RC Hot Air Balloon Experiments

[@jamesLbertjones]

My dad is a balloon pilot and builds hot air and gas balloons. We’ve been building tissue paper and rc balloons as long as I can remember. I am going to show him this video over the holidays!

[@SockyNoob]

Give us an update on what he says

[@JãoManu1805]

Give us an update when you show him

[@penewoldahh]

I ned udat

[@schilling3003]

Better yet, show us some of your builds!

[@SkiSkillsMontana]

My dad went to get milk and never made it home. Could your dad help find my dad, please

[@DenCon143]

As teenagers in the California Central Valley, we used to set off hot air balloons using dry cleaning garment bags with birthday candles taped to straws that kept the bottom of the bag open. The candles were the kind that can't be blown out. From our experience in the non-windy Central Valley summers, your RC controlled hot air balloon will only work in a windless atmosphere.

[@MikeNelson1953]

Exactly the same in the winter in Erie, Pennsylvania in the late 1960s. Being risk takers, we launched them only a couple of miles from the Erie airport control tower. Only a few were recovered. Most ended up in tall trees in the woods and stayed there for years.

[@redsorgum]

Same in Southern California, except we used regular birthday candles. We taped the top where the coat hanger stuck out so the hot air didn’t escape….✌️

[@narr0wm1nd49]

We did the same in California when riding motorcycles in the dunes. Dry cleaning bags. Two sticks of bamboo and a full set of birthday candles. And we would launch them in top of a dune watching them float over the desert

[@scoopidyschloop]

as an X year old in 2023, i cant do much in my life

[@FarmerFpv]

I did the same in Ocotillo Wells using a flare and a homemade balloon. it caught on fire about 1 minute in flight and almost landed on our trucks with gas cans in the back. We always spill race gas when filling our dirtbikes so that would have been bad.

[@suspense_comix3237]

10:25 Ah yes, my favourite Imperial Measurement System: the Banana and Courgette.

[@PERMaesan]

how did you watch 10 minutes of the video in two minutes??

[@Tsnafu]

Don't be silly you can't use courgettes to measure, those were aubergines

[@MuhammadaliMuhammadaziz]

😡😡😡😡

[@aaronhastie830]

My dad is a hot air balloon pilot so I have several years experience with being ground crew for a hot air balloon, so I don't have much (any) experience with the rc kind, but I can tell you what we do with the big balloons. The line connected to the top of the balloon (the crown line) is normally only used while inflating/initially heating the balloon to control the initial ascent from the ground. It can also be used to keep the envelope from moving erratically if you want to stay inflated with some wind present. The 3 lines you have connected to the basket are for tethering (we usually connect them at the point where the envelope connects to the basket at the top of the tower), and they are the minimum need to fully constrain the balloon over a single spot, but you really only need one to keep it from flying away from you if you don't care that it can move. We usually tether with just 2 lines. The internal line (often called the redline bc it's usually red, or the top line) connected to the vent (called a parachute top) is either used while deflating the balloon, or to let out some hot air to cool the temperature down to descend faster, or reduce rate of ascent. The parachute top is initially held in usually with Velcro to keep it in during inflation, but you can pull it before you deflate the balloon because the buoyant force of the hot air will keep it sealed. Hope this helps, I'm happy to answer any questions about ballooning!

[@randymarsh8936]

I've always wondered how flight planning works... Like you just look at all the weather information available to you and send it? Just land in some random farmers field and call the truck?

[@WereStillPlaying]

Yutta Hey?

[@aaronhastie830]

@@WereStillPlaying 👀

[@aaronhastie830]

@@randymarsh8936 lol yup you pretty much nailed it. Pick a spot that will give you plenty of opportunity to land and just go for it. The winds often allow for some steering as they'll be at different headings at different altitudes. There is absolutely skill in being able to steer the balloon but if the wind ain't blowing there you ain't going there.

