Northampton Balloon Festival
Envelopes
The envelope of the hot air balloon is what most people refer to as the balloon itself.
The photo above shows what is considered to be the "NORMAL" shaped balloon
The majority of envelopes are made of a material called Hyperlast.
Introduced in 1988, the secret of Hyperlast is in its tighter nylon weave and the fact that all the fibres are completely coated in silicone - on both sides.
With over 20 years of use Hyperlast has clearly demonstrated its superior strength and zero porosity over its warranted life (and even much longer). Approximately 30% heavier then conventional rip-stop nylon, hyperlast is up to 800% stronger.
This close up view shows how the envelope is sewn in squares, which helps prevent a small tear from spreading.
The envelope is attached to the burner frame with steel ropes and carabineers.
The shape of the above balloon is more associated with competition flying.
Its rugby ball shape allows the whole balloon to ascend and descend a lot faster than regular shaped balloons.
Special shaped balloons, such as Bertie Bassett...
are obviously more expensive and take longer to produce.
Art work
and advertising on balloons helps to pay for its upkeep...
with near on photo quality.
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