Being an active RC model airplane pilot for years, I discovered in 1982 in a specialised model journal anarticle treating with a quite young kind of modelbuilding. Hot air balloons having made their way over the world, by the invention of the ripstop-nylon that allowed the construction of performing envelopes,modelbuilders didn't take long to construct balloons.At that time, the baskets were equiped with commercial unique use gaz bottles, that were put upside down, in order to use gaz in its liquid form. This bottles were not,or under quite dangerous manner to be refilled with gaz, and also quite expensive. The burners being actified by mechanical valves, those had the negative effect of leaking when used in cold outside temperatures.
Today the baskets and the envelopes haven't changed that way, but there are constructers,like ' Boelling Ballon Sport ' (Brigachtal Germany ), that produce gaz cylinders that are safe and easy to refill.The baskets with electric gaz valves are controlled by an effective electronical stear box.
Interested in this new kind of model sports, I ordered my first balloon at ' Gefa - Flug ' in Aachen, Germany, in 1982. It was a simple construction of 33 cubic met. Being invited by some big balloon pilots on meetings,I met Patrick Libert, the constructor of Libert balloons ( Belgium ). In his factory I got my first real beautifull balloon, an 84 cubic met. envelope. Through the years I got up to own ten envelopes, starting to construct myself.
They include special shape balloons, as the snowman, 100 cubic met, and the smurfhouse-mushroom balloon , 50 cubic met. Since 2001, one of my two sons, Ben also started flying model hot air balloon,getting a third place in his first participation at the international modelalloon event in Brigachtal in 2002.
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My first flight - 1983
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The "Gefa - Flug "balloon
Our first model hot air balloon.
An envelope of 33 cubic.met.
On this picture, the balloon is flown from within the basket of a big balloon.
With this balloon I started my experiences in model hot air.
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