[@WereStillPlaying]

@@aaronhastie830 Don't take it personally, ballooning is a small world :P

[@glennlane6599]

Used to make hot air baloons using dry cleaning clear plastic bags. Started with candles for heat, then graduated to Sterno until one windy night all the sterno fell onto a neighbor's roof. We boosted one of our little brothers onto the roof and he stomped out the fire. Always wondered why none of the home's occupants came out to find out what that noise was! That was the end to our hot air balloon experiments.

[@anon_y_mousse]

Just imagine doing that at Christmas and the kids get excited about Santa coming down the chimney. Funnier still would be if they didn't have a chimney.

[@slob0516]

Hi. Pilot here. The top line is the crown. It's for use on the ground. The parachute top is used to go down or to dump the air at landing. The teather lines are for anchoring the balloon or to drop to ground crew to handle on landing. Lift is determined by a pyrometer at the top. Higher temperatures are bad for the coating. Keep it under the rated temperature and measure the lift there. Lift relates to the area over the equator of the envelope.

[@brothercannon]

Some thermal camera shots of the hot air balloons could be interesting.

[@AnimalWhisper007]

The Cool thing about Hot Air Balloon Piloting is the Steering . I got to pilot one with the actual Pilot as My Copilot and to steer You Spit over the side and see where the lower winds are moving in the direction You are wanting to Go and then lowering the balloon to that level and blowing over the way you want to steer then raising up to straiten out or turn the other way ! So you need to get an RC Pilot that spits for the Balloon now !

[@b5a5m5]

I've been ballooning for 10 years now and was delighted to see you messing around with LTA aviation! One thing I was a little concerned about though, your envelope (probably nylon) is considered over-temp above 250f and quickly degrades the fabric, for polyester envelopes it's 300f. Seeing as this isn't carrying passengers it's not like there is much of a consequence here, but just something to be aware of if you want the envelope to last, well I guess forever since it will hardly be carrying a payload.

[@TK-tt7jm]

I'm building a blimp that uses variable gas temps to maintain buoyancy/altitude. Ultra lite aircraft powered by Corona thrusters and hydrogen.

[@Knot_Sean]

“Do not try at home!” *as they proceed to unprofessionally and hilariously try this at home*

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Tampons make excellent wicks for little hot air balloons. Wrap most of it in foil like a bag. I stopped doing it after a police car hit one that struggled to gain altitude and drifted down the main road through town. S. S. Light days. That was one of my ex's favorite stories to tell. It was going out so they didn't stop and it didn't flare-up. When I was a kid, a Korean vet made paper lanterns that you light the whole thing and it goes as an ember up into the sky.

[@praticle]

username checks out

[@AerospaceMatt]

Balloons were my first aviation love. When I was younger I used to be OBSESSED with balloons. Anything from helium party balloons to hot air balloons. When people would ask me what I liked, I would say “anything that flies”. Of course as I’ve aged fighter jets have become my forefront aviation interest. But, to see my favorite KZbin channel deal with hot air balloons is special! (It’s Peter’s fault I’m flying RC planes too)

[@TheMalformedViperfish]

I also have an interest in aviation its just so cool to think about flying

[@AerospaceMatt]

@@TheMalformedViperfish since the dawn of our species we’ve looked to the birds and wondered what it might be like to soar through the wild blue yonder. Through the years our technology improved and allowed us to finally find out. In a few hours, I myself will be flying in a passenger jet, airborne as our ancestors could only dream of. I count myself lucky to be alive in a world where flight is possible!

[@nosidenoside2458]

I think that a small vertical propeller could be useful here, if you made it neutrally buoyant, it could push it up or down with very little energy

[@Ipoetize]

A far better tether for a r/c tissue paper hot air balloon is Dental Floss, just saying!

[@AJ-Palermo]

That's by far the best ad for Brilliant I've ever seen!

[@bake162]

This is the perfect of example of “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” Merry Christmas lads

[@xxmortikaixx4975]

A tall, very thin stainless steel type of shroud/tube with holes around the flame would help keep the flame consistent and also help draw more air into the shroud/flame to be directed into the balloon.

[@JSMZeez]

Plus it needs to be mounted way higher too.

