[balloon-makers] Update

[Robert Kerr]

Mark,

Talk to Alan Blount,  he designed something very close to what you are 
describing back in the mid-80's, after being involved in a mid-air incident 
that lead to him riding a streamer into the ground.  It also was part of 
what led to Barnes developing the blount window in parachutes, and a very 
unique bit of artwork on his subsequent parachutes.


Robert Kerr

At 09:59 AM 10/1/2006, K. Mark Caviezel wrote:

http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/product/product.jhtml?prodId=HPProd1007
> 03#
>>>>>>>>>>this one gets my vote, with the black one
and a suitable envelope your balloon could become the
military's "Stealth Balloon", although heat seeking
missles would find it in a snap and the burner flame
is a pretty big telegrapher of your position.    Just
smal details that a multi-billion military aircraft
development contract could solve for sure.


On a more serious note, every hard landing I make
makes me want to look into inflatable landing bags
and/or styrofoam panels to make slam-bam landings more
comfortable.

I think a trash can solo basket would be a great test
bed for adapting something like a paraglider pilot's
"air protector (#7 in the drawing)
http://www.bigairparagliding.com/supair.htm
to the needs of hot air ballooning.  I think that the
air protector is completely passive- it inflates just
by hanging on the bottom, and vents while slowing down
a ground impact.  For ballooning, maybe some type of
modification to this concept, with a way to retract it
for cream puff standup landings.

- Mark Caviezel
<beautiful, stand up cream puff landing after flight
to 13,900 MSL last night>





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