Did you know . . .

Father Bartolomeu Lourenco de Gusmao demonstrated the first small hot air balloon model in 1709.

Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier developed the first practical hot air balloon in 1783. It flew 6,000 feet.

A duck, a sheep, and a rooster were the first hot air balloon passengers in 1783.

A scientist, de Rozier, and an infantry officer, d’Arlandes, traveled in an untethered balloon in Paris in 1783. Steve Fossett was the first person to sail around the word alone in a hot air balloon in July 2002. (14 days, 19 hrs, 51 min.)

Did you know . . .

Water will cause your tissue hot air balloon to disintegrate! Don’t get your tissue hot air balloon wet. Don’t even use water-based markers to decorate your balloon!

Hot-Air Balloon Parts . . .

http:// www.eballoon.org/balloon/how-it-works.html

How It Works . . .

http://science.howstuffworks.com/hot-air-balloon.htm

Let’s Build It . . .

Get 6 pieces of tissue paper.

Use a glue stick to attach 2 sheets along the long edge of the tissue. Make this seam about ½ to 1 inch wide.

Suggestion: Place newspaper under tissue paper while gluing to avoid getting glue on your table.

seam

Repeat with the other sheets so that you have three larger sheets of tissue paper rather than 6 individual sheets.

seam

Stack the 3 sheets one on top of the other. seam

Make sure the seam is perpendicular to you, not parallel.

1 st fold

Fold long ways twice creating a final rectangle that is approximately 7.5 x 39.5”.

seam

2 nd fold

Create the Dr. Zoon Pitsco gore pattern.

Cut edges 2, 4 and 6.

Glue edge 2 to 1, 4 to 3, and 6 to 5.

Cut the outline of the gore pattern.

Place the straight edge of the pattern along the long fold of the tissue paper (NOT the side with free edges) and cut out.

free edges side with long fold

Make any changes to the gore arrangements in terms of color order. The gore shape must be consistent in the stack. (You cannot have a narrow gore end on the same side as a larger gore end of another gore.) Gores will be connected in the order they are arranged. (If you have two gores in order that are the same color, it will appear like that on the balloon.) It is okay if some gore patterns are a bit larger or smaller than others.

Gores unfolded, arranged and ready to be attached.

Counting the top gore as “1,” number the gores 1-6 at the bottom edge of each gore (edge closest to you).

1

Counting the top gore as “1,” number the gores 1-6 at the top edge of each gore.

2 1

Make sure the gores are stacked one on top of another as closely as possible. Seams should be aligned as much as possible. Get ready to attach the gores!

2 1 1

Move gore 1 up about ½ inch so that you can see the BOTTOM edge of gore 2. Place a line of glue from side to side along the entire bottom edge of gore 1. Then, fold the entire BOTTOM edge of gore 2 from side to side onto the line of glue on gore 1. The fold should be about ⅜ to ½”.

1 2 1

Fold the TOP of gore 1 over in order to see the TOP of gore 2. Move the TOP of gore 2 down about ½” in order to see the TOP edge of gore 3. Place a line of glue along the entire TOP edge of gore #2. Then, fold the entire TOP edge of gore 3 onto the line of glue on gore 2. The fold should be about ⅜ to ½”.

2 2 2 3 1

No

glue on the top edge of gore 1.

Fold the glued bottoms of gores 1 & 2 up in order to see the bottom of gore 3. Move the bottom of gore 3 up about ½” in order to see the bottom of gore 4. Place a line of glue from side to side along the entire bottom edge of gore 3. Then, fold the entire bottom edge of gore 4 onto the line of glue on gore 3.

1 3 4

Continue connecting in this manner until you get to the top edge of gore 6.

1

Turn the gores inside out and connect the “top” edge of gore 6 to the “top” edge of gore 1.

1

Cut out a 6” square of tissue paper. Put your hand through the larger open end of the balloon and paste the square to the open, smaller end of the balloon. Make sure you have made a secure seal!

1

Make the skirt.

Using folded strips of paper, place the tissue inside the fold and staple around the bottom of the balloon.

fold paper strip 1

Decorate by cutting shapes from scrap tissue paper if desired and launch! (Caution: Don’t add too many scrap pieces or the balloon will weigh too much which will reduce lift.)

1

Pitsco Launchers http://catalog.pitsco.com

Inflation Station – requires propane tank Approximately $350 1 Indoor Balloon Tester Approximately $100