[@WeaverOfNightmares]

Where can we buy the hot air ballon every time i search on ebay tous and inflatable toys show up not something that can fly 😢

[@jojofixer]

Get a plastic bag from the cleaners, Scotch tape top hole, make a cross of balsam wood and use 2 birthday candles cut in half to make 4. Use on still night only!

[@quentinhilpert9606]

I've been playing with hot air balloons since I was a kid (68) and still do. Unfortunately I live in Arizona so......... when it rains really really well then time to fly. What I want to try is those blow up santa clause yard thingies. Weight it just enough to keep santa upright and santa and maybe his reindeer would be flying!!!!!

[@UncleKennysPlace]

I was one of the n'er-do-wells that got the 1970s UFO sightings really going with cleaning bag balloons, with rolled cotton soaked in wax for heat. My mother was not impressed.

[@monostripezebras]

In balloons there is kind of a delay effect, when you burn you need to be aware that if you burn until it moves, you overdo it.. short bursts and observing the movement is how balloon pilots do it at first until they develop a feel for their volume

[@Jambandit15]

You should do an electric hot air balloon using an induction heater.

[@oojimmyflip]

use a black dust bin liner and let the sun heat the balloon and the air inside, it actually works.

[@JosephHarner]

Too low energy density. Electric flight is all about efficiency. If you just want heat, as in a hot air balloon, you really can't beat combustion.

[@artisticyeti22]

​​@@JosephHarnerYeah I was wondering whether an induction by itself would be able to sufficiently produce so much thermal energy for the Ballon to lift

[@tuloxe]

10:17 „Bro How many bananas du ju have“ 😂

[@rob379lqz]

Yup. China sent a couple of them over us with GoPro cameras. Thankfully, General Milli-Vanili spent a $2 million to shoot one down.

[@Frankensteins_Highboy]

The Canadians proved, in 1998, that machine guns don't easily take weather balloons down. (They used well over 1000 rounds) Does that mean we had to use the most expensive missile? No

[@SolarWebsite]

General Milli-Vanili? (I'm from Europe)

[@MarcusAurelius7777]

PLEASE BUILD ORNITHOPTER FROM DUNE 2

[@bkanegson]

It isn't a PeterSripol presentation without some spectacular failures :-)

[@paraglidingprospector]

I’m just here for the carnage. 😂 Jk. I approve of his RC Tomfoolery!

[@TheWhatman21]

society is soft when playing with lighters and butane has become "too dangerous"

[@6Diego1Diego9]

Please shut up

[@NotDrDre]

Looking forward to Peter’s follow up to this video: a Hindenburg reenactment flight Edit: he has a dirgible video!

[@2timothy477]

Thanks for sharing this project. You all have such determination not to give up! May God Bless you all. Steven. U.K.

[@kiteslights7189]

Where did you buy your balloon

[@404_profile_not_found]

13:04 - "I didn't actually garage-uate college"

[@Sniperboy5551]

I love most KZbinrs have uploaded new videos today! Good timing since most people don’t have work, definitely brings in more views!

[@StuartRobinson123]

amazing. thank you for this. and for the CAD files. could you list the electronics components you used in the description?

[@AsTheRavensGather]

Blud commented 14 hours ago… this video is only 43seconds up

[@GamingCat100]

time travel ??

[@lucastschetter9896]

Odd, the video has only existed about a minute, and you have a comment on for 14 hours already?

[@fingerknight27]

Patreon.

[@RemasteredStudios]

bruh

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

I'm 75 and 'back in the day' I SUCCESSFULLY did this using a kerosine fuel-soaked Tampon wrapped in a criss-cross of 30-gauge wire for support, suspended from a thin "X" of wire side to side from a tissue fabric geodesic baloon made of thin balsa strips. Robust, lightweight, controllable.

