#hot air balloon
SS Cicada
I don’t know where I got the idea for a dirigible cicada miniature model but here we are. Falling asleep with my YouTube queue probably with videos on the recent 17 year cicada cycle followed by the use of airships during WW1 must have blended together in my subconscious. I enjoyed creating the last insect - the custom bee - I had to do another but this was too large for a piece of jewellery.
So I worked on each separate section, hoping it would all fit together in the end. That’s always the scary part - will the wings fit on the body? Will the scale of everything maintain the illusion of an actual, albeit fantastical, airship once joined? Unlike very clever model scene makers I don’t work with a scale ruler. As I don’t fabricate or cast metal there is no real point - I’ll still have to adjust a part in my collection to fit.
I started with the wings - they bring everything together and set the scale. Like the last piece - the body is a brass screw electrical terminal. The abdomen has two main parts - the high copper piece with a grill and a lower section made from a cut out earing drop I filled in with resin. The wings are also filled with resin and a very light dusting of green and gold mica.
I’ve been making miniature nebulas lately so that is where the glass “hot air balloon” came from. It is fitted with a vintage brass bead cap, chains, tiny brass drops and internal details. While I was searching for pieces I came across the hand blown green glass bead with a swirl pattern. I had to incorporate it but it was difficult to do so. Adding a piece to one side of a symmetrical design alters the way it hangs. The swirl on the bead is matched with the black swirled disk hanging under the balloon.
She has wrapped wire legs with metal crimps, two brass and steel “propellers” affixed to the front, one large rear flag and bunting on the secondary “balloon” tether. Everything attached is done so using screws and very rarely, glue. I have no idea how many separate components I used but it would be well over 100. I’ve been working on and off for a week - probably about 40 hours not including the time sourcing parts, taking photos and writing this. The rigging was a nightmare. The chain at the back, connected to a “U” shape piece is the ship’s anchor.
A friend who is a genius wood worker turned some gorgeous wood bases for me. I think it’s Jarrah. It has four brass legs on the bottom. The hanging mechanism consists of a filigree disk, a vintage brass corrugated bead and assortment of brass rods, copper and brass tubing and beads. The top section pulls out so it can be packed for shipping.
One final surprise. I left a hole in the body for a tiny green LED light. It is difficult to use - turning on by pushing the light into a battery. But it could be used on special occasions to show her off. The battery type is a bit exotic but available online.
I’m thinking about entering her in a local art competition before putting her up for sale. I hope you like her.
weekly spreads i liked from january 2020!
Hot air balloons at dawn over the plain of Buddhist temples at Bagan in Myanmar ©Douglas MacRae
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I’ve always wanted to ride a hot air balloon! Hope you guys had a fun time!
From Amy’s instagram
Wild Sky par Sathish J
Via Flickr :
The gentle breeze brushed against my face as I turned towards the eastern horizon. Down below, the sleep villages of Cappadocia had barely woken up on this cloudy dawn, and the windy roads that threaded their ways through the unique formations remained fairly empty. While up here, in the domain of the clouds, the beautiful vista of the still morning was occasionally interrupted by the gush of burning propane, reminding me that I had not transformed into a bird, but that I was merely a passenger in a giant balloon, drifting over the landscape and catching the directional winds. Whilst past sunrise, the dense patch of clouds had obscured the sun, leaving behind silhouettes and shadows of the unique topography of the region. From my vantage point, I could make out volcanic cones, twisted canyons, ragged cliffs, and smooth farmland all set in a very complex and folded landscape. And all around, dozens of balloons swirled around and bobbed up and down depending on the vagaries of the present air current. This experience was a dream come true, and I did not want the ride to end. But alas, all good things must. Touchdown was a mere 30 minutes later, but the hour-long sojourn into the sky felt like eternity. This image was shot with a 3-stop Grad ND filter at F11, ISO 1600 at 1/80s Goreme Cappadocia Turkey
Hey,
no estoy muerta todavía, mientras que a mis ojos la vida los conmueva y mis manos tengan energía, voy a seguir trabajando.
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Did You Know? Characters in Flight is the highest Disney attraction on property reaching heights of 500 feet; each ride can accommodate up to 30 guests (subject to weather conditions). And Its really really really scary.
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New art print available today- Voyages Over San Francisco ~ Refresh
Available here as prints and more: https://society6.com/product/voyages-over-san-francisco-refresh_print?sku=s6-8851325p4a1v45
Look out for more refreshed prints coming soon, I’m re-releasing some old favourites with updated colours and a brighter, cleaner feel.
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New to Society6 today- Voyages Over Paris ~ Refresh
Available here as prints and more: https://society6.com/product/voyages-over-paris-refresh_print
Look out for more refreshed prints coming soon, I’m re-releasing some old favourites with updated colours and a brighter, cleaner feel.
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Voyages Over Paris
Art print by David Fleck. This week you can get free delivery on everything in the print store, just use the code EASTER at the check out!
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Artist | Jenkins2d
Title | Untitled
Tumblr | jenkins2d.tumblr.com
Sites | www.jenkins2d.com
7sobm-open : Submissions | Magazine
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Hot Air
Up, up with a Blast
Heart racing, head feels the fire
Hot Air Balloon Ride
One of the most surprising things about air that may not be intuitive is that it is a fluid and like any other fluids exerts a pressure on objects.
Standing on earth with layers of air above us, we are constantly being ‘weighed down’ by a pressure of ~1atm at all times.
All objects in air are also assisted by a buoyant force that is caused from the pressure difference between the top and bottom surfaces.
Let’s now consider the hot-air balloon in particular. A force diagram is probably the best way to start:
Therefore we see that in order for the hot air balloon to float, we need to have the buoyant force compensate for the net weight from the balloon, the load on it and the air inside it:
And with a spectacular burner onboard our hot air balloon, we can easily increase the temperature of the air inside the balloon!
That’s pretty much how hot-air balloons work! You increase the temperature of the air inside the balloon to go up, decrease the temperature to go down and skillfully adjust the temperature to hover.
Have a great day!
Questions to ponder:
- When you increase the temperature of air, its density decreases. What do you think happens to all the molecules that were previously inside ? Do they exit the balloon ?
- Different shaped hot-air balloons is a common sight. Do you think that the Buoyant force changes for each shape?
- How do you think Helium balloons work ?
