The use of balloons in decoration. The current state of aeronautics in the world and in Russia Balloons without a pattern application

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 was lit from finely chopped straw. 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 data received, 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 a balloon is inflated with 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 more goes faster process;

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, rubbing 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.

This courtyard in France is filled with pink balloons that act as a roof. When guests step into the whimsical courtyard at the Hotel De Griffy in France, they immediately have the feeling of entering an alternate reality filled with hundreds of pink balloons. Some balloons are scattered among the grassy floor, but most are stuffed into a hanging net that is suspended over the entire yard.

The net allows these pink balls to imitate the roof of a yard. As natural light filters through the balloons, the entire space is engulfed in a soft, magical shade of pink. The courtyard was inspired by cherry blossoms and designed by Margaux Rodot, Mikael Martin and Benoit Tastet. Initially, simple latex balloons without a pattern were used, which are also presented in the catalog at https://www.mfpoisk.ru/catalog/lateksnye_vozdushnye_shary_bez_risunka/. Then these balls were painted in the desired shade and built into the installation.

Hundreds of pink and white balloons were assembled into a single composition to bring the unique fairytale scene to life. The installation, called Tenth Spring, allows visitors to relax and enjoy a surreal moment of pure bliss.

Deremer graduated from university with a degree in studio art but then became a veterinarian. Combining her passion for art and love for animals, she created a cover that reflected these interests. She studied many specialty magazines to convey her art in the form of balloons and photographs. Sarah perfectly captured the essence of real creatures through the textured balloons, fully allowing them to express their cartoonish characteristics.

Today, hot air balloons and airships are primarily used for recreational purposes. Aircraft rides are a favorite pastime for hundreds of thousands of people around the world. There are 7,500 balloons in the USA alone, and similar ones in Russia. aircraft about 300.

About 400 different aeronautical festivals are held annually. This includes the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, the Big Bear Hot Air Balloon Festival in New Jersey, and hot air balloon festivals in London, Albuquerque, and Chambla. The enchanting performance of balloons “Night Glow” brings special joy to the spectators of such events. In the evening, pilots take to the sky and change the position of the burners so that the balloons begin to glow. Following the coordinator’s commands, the pilots coordinately extinguish and light the burners, creating fantastic images in the dark sky.

Aeronautical festivals are also held in Russia. IN last years Aeronautics festivals were held in Perm, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Abinsk, Essentuki, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. In the summer of 2005, residents of 24 Russian cities took part in the MegaFon company's "Rise Above the Clouds!" campaign. The highlight of the program was the launch of Russia's largest thermal airship (41 m long and 13 m in diameter). At the same time, MegaFon’s show program took place on the ground: interactive competitions, various competitions with thematic prizes, as well as performances by famous musical groups: both local and all-Russian. The winners of the competitions received a unique opportunity to take a short trip in the basket of a hot air balloon or in the gondola of an airship. Hot air balloons occupy a special place in the modern sports world. During aeronautics competitions, teams perform the most intricate stunts. One of the most famous exercises is called “hare and dogs”. The “hare” balloon is trying to fly away from the “dog” balloons that are chasing it. The “Hare” tries to break away from his opponents and, having landed, place a goal in the form of a cross next to his basket. The “dogs” try to hit the target by throwing small bags of sand at it from a height. These and other aeronautical tasks are also performed by participants in the World Hot Air Balloon Championships, held since 1973. Last year, the 17th World Championships in this discipline were held in the Japanese city of Tochigi. Athletes from different parts of the world took part in the competition: Germany and Russia, the USA and Korea, France and Finland, South Africa and Australia. The young Russian aeronaut Alexey Medvedsky also performed successfully in the competition. And the American John Petrehn became the world champion.

Heroes of world aeronautics

Over more than two centuries of aeronautics history, dozens of people from the most different countries the world dedicated their lives to aeronautics. And speaking of the heroes of aeronautics, one cannot help but recall first of all the Montgolfier brothers, the French inventors of the hot air balloon. The eldest of the brothers, Joseph Michel (1740-1810), dropped out of school at the age of thirteen and ran away from home, subsequently became interested in mathematics and chemistry and even organized his own laboratory. His brother Jacques Etienne (1745-1799) was a successful engineer and engaged in paper production. The brothers made the first model of the future balloon (“hot air balloon”) in 1782. It was a small ball with a silk shell with a hole at the bottom. The inventors burned paper under the hole, the air inside the ball warmed up, and the ball rose to the ceiling of the room where the experiment was carried out. Then the brothers made some shells large sizes and began to launch balloons in the open air. The brothers first showed their invention to the public in June 1783 in the French town of Annonay. An unmanned balloon with a shell made of rough linen covered with paper rose into the sky and reached a height of about 1800 m. On its second flight, which took place in September 1783, the balloon set off with a “crew” - a sheep, a rooster and a duck. And two months later, people took to the sky for the first time - Jean-François Pilatre de Rosier and the Marquis d'Arlande.

