balloons are widely used in boundary layer detection, global fixed-level detection and stratosphere detection experiments.

Military use

For fleet warning: Mount the antenna part of the radar system on a hot air balloon, and then tie the hot air balloon to the large mast of the warship . You can see in all directions from a distance without power.

indicates the target of submarine attack: placing a balloon 200 kilometers away from the enemy to lock the target can indicate the target of torpedo or cruise missile .

Combat readiness and duty: Tie a hot air balloon every 300 to 500 kilometers along the border, with radar and missiles deployed on it. If a suspicious enemy aircraft is found, it will launch automatically.

Future Development

With the continuous advancement of science and technology, the use of hot air balloons is no longer limited to the interior of the atmosphere, but to the vastness of the universe. NASA is currently developing a low-cost method of space exploration using hot air balloons to explore other planets and satellites within the solar system.

Hot air balloons can perform unmanned missions and transport equipment. They have many potential destinations. The first stop is Titan Saturn the largest moon. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has designed a hot air balloon that must withstand temperatures of around minus 180 degrees Celsius to survive spaceflight. Near Earth Space, located in , Oregon, is currently conducting high-altitude testing of the prototype. "We can simulate the Martian atmosphere that they would have had to experience," said Tim Rahmer, the company's president. In short, the future prospects of hot air balloons are quite good!