Solar Balloons - Hot air balloons heated by the sun

[Auair12]

I am just curious, but how does your balloon keep all the air inside if the reinforced mouth is still open?

Great job, by the way.

[leonardo65270]

aqui no brasil está uma febre de balão solar.é muito legal.........abraços,leo naypes

[jjb3point14159265358]

Hey, catman! I was wondering if you would grant permission to use your design and video for my science fair project? If so, that would be GEREAT!

[Austin9978com]

Catman529 where can i get large trash bags for a low price because the bags i use shrivel up after an hour being in the sun? They are light weight and thick as .5mil but they just shrivel after a while or even melt if it is hot enough.

[amberjacksolar]

Thank you very much for sharing this video! This is very creative!

[catman529]

@saulkj98 One bag isn't enough to fly. Also the sun doesn't put air inside the balloon. The sun heats the balloon and the hot air inside expands. Try a much bigger balloon and see what you can come up with.

[catman529]

@saulkj98 Everything is on the web site to answer your questions. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "without it being stuck to another" - can you explain? I'd be glad to help

[balonfan]

i have a solar balloon of 600 bags, 36,000 liters greetings from the netherlands!

[catman529]

@saulkj98 recycled as in reused or store-bought bags made from recycled plastic? As long as they are black and thin enough (I recommend .5 mil at the thickest) then it should fly fine.

[skatesd100]

what brand

[thewhisper85]

Great job dude :) Now I know why so many people think they saw UFO :) In fact it was trashbag :P

[catman529]

@thewhisper85 thanks...yup some people have reported solar balloons as UFOs. although none of mine to my knowledge have been reported, although I'm sure I fooled a lot of people just by flying them.

[TightlyLacedRedHead]

i love place u live :)))))

[MasterXxploder]

UFO'S!!! LOL

[feltrevoltpro]

My mate built one with about 56 bin liners, tied a camera and GPS tracker to it and released it (no tether) from his place in Devon and it ended up landing on the Isle of Wight, which is 70miles away.

[bravil719]

Hey guys I made a 5 foot tetroon with some 0.7 mil trash bags they were 30 gallons and it works fine I'm only 12 rite now and I had some help building it from my lil bro he's 9 and my next door neighbor he's 11 so yeah its actually really easy now I'm gonna try it out tomorrow in the sun

[catman529]

@bravil719 Awesome, hope it goes well. If you have trouble getting it in the air, try making a bigger one if you can't find thinner bags.

[basetpk]

verry nice im going to make one to LOL

[erietigers91]

4:28 Lightsaber!

[ovniforos]

What`s the minimum ammount of bags to create a functional solar balloon ¿?

[catman529]

It depends on how big the bags are. I wouldn't use fewer than 4 bags if they are 30 gallon size. 2 bags would be the minimum for 60 gallon bags. That is assuming that the bags are all 0.5mil (13 micron) or thinner.

[101GraGra]

@catman529 can it lift u up

[catman529]

@101GraGra not any of the balloons in this video, but some people do make big ones (at least 60ft tall) that lift a person. Someday I will build one of my own.

[zend0]

LMAO

[jonnywoodsfansite]

man in australia u would get in so much shit for this

im gonna do it tho and post it on u tube

[TaylorHolmes]

that's badass

but yeah, what is a flight ID?  Did the government spot this on the radar or something?

[catman529]

Thanks

I answered the Flight ID question asked by ZabraFilms (1 week ago). It's only my personal means of identifying which balloon has been found.

[BowlingFreak218]

do you know if these solar balloons are legal in canada?

because i fear that in the IF FOUND card the police or someone will know where it came from and then you get charged $500 for littering.

[catman529]

I'm not sure if you would be charged for littering, because the balloon wasn't intended as trash. Can't say for certain though.

[ZabraFilms]

What is the flight I.D?

[catman529]

The flight ID is a unique "password" for each balloon. This is used to confirm that my balloon has actually been found, and that the finder is not making a false report.  The finder sends me the flight ID so I know which balloon has been found.

[kkpratap]

How did you get the news of the balloon from the place that it was found?

[tobinatorausrheine]

i have built a little tube- solar ballon , i filled it with air through a hair-drier and then i closed the opening with a tape , but the ballon doesnt fly , what´s the matter?

