1937 Rochester Minnesota Kiwanis Flight of NX1, the "Pleiades", with 98 Dewey and Almy hydrogen filled latex sounding balloons  using an aluminum and magnesium metal gondola.  This was the first Multi Balloon Flight.  Jean Piccard, inventor and pilot, with Jeannette, John, Paul and Don Piccard, plus many others, as launch crew.

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1958 Twenty Balloon Solo Flight in Life Magazine

This was four mil polyethylene sealed by Chrystal X of Lenni, Pennsylvania inflated with Philadelphia city gas (methane) at Valley Forge Airport.   Photos by Ted Russell, Life Magazine.  This was the world's first multi balloon ("Pleiades") manned balloon flight using plastic material for the individual balloon cells. This design used 24 inch bicycle rims for individual cell load rings plus internal and external top lines for venting and deflation.  These were dubbed "Milk Bottle" balloons by the Encyclopedia Britannica.  One cell had a creep seam failure two hours into the flight.  The gas loss was compensated for by ballasting a little sand and a safe landing was made in time for an Amish lunch on a Pennsylvania Dutch farm.  Don Piccard, designer and test pilot, Joan Piccard and Harry Payne Whitney crew.  Sponsored by Newark Trust Company of Newark, Delaware.

!962 World Class Record Flight of Midwest Shrine Ceremonial Session "Sioux City Sues"  One mil polyethylene with helium.  Eight cells to 17,000 ft.

Don Piccard design, cells designed and manufactured by Jim Winker, Raven Industries (with S-40 Vulcoon seating.)

2003, World's First Two Man Multi Balloon Flight (with 1/4 mil Mylar film,) Designed by Don Piccard. Built by Don Piccard and Ed Chapman.  Flown by Don Piccard with Anja Kuemmerlein, Co-pilot, using hydrogen at Chambley, France. Right picture shows cells in mid launch, released simultaneously from circular inflation stations, at Boise, Idaho exhibition with helium.

The First Modern Gas Sport Balloons

Here is the world's first "Natural Shape" gas sport balloons.  This balloon introduced Kevlar load tapes, single point suspension with parachute load back up, full ducted appendix for exclusion of entrained ambient air, top inflation tube, compression loaded aluminum maneuvering valve, urethane coated nylon, high frequency welded seams and a new invention, the reliable Piccard Velcro Cuff Deflation Port.  They carried Piccard Kydex   "Body Helmets"  (The third in the series, N38JT used a classical wicker basket with hand served black walnut toggles on a laminated mahogany load ring.)  An interesting feature - the duct  - reflects in the "Snout" venting system on the new Piccard Pleiades.  The FAA registration number (N1) on the balloon was not retained, but returned to Langhorne Bond, the FAA Administrator who loaned ownership of it to Gen. Piccard for the World Gas Championships in Brussels, Belgium.

Here we have a cold air indoor test inspection of a Seven Star Cell

Note that the load fitting is at lower left and the snout is at lower right in this picture.  In flight, the load fitting is at the bottom with the suspension cord going down to the car.  The snout leaves the balloon at an upper corner and is retained at the load fitting to be loosed for venting.  The flattened surface at two thirty O'clock position in this picture is roughly tthe top dead center of the cell in flight. The material used in this cell is the new Seven Star Balloons' proprietary laminate. - "ELECTROLAM".  Production cells are being fabricated with an additional white U.V. resistant protective coating on the outer surface.

 Methane gas inflation of a TETROON  .

  This balloon shape is called a Tetroon.   It is fabricated as an equilateral tetrahedron with four equilateral triangular sides using very thin high density anti-static polyethylene.  This one has a net lift of over 30 pounds.  Production gas cells are being made with a new high tensile fabric that has an aluminum inner surface for complete anti-static protection.  Each cell will lift approximately  250 pounds with hydrogen and half that with city gas.  A Gordon Bennett Race assembly will entail nine individually suspended cells.  A solo flight unit for operating under FAR Part 103 could have as few as three or four.  (Those cells will be interchangeable and still fully certified.)

Photos courtesy of the Mettleworks & Gene Olson.

By Request:  The Drop Sonde

The question of what the wind is doing above and below you is always of interest to the navigator.  To observe the winds above, a piball can be released from the basket.  Pre WWI, the Swiss Aero Club pilots would swing out on a trapeze to watch it if it got hidden by the gas bag.  We guess that you wouldn't need to do that with a Seven Star balloon because the gas cells are much higher above the cabin.

To observe the winds below them, many pilots spit at low altitudes, but the spittle disappears rapidly when one is higher.   Van Orman and Upson used 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of typewriter paper folded in a double axis dihedral manner as a "Drop Sonde".  They fall in a very srable and uniform way.  Here is a sample unfolded and ready to drop:

Hydrogen Gas Pricing

Here is an example of a recent  price for hydrogen in Germany.   This is for a 35,000 cubic foot operation.  A solo day flight using 200 cubic meters or 7,000 cubic feet might run 20% for the gas, or about $100.00!  Compare that for eight hours of propane in an AX-4...   Sounds reasonable to me.  Even with the Dollar/Euro rate today.

This is a Day Flyer Kydex Body Helmet.

For extended flights, such as a Gordon Bennett type event, the SS-35 system with the 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 foot version open Kydex basket and an ensemble of nine ElectroLam cells, totaling 35,000 cubic foot displacement, is the top of the line.  An Ultra-Light "Shorty" one man cabin is available for operating solo under FAR Part 103 with only three or four  cells - for training and exhibition ascensions.  More cells, only partially inflated at launch, can be used for high altitude service.

(Right foot in bottom hole, left foot in middle hole and then stand erect, turn and put right foot in top hole from inside and finally left foot in inside center hole.  It works!)

Note that the bottom pigeon hole is at floor level for drainage.  The suspension system consists of four double bands of  4,000 pound test Dyneema ® webbing secured inside the bottom skids for protection.  We especially like the facility of the Body Helmet for application of sponsor's advertising media.

"The Only Wicker Is  The Lunch Basket" - D. Piccard

Contact Don Piccard by E-Mail at donpiccard(at)usfamily.net.           or telephone at 612 333 6912                        This page current as of 4/25/2008