[@gabedarrett1301]

This formula works for boats and airships: max theoretical cargo capacity = density of surrounding fluid × submerged volume - ship mass (which is anything that isn't cargo, including the mass of the gas inside the submerged volume). For air, the density is about 1 kg/m³. For water, its about 1000

[@Skinflaps_Meatslapper]

The sky lanterns are absolutely not a fire hazard unless you launch them in adverse weather conditions. Calm skies at night will allow the balloon to ascend several thousand feet up, and will continue to climb until the fuel runs out and the fire dies. Then you have several thousand feet of slow descent for the fuel element to cool completely down before it lands. It presents far less of a fire hazard than a controlled campfire by a conscientious camper.

[@hchowky]

It's a great idea to combine the rigid airship + hot air balloon idea. I've wondered in the past if a electric heat controlled (through heat elements) compared to gas powered airship can work. Hopefully you have better ideas for your next airship/hot air ideas

[@bmobert]

Have you ever heard of Solomon Andrews and his Aereon? He was able to fly against the wind without a motor in 1863. In 1865, he flew from New Jersey, over New York city and landed on Manhattan Island for a few days to avoid a storm. He then flew back again. A post-war recession bankrupted him and he never flew again.

[@Zortorond]

I did make models of hot air balloons myself and actually I found out that you can make one just out of black plastic trash bags and it will lift itself pretty easy by the heat of the sun. So technically you don't even need a heater. But the balloon with fire just looks cooler (or should I've said hotter?) :) There is a very old video of one of mines at my "channel" btw. That one was made of paper and used some solvent as a fuel.

[@vanpenguin22]

Long time no see. Glad to see you're still at it. Hope your Christmas was excellent

[@JinKee]

Hope you have a valid transponder or they'll scramble the Raptors.

[@suzannethomasson8692]

lol “this is terrible, I don’t know who thought this was a good idea, to light these off and let them go.” -Peter @ 2:35 lmao they were ancient Chinese people

[@laytonpratt]

Peter has a hot air balloon along 10 bananas and 27 eggplants. Calculate the necessary force required to lift the hot air balloon by itself and then with the bananas plus the eggplants. Assume the balloon weighs 30 lbs, each banana weighs 1 lb, and each eggplant weighs 2.5 pounds. Neglect air resistance and use 32 ft/s^2 as the gravitational constant.

[@kurtflint64]

I've made something similar to this before by hanging a stripped-down tiny hovercraft, which I made from the Flite Test plans, using only rear motors plugged in, from a neutrally buoyant helium balloon or two. When the stick is pushed forward, it causes the entire contraption to roll, giving the hovercraft gondola a slight upward tilt and causing the entire setup to go forward and up. Turning the hovercraft rotates the balloon or balloons, resulting in the entire setup turning the next time you throttle up. This setup works best indoors, where you won't risk losing your toy to an updraft and it getting stuck in a tree ;-) A broken micro drone can also work with just a single party balloon. In fact, this video has inspired me, and I think I'll build an RC blimp using tiny whoop parts this weekend!

[@shop970]

It's really fun! Peter has been experimenting for a long time! Keeps going until it's successful!

[@anthonyelam2257]

You are so adventurous and you love to experiment through trial and error and you learn fro your failure ... so fun to watch ... thank you ...❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊 ...

[@Otto_Captures]

An integrated heat-pipe that absorbs some of the heat from the flame and transfers it to a jacket/heatsink around the fuel tank would keep the tank from freezing. Added weight, but more consistent fuel to heat output.

[@OliverW-zl2zo]

@PeterSripol It would be cool to make a hot air balloon that goes up with a action figure on it then folds over and turns into a parachute

[@TheBigBalloonFestival]

FANTASTIC, welcome to my world - just don't burn those figure tips or eyebrows, ever need any help on envelope design, give me a shout - be amazing to help you out, on the flip side I need a gondola for my RC airship😉

[@samuellondke9108]

Two Peter sripol videos in one month?! Best Christmas ever!

[@desert-walker]

I actually made one of these eight years ago with a mini butane torch and it worked great. It went so high I lost it could not even see it, but this one’s pretty cool and way way bigger😊

[@fezpcgamer4164]

Engineer: “recomend me a precise unit of weight” Peter: “eggplants and bananas” 😂😂😂😂

[@nermket4849]

When you use the gondola as fuel it solves the issue of not having enough fuel and having too much weight

[@dronepilot260rc]

My dad and I used to watch the Hot air balloons go by. Used to be very common in the 80’s and 90’s but now I rarely see them

[@gloorfpv1801]

I don’t even know why I’ve always wanted to try this too ,,,, I’m so glad you saved us all the effort,,always amazing

[@prozacgod]

That was about as exciting as a hot air balloon.

[@pauljs75]

The home-made one was close to working better, but I'd suspect the balloon part would need to be twice as big. Compare to the one that was purchased with the basket and all that, in terms of payload vs. lift.

[@imaginemedia07]

I think you’re loosing your heat before it gets to the envelope. Hot air balloons have a small wind guard on one side between the envelope and the gondola. I think adding this would help cut the wind down between the burner and the envelope, allowing most of the hot air to go into the envelope. Happy flying from Dayton, Ohio.

[@Rebar77_real]

Great Dirigibuild!

[@AveryFlies]

Man, you always do the things I can only think of, thats awesome!

[@suspense_comix3237]

Finally, some schmuck does an RC Hot Air Balloon! Been waiting for one of these.

[@techno_john]

So... what about using solid state heaters instead of fire? And I've seen stuff about using a smaller balloon filled with steam. Maybe have a two stage design with a small inner balloon with steam, and then an outer balloon with hot air?

[@themanhimself3]

This is a a fantastic video on why I will never step foot in a hot air balloon. 🤣🤣

[@tuono2914]

Can you increase the size of the balloon? I'm not a mathematician at all but regular hot air balloons need time to fill up with hot air. If you're going to add so much weight, don't increase the flame, make the balloon bigger!

[@mickistevens4886]

When i was a kid they sold kits to assemble large (10 ft) paper hot air ballons. A 12 foot stick would suspend the loop on top of the balloon over a barbaque pit untill bursting to take off. It would go very high until it cooled down with us chasing after it.

[@donaldburkhard7932]

Could the heat gun provide enough hot sit to lift anything? Fingers DC version using batteries to power? If works build light framework to hold heating element, batteries and rc controls?

[@jackermis3104]

Merry christmas peter!

[@mdoyle1981]

I had one of these with 3 propane tanks that was slightly larger, Harbor Freight sells a brass adapter that allows you to refill those smaller bottles from a regular BBQ propane tank much cheaper. I sold mine because there were never any days calm enough to fly it!

[@thesebi]

soooo .... you're going for that Hindenburg experience? 🤣 Using a gas lamp mantle might be interesting, so there is less open flame.

[@secularstormchaser0074]

Something ive been wanting to do for a long while...but intelligently Peter stripol- Let me just throw stuff together quick. Lol, cool video. I have a calculator for lift and it takes into account enviromental conditions

[@laridaa]

love your videos greeting from Slovakia

[@GAD00SH]

Always love the variety of your videos! Looking forward to more work on the lobster boat!

[@AerialAcesRC13]

On RC helium balloons, they commonly used a multiple sized(weights) hex nuts on a string underneath to act as a counter weight, and VERY easy to fine tune as well!!! Very cool, very different!

[@SeaforgedArtifacts]

Nice video Peter, I really like this little fascination of yours. If you are interested in improving the design you may want to look at an old book called "My Airships" by Santos -Dumont. I think you will find his experiments enlightening and in your case part of the issue with your setup is the mix of the tether and the wind. A spherical shape is is more stable but only if not tethered to the ground, at that point a blimp shape is more structurally stable because it points into the wind like a boat.

[@Missile_Crab]

Wonder if an E-hot air balloon is possible by lining a balloon with resistive wire on the inside/some other heating element

[@hchowky]

Yea, I had the same thought. Heating element/ like the hot air gun used to inflate the balloons in the video, would require a lot of power, batteries and weight, but it would be cool to see it.

[@Lorecastapendragon]

thank you for making this video, I have a fascination with airships and have always dreamed of making one but have never had the means to make one

[@Dell-ol6hb]

2:33 I think that's why you usually only see them being released near major bodies of water

[@DonovanMagryta]

Make an oblique adjustable angle flying wing! It would be a really neat video and a great demo of a stabilizing flight controller! TBH, I commented this on the Flite Test Channel also.

[@theorganguy]

What you are doing wrong IS to tether the balloons - the tether works against the wind making the balloon end up in awkward sideways leaning positions. If you just let the balloon go freely you are way better off - JUST: make sure you have a remote control on the pull-line to open the chute, so you can quickly descend it if necessary

[@jamestait65]

Where did you purchase the mini hot air balloon with the gondola?

[@seditt5146]

What about Nichrome and electric? Think we are reaching a point where that might be possible? I damn near burned down my neighborhood with these things as a kid and the open flame is a terrible idea..... Trust me.... That Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipppp sound is ethereal btw.

[@skenzyme81]

If you can get them to land and auto-refuel, this could be a pathway to swarm-based air defense.

[@beargillium2369]

I know you're joking 🎈

[@magness57gaming67]

Hot air blimp yes please!!! 🙌

[@idris110]

Why's everyone's dad balloon pilot

[@angellestat2730]

idea for next project: helium balloon with internal steam balloon to control buoyancy. If you want to add fuel efficiency. The steam bag needs to have low radiation emmisivity and some insulation, with a condenser in case you want to lose bouyancy fast.

[@chrisfell2621]

I agree, sky lantter ballons are a crazy. The risk of causing a fire seem to great.

[@samTollefson]

When I was a teenager I worked after school for a dry-cleaning business. They had large thin plastic bags for covering large drapes and other items, I would take a few and tape thread to three points at the bottom to a small disc of aluminum foil with a small bit of candle in it. There was a field behind the school near my house and we would go there at night and launch these "balloons". One night we launched 3 together, when they got up 100' or more you couldn't see the candle flame just 3 glowing translucent cylindrical objects floating together in the sky. The next day we heard that people saw them and reported them as UFOs and had the police following them until they ascended out of sight or the candles went out. I was sure I was going to get in big trouble but we kept our mouths shut and never got caught. Afraid they would start a fire, we stopped that experiment. It sure was fun pulling one over on the adults though!

[@BlueLightningHawk]

Did you really just propose banning a paper lantern because it might set something on fire? Do you understand what paper is, sir, and how easy it is to make one of those? I guess anything that has the potential to be dangerous in a given scenario should be banned. It's time to ban cars guys. Too many people die in car accidents every year. We should also mandate people wear bubblewrap clothes from now on as well and helmets everywhere they go. What if they trip and fall?! Oh, the horror!

[@GreatNW]

They used to use gaint ballons for logging. Bot hot air ballons but its still cool to see the old pictures of it.

[@oojimmyflip]

we used huge plastic UKdustbin liners with a wire frame and parraffin solid fuel blocks or firelighters and a foamcard fusealage with a rudder and elevator on the tail, a mini tail motor in the middle from a foamy helicopter which weighs about 5 grams. And 1 x 3.7 volt lipo charged to 4.2 volts. the servos were the heaviest at 10 grams each mounted in the centre of the fusalarge under the fan we didnt duct the fan blades but it worked eventually, its terrible on a windy day.

[@Talaria_78]

MERRY CHRISTMAS PETER

[@LeoMcPherson-uv5qm]

nice video man, we anticipate an aircraft project soon

[@abavariannormiepleb9470]

Did a similar project for physics class in middle school - the first test launch was great, the second one was “blazingly short” - fond memories.

[@GeneralPadron]

You have to remember, the hotter the air, the more lift you get. Even in the same volume of space.

[@ik04]

When I was a kid, we made these out of giant popcorn or dry cleaning bags and used birthday cake candles for heat. We launched them every Independence Day and called them UFOs.

[@mtmadigan82]

Lit unmanned compressed gas bottles in the sky. Couldn't see any massive liability attached to something that reckless 😂

[@texastaterbug5395]

Peter, have you ever made an "Oblique Wing" Aircraft with a wing on a central pivot?

[@flierbill]

Awesome one!