[catman529]

Probably either the balloon is to small or the plastic bags are too thick. Also, if the outside temperature is too warm/hot, it might be keeping the balloon on the ground. I haven't had any luck flying a 0.4mil 24-foot tube balloon in 70-degree weather. I don't recommend building the tube; it doesn't get much lift.

[gabriel3d]

Isn't this video misleading, since you need really thin garbage bags?

[catman529]

Very thin garbage bags are not nonexistent. What do you find misleading about the video?

[gabriel3d]

Hi catman529, they might not be non-existent, but they are sure hard to find, I haven't had any luck finding thin ones yet and it seems most people do as well. :-( Not all 30 gallon garbage bags are thin. Anyways, nice video other than that. :-)

[Oortkuiper]

Hi. I find that swing-bin liners are very thin. There are sometimes scented brands that are very thin too. I am based in the UK and find them easily in domestic shops. Hope this helps.

[checkmybigboobs]

Nice..our oceans are filled with platic trash, might as well fill the sky with plastic too!

[catman529]

How about a constructive comment, such as a suggestion of a good source of 0.5mil black biodegradable plastic? I have had trouble finding a company that will sell me what I need for biodegradable balloons. It's not easy, and the last thing I need is comments like yours.

[checkmybigboobs]

It`s constructive allright..it may help people thinking about how much trash we leave everywhere..you know plasic waste is a problem in the oceans right? Some of these ballons will end there..guaratee!

[catman529]

I am aware of the situation with trash in the ocean, and no, your comment is not the best way to go about telling people there is a problem. And I think there are more serious environmental concerns than a couple solar balloons - I only release a few per year, and many of them don't make it to the ocean.

[TheBrassHole]

This is littering no matter where it lands. I agree with you.

[TheBrassHole]

How do you know they don't land in the ocean? This is littering no matter where it lands.

[catman529]

The one way to avoid balloons landing in the ocean, from my location in Tennessee, is to not release them too early in the day so they land before they can go as far as the ocean.

I'm still looking for biodegradable alternatives, which are very difficult to find in the right thickness and color. Too bad biodegradable plastics are still in their early days...not many to choose from.

[TheBrassHole]

What ever blows your hair back. :) I mean your balloons back. LOL ok ok, 5 stars.

[chris22452245]

iv seen GIGANTICK versions of there on sale for 12.99 and they own! you dont even fill em you throw em on the floor for an hour and there about 25feet long

[adrianTNT]

100MPH? Isn't that too much ?

[catman529]

They get above the jet stream and travel with the wind, so to the balloons it's pretty much zero wind, but the wind can be over 100mph. I'm sure they hit some turbulence, but they're so lightweight they could just float around in the wind till they were eventually re-filled with air.

[FantasyBalloonFlight]

Come for a breathtaking balloon ride with Fantasy Balloon Flights!

[mcmarga]

so i blow one up with my hair drier.......and take it outside and it takes of? becuase im making one and i need launch tips....

thanks

mcmarga

[catman529]

Check my Web site; you will find info there on the Facts, DIY and Releasing Balloons pages. Weather conditions are important; you need full sun, little or no wind, and preferably cool air for good flying.

[AerostatMilpitas]

Nice tutorial, it's helped inspired a bunch of quick & dirty balloons from 0.31 mil Painter's Plastic, click aerostatMilpitas for clips.

[33200]

genious.

[ImInKarate]

im gonna make it and make a vid letting it go and a vid if some one finds it and are you the maker of the site

[tenttei]

Thanks for more construction methods. I had success flying even a single garbage bag on a day in the high 70's. I used 1/2 scotch tape to close the bag. I did not leave any open hole. I filled the bag initially with an air compresser till it was firm and taped it shut. Then it takes about 5-10 minutes of heating up in the sun to lift off good. It climbed out real good and high and then out of sight.

[nemezback]

i made on of 4 bags. a tetroon!! but i haven`t tried it yet, and i think the bags is too thick.. but i am gonna make a lot of them!

so i will post a video response soon !!

