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  Hot Air Balloons

You will need:-
 

  • dry cleaning bags (from your local dry cleaners)
  • fuse wire
  • aluminium pie cases
  • metholated spirits
  • matches
  • a hair dryer
  • sellotape
  • needle
  • cotton wool
Lay out your dry cleaning bag on a flat surface.
Cut four pieces of fuse wire about 20 cm in length.
Take the pie case and re-fold it into a cup shape, this will hold the meths that will heat the air to lift the balloon.
This is where the danger aspect comes in so fold it so that the meths won't leak out.
With a needle make four holes in the pie case and fix the pieces of fuse wire securely into the holes.
Reinforce the bottom of the dry cleaning bag by running a strip of sellotape along the bottom of the bag.
With the needle make four holes at equal distances around the circumference of the bag and fasten the pie case basket to the bag as shown in the picture.

Cut some cotton wool and place it in the pie case then pour in some metholated spirits.
 

 

Then using the hair dryer fill the bag with hot air.
Carry the balloon carefully outside and light the meths with the match.
We found at this stage that you need to support the top of the bag while the air heats up.
After a while you will feel the balloon start to lift. At this point let go taking care not to spill the hot air from the bag.

Your balloon should now float upward propelled by it's own hot air burner.
Flight time depends on the amount of meths you put into the basket.

Launch your balloon away from houses, people, cars and anything else that may be ruined or injured by molten plastic raining from the sky.

Just be sensible and nothing will go wrong.