The Montgolfier brothers' compatriot Jean-Pierre Blanchard (1753-1809) also wrote his name into the history of aeronautics. For a long time, this inventor tried unsuccessfully to build an airplane, but after the advent of hot air balloons, he began creating balloons. In January 1785, Blanchard, along with the American physician John Jeffreys, became the first people to fly across the English Channel. The travelers took to the skies in the British port of Dover, and 2.5 hours later they landed in a forest nearby French city Kale. Blanchard was the first man to fly in America. One of the witnesses to the flight of the French inventor was the first US President George Washington.

Among American aeronauts, the merits of modern aeronaut and traveler Stephen Fossett (born 1944) should be noted. In 1995, an American made the world's first solo travel in a hot air balloon Pacific Ocean. And in the summer of 2002, he became the first person in the world to fly in a hot air balloon alone and without stopping around globe. His trip around the world began and ended in Australia and took 13 days, 8 hours and 33 minutes. During this time, Fossett flew more than 33 thousand kilometers. The American aeronaut also entered his name into the world record holders for flight speed. In October 2004, on the huge Zeppelin NT airship, he reached a speed of 115 km/h.

Repeatedly records were set in speed, duration and altitude gained by Russian pilots. Our country's engineers also made a significant contribution to the development of world aeronautics. An outstanding Russian scientist is Nikolai Egorovich Zhukovsky (1847-1921). Zhukovsky was one of the founders of aerodynamics. His work on the “theory of flight” invariably received approval and high marks world scientific community. In one of his speeches “On Aeronautics,” the scientist predicted: “Man has no wings and, in the ratio of the weight of his body to the weight of his muscles, is 72 times weaker than a bird, but I think that he will fly relying not on the strength of his muscles, but on the strength your mind."

In addition to scientific works, the “father of Russian aviation” collected all kinds of flying models, kites, wind-up butterflies, etc. Zhukovsky is also a permanent delegate of Russian delegations at the world's leading aeronautical meetings. So, in the fall of 1906, he represented Russia at the Aeronautical Congress in Milan. Earlier, in September 1900, he participated in the First International Aeronautical Congress in Paris and flew in a hot air balloon. In one of his letters to his family, he wrote: “Yesterday evening there was a balloon competition (who can fly the furthest) in the Bois de Vincennes. The competition was organized by the Paris Aero Club, and 21 balloons took part in it, among which there were huge ones... An unprecedented spectacle, the whole sky was filled with flying balloons.”

Zhukovsky also played an important role in promoting knowledge about aeronautics. In 1904, he created an aeronautical section in the Moscow Society of Lovers of Natural History, Anthropology and Ethnography. In 1910, with the direct participation of the scientist, an aerodynamic laboratory was opened at the Moscow Higher Technical School. And at the end of 1918, Zhukovsky founded the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute.

Holidays are something that both adults and children enjoy. We all love bright holidays that we remember for a long time. To make the holiday truly excellent, you should worry about more than just food and entertainment for the guests. You should also think about how you can decorate this holiday, what decorations you can use to make the holiday really look very stylish. A win-win way is to decorate the holiday with fresh flowers. You can also decorate the room with balloons, which can be purchased on the website https://dom-sharov.ru. Here they are inexpensive and always presented in a large assortment. A balloon has long been recognized as one of the best decorations for any holiday.

Bright, colorful, cheerful, airy, they will definitely bring a good mood and create a simple unforgettable experience. You can order them in any quantity. Balloons are light, floating in the clouds, they give real joy and a feeling of flight to both small children and adults.

Everyone likes decorating holidays with balloons because:

• bright;
• cheerful;
• air;
• takes adults back to childhood.

This combination of parameters turns helium balloons into the most unique way to highlight all the importance and solemnity. events. Decorating various holidays with such products is a real choice for those who are well versed in a good mood!

Exclusive balls

For those who want to convey a message or make an advertisement, products with a design printed according to your sketch will be useful. The cost of such products is small, but causes a strong reaction and response. Printing on balloons is a great opportunity to make your business recognizable and your holiday unforgettable.

Balloons with a company logo can be called a wonderful souvenir for promotions.

Decoration of street events

Today this service is in wide demand. All the people on the street saw a store decorated with balloons, the design of some kind of exhibition, or the designation of the location of an action. For such purposes, decorative techniques from:

• garlands;
• large figures of famous characters;
• air rubber molds different colors and figurines.

At the end of the celebration, such bundles are always unraveled, and the airy products are smoothly picked up by a light breeze.