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Hi, this is Joelle Meijer.
I will show you how to make a hot air balloon and how to make it fly.
The project of the hot air balloon is an ideal project for integrating art with science.
What could be more fascinating than making a hot air balloon and then making it fly?
First, you have to build 6 panels from sheets of tissue paper.
For each panel, you need 8 sheets of tissue paper.
Start by gluing the first two sheets side by side with white glue
and then glue the following two to the first two and so on until you have a full panel.
Set the panel aside to dry.
With 8 sheets of tissue paper, you just created the first panel,
and you have 5 more to make.
It is better to use different colours of tissue paper to create the panels
because your hot air balloon will look nicer when it flies.
On the top half-panel, draw the outline of half of a balloon.
The angle at the top should be about 30 degrees
so that when everything is glued together the top of the balloon is about flat.
Cut through the 12 layers of tissue paper.
You have 12 layers of tissue paper, that means 6 panels folded in half
with the shape of half of a balloon.
You will proceed as if it were a book read backwards.
Open the first half-panel from left to right and you see a full panel
which has the shape of a hot air balloon.
Then partially open the second half panel.
At this point, you have five panels folded in half on the left side.
Apply glue all along the left edge and close the half-panel that was partially opened
so that the two half-panels match exactly and are glued to one another
over the entire height of the balloon.
Then, turn the pair of half-panels that you just glued together to the right.
Partially open the next half-panel and proceed the same way
for the next 4 pairs of half-panels.
It becomes a bit more challenging
when you have to glue the last two half-panels together.
At this point, you have 11 layers of tissue paper on the right side
and one layer on the left.
You better get someone to help you with the next stage.
Start by turning all layers back to the left.
Lift the balloon and open the half-panel at the bottom to the right.
Apply glue all along the half-panel
and fold the top half-panel on the left side onto the panel on the right.
So now you have gone all around and six panels of the balloon are glued together
to form a large balloon.
Let dry but make sure that the seams of the different panels do not stick to each other.
When the glue is dry, strengthen the edges that form the tip of the balloon
with scotch tape.
Then, along two diametrically opposite edges on the tip of the balloon,
attach a piece of string with tape to form a loop.
This loop allows you to hold the balloon with a stick, high above the heat source.
To reinforce the opening at the bottom of the balloon, make a circle from metal wire,
insert it into the opening of the balloon, fold the edge of the balloon
and glue it all along.
Let the white glue dry.
Now, this is the ultimate test.
Will your hot air balloon be able to rise into the air?
I actually ask that question myself each time I make a hot air balloon.
There are many factors that may be involved.
You want ideal weather conditions .... not too hot, not too windy
and certainly no rain.
You need a heat source... and for this project a hair dryer won't do!
In this case, we built a kind of small fire pit with a chimney.
Light a wood fire and let it burn some wood until there is no more smoke
but just hot air.
Now you can inflate the hot air balloon... and when you feel it's pulling away,
let it go in the air!
To access a free document with a detailed list of materials,
instructions and pictures, click on the link below the video!