[BeingSomeoneHuman]

trash bags are invisible to infra red ware most of your heat potential is, This would work better with a clear bag and strips of carbon black impregnated plastic suspended in the middle

[qepaxhiu]

does this works in summer

[catman529]

Smaller balloons (like the 5-foot tetroon) don't fly well in 80+ F weather. I have successfully flown a 13-foot tetroon this summer in mid-80's. During the winter there is a much greater temp difference between the outside air and the inside of the balloon, so in colder weather smaller balloons have enough lift to carry their own weight and fly.

[yehdaryl]

Thanks you for everything you've told us.

But could you tell me about the best flying temperature and how wet the air is. Our country is at about 35 Celsius in summer.

If the sun heat my balloon longer, could it fly?

[standrew3]

iv tryed to make one but i doesnt event lift of the groung please help what am i doing wrong

[skate1990fingerboard]

does it only works on sunny days?

[catman529]

Full or nearly full sun is needed to heat the balloon and keep it hot. You can fly for short lengths of time by filling it with a blow dryer, but it won't stay up without sufficient sunlight.

[tolongforyou]

can u go inside it and walk around cuse i mean that would be like so much fun and then when ur done playing inside it just get out and let it float away!!!!!

[catman529]

If you want to, it's not impossible...

[tolongforyou]

awesome by the way awesome vid dude im so doing that

[catman529]

Thanks. Happy flying!

[csampson69]

how hot of a day does it have to be inorder to fly/?

[catman529]

The colder the better. Larger ones will fly on warmer days though.  I live in TN and during the heat of the summer I don't have much luck flying.

[modxred]

i should start right away! and make one myself and put it on utube.

[modxred]

solar balloons rock!

[catman529]

Totally...they're probably the cheapest flying toy (that flies well) and being powered by the sun automatically makes it even better...I am a little concerned about the tree huggers getting on us for releasing the HDPE balloons, so I'm looking for a good source of biodegradable black film. I do have some concern for the environment as it is littered with millions of bags. I'm considering creating a couple different sized biodegradable balloons to sell for releases...OK I'm runnig out of space

[icarus1982]

how long it will take when the balloon rise??

[blellblell]

Yeah, that works..... what works better is drinking straws or balsa and birthday cake candles... not good for dry areas of course, but if you do it right its damn safe as long as the balloon fails at altitude, anything burning hits the ground at around 100mph instantly extinguishing... good over water, cheaper than fireworks on july fourth...

[catman529]

I've had fun with candle balloons, flying my first one up to about 100 feet before half of it burned up and extinguished before it hit the ground. But they can't beat solar balloons for several reasons - solar balloons are safer, don't need any heat source except the sun (therefore being able to fly all day) and they can handle wind better than candle balloons. But the candle balloons are still fun in a different way, and I would like to fly another one sometime soon.

[khonlao1]

can you also use a blow dryyer

[catman529]

I usually use a blow dryer, anything that gets air in the balloon will work. Just make sure it doesn't melt the plastic.

[khonlao1]

ok but i tryd it and it didnt work did u let the sun heat it up in summer?

[catman529]

Actually, winter is the best time to fly because of the colder surrounding air. The sun needs to be full out during the winter due to it's being closer to the horizon. Try in the middle of the day when the sky is completely clear and there is no wind. Also make sure your bags arent thicker than 0.5 MIL - this is important, since anything much thicker will make the balloon too heavy.

[DaRIoHK]

Great video!

Solar Ballons rocks!

I will try to make one right now!

[Alexpaths]

I love your website. I have a new hobby and will be building a few balloons soon. I wanted to enter into your distance competition but after running wind scenarios from my area in Central California, any balloon track would lead the balloon out to sea. I may try an altitude record instead.

[catman529]

Good luck, and have fun!

[SpyderMacFly]

These are very interesting. I once saw one of these balloons flying some hundred feet above my house, but I thought it was a weather balloon.

[catman529]

Who knows, it could have been one of mine....where do you live?

[SpyderMacFly]

I live in southern California. I can't remember the exact date I saw it.

[catman529]

OK, it definitely wasn't one of mine. I live in TN, that's a litle far and downwind from CA

[Dopplerizer]

Maybe it was one of mine.  I've sent up a few from orange county.

[AstonMartinsRule]

Fantastic video!:0D i luv solar balloons, i bet the neighbours luv u! if hot air balloons wer heated the same way fink of the saving on propane gas!! they wudnt need it! sorri i dnt meen 2 b rude here but how many balloons do u sell in a month?