Balloon

A balloon is a flexible bag normally filled with air or gas. Some balloons are purely decorative, while others are used for specific purposes. Early balloons were made of dried animal bladders.

Usage

• small balloons (volume of a few litres)
• toy balloon
• decