Kitecraft : $b and kite tournaments — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Kitecraft : $b and kite tournaments
John Stuart Mill · en
=Inflation.= Two methods are used to fill the balloons. A wire is
stretched across the frame of the mouth of the balloon and another at
right angles to it. A ball of excelsior having been soaked in paraffin
is attached at the crossing of the two. The ball should be flattened
into a disc about two inches in diameter and one inch in thickness.
Holding the balloon up by the top the paraffin disc is lighted with a
parlor match. It burns and creates heat that collects in the upper part
of the balloon. When it is filled so that it lifts a little and wants
to get away it is released carrying up the heat generator with it.
The paraffin ball continues to furnish hot air until it burns out. A
balloon so equipped will travel several blocks, high up in the air. The
paraffin ball is also wound about with a very fine wire which is also
used to attach the ball to the wires across the opening of the balloon.
It will be seen at once that a good sized opening is necessary and in
this design, the reed band is ten inches in diameter.
The other method of filling is by means of a stove pipe furnace or
some similar device, but in this case all the heating is done on the
ground. A hole is dug in the ground and the stovepipe is banked in as
a chimney. A fire is built in the hole and the hot air goes up thru
the pipe to the balloon that is suspended over it. If it was not for
the stove pipe the blaze would ignite the walls of the balloon. Some
quite large balloons have been sent up in this way. A piece of tin or
sheet iron is good to make a cover for the hole in the ground so as to
prevent the dirt from falling in on the fire. Some use a little oil on
the fire, but there should not be too much else the blaze will reach
up thru the pipe so far as to burn up the balloon. It is well to have
a cord above so as to hold the balloon up and if it is too high to
hold with the hand, a pole with a wire on the end of it that could be
readily released might be used. As the bag gets inflated it is best to
remove the pole and hold to the bottom by the hands.
In pasting the pieces of paper together, there should be about ¼”
laps. Care must be observed in the pasting that there are no detached
places, places where the paste does not stick well, as the hot air will
escape. In the model given, one section was blue, two white, one red,
and three white, making seven in all. Sometimes the colors are worked
in differently. Half of a section will be one color, and the other half
another, and next to each will be placed some contrasting color. Still
further breaking up can be done until quite a design is worked out.