Plans for Building Model Hot Air Balloons

- Identified Flying Objects Ltd (IFO), Stanmore England -- Manufactures and sells "Ready to Fly" IFO Hot Air Balloons, plus several kit models too.  In the United States and Canada you can purchase balloons and kits from The Overflite Store.

"Building and Flying Paper Hot Air Balloons"-- Instructions and diagrams for a five foot diameter, 70 cubic foot model.  Inspired by the fire balloon tradition in Burma.

- "How to Make a Fire Balloon" -- Paper fire balloon instructions, from "The Boys Own Paper," 1891, London.

- How to Make a "Box Shaped" Hot Air Balloon -- This pattern looks easier to build than a spherical balloon.

- "Building your own Hot Air Balloon!" -- Instructions and diagrams for paper hot air balloons.  Includes some great photographs.  Also includes some real scary designs for a coke-can engine.

- Community Learning Network -- Lesson plan and instructions for building paper hot air balloons.

Fire Balloons -- A fire balloon enthusiast's website on alcohol powered balloon.

Balloons Around the World

A.R.I.A -- Italy and Europe's premier association, to promote the art, culture and tradition of paper hot air balloons.

BALÕES ILUSÕES DE PAPEL -- Brazil association that promotes paper hot air balloon culture.

Turma Amor Eterno --  Photograph page for Brazil association that promotes paper hot air balloon culture.

Aerostats of Leonidion Greece -- Every Easter hundreds of fire balloons are launched over the Mediterranean Sea.

- Mrs. Mitchell's Virtual School -- Educational links to hot air balloon activities.

Ballooning and Aeronautics Link Web-Pages

Yahoo -- Recreation/Hobbies/Models/Aircraft -- Yahoo's list of model aircraft websites

- Blastvalve -- Ballooning Search Engine and Directory -- Includes links to model hot air balloon sites.

- Ballooning Directory-- 1600 links to hot air balloon sites.

- World Wide Web Balloon Pages -- Joop De Wilde -- Netherlands  -- Comprehensive list of ballooning links.

- Hot Air Ballooning -- Joop De Wilde's Commercial Site -- Includes list of model hot air balloon links.
 

Radio-Controlled (RC) Balloons and Blimps

- Schlegal Fire Balloons  --  Radio-Controlled (RC) Model Hot Air Balloons are popular in Germany and other places in Europe.  Website includes lots of information, photographs, and links to other RC Model Balloon websites.  Translation program makes this German language website, along with its links, readable in English and other languages.

- Plantraco Radio Controlled Blimps -- Plantraco -- Helium filled models, battery powered, for indoor flight.

- Radio Controlled Ballooning -- Student with pictures of his radio-controlled balloon.
 

Other Ballooning and Aeronautics Webpages

- Larry Walters -- Lawn Chair Pilot -- On July 2, 1982, Larry fulfilled his childhood dream, to fly on a weather balloon.  He flew for hours, over Los Angeles, attached to a cluster of 42 weather balloons.

- NASA's Scientific Ballooning Program  -- Balloons provide an inexpensive way to reach a space environment.

- NASA's Allstar Network  -- Aeronautics Learning Laboratory for Science Technology and Research.

- Ask a High Energy Astronomer -- A NASA Scientist explains how hot air balloons work.

- The Bombard Society -- Hot Air Balloon Tours over historic regions of Europe.

- Air War over Virginia -- History and narrative on observation balloons in the Civil War.
 

Photographs and Videos of Balloons and Airships

- Prints Old and Rare -- Engraving from 1871, Harper's Weekly, of a family launching a 4th of July Fire Balloon.

- Library of Congress -- Thomas A. Edison Inc. presents a 2:45 minute film of San Francisco, as viewed from a tethered hydrogen balloon, in 1902.

- Caquot Type R Observation Balloon -- Balloon from First World War is on display at the USAF Museum.

- Vidicom Media Productions -- Presents photographs and videos of the Hindenberg Disaster, other Zeppelins, modern airships and other aircraft.

- Graf Zeppelin --Flying over New York City.

Aircraft and Aerospace Websites

Fly Power -- Model Airplanes -- Tap into Nature!!  Let houseflies power your fleet of miniature airplanes.

- Precision Aerodynamics -- Parachute Manufacturer -- Links to educational resources related to aeronautics..

- World War II Ace Stories -- Pilots from all of the belligerent countries describe their war experiences.

Other Interesting Websites

- SodaConstructor -- Web-toy, that makes an assortment of two-dimensional mechanical objects out of sodastraws and springs.  Great way to kill time..

- Gas Laws -- Includes descriptions of the various Gas Laws, and experiments for demonstrating them.

- Novel Sites  -- A list of funny and curious websites on the World Wide Web.

- Weird Links.com -- Lots and Lots of Weird Links. (Warning Note:  "Some Content  May be Objectionable...")

- Rebuttal to -- Fire Balloons and Exeter -- Author believes Larry Robinson's "fire balloon theory" is full of hot air, and presumes that these 1965 UFO sightings might really have been spacecraft from another planet, or something else.

 By Thomas Taylor-- balloons@overflite.com.

 Back to Homepage: www.overflite.com



Buy a balloon!

The OVERFLITE STORE  Sells "Ready to Fly" Hot Air Balloons --
--Made by  Identified Flying Objects Ltd (IFO)


"Best of Sights, Overflight"