Anatomy of a Hot Air Balloon Our ballooning society believes that a detailed understanding of the anatomy of hot air balloons and how they work helps to enrich your appreciation of these aircraft. Scroll down to discover all there is to know about the different components found in a hot air balloon.. Hot air balloon in flight Novelty hot air balloons resembling anthropomorphized bees Novelty hot air balloon resembling the Abbey of Saint Gall A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries passengers.
Hot air balloons are the oldest successful human flight technology. The first recorded manned balloon flight was made on November 21, 1783, in a hot air balloon developed by the Montgolfier brothers of France. [Figure 2-1] Flown by Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes, the flight lasted 23 minutes and covered 5.5 miles. Although the Montgolfiers are given credit for the first.. The hot air balloon consists of three parts: envelope, basket, and burner system. It's a fairly simple piece of equipment, and for what it delivers, relatively inexpensive when compared to other aircraft. There are many differences among balloons made by various manufacturers, so for discussion purposes, we'll focus on the Raven S-55A, one of the most popular types and sizes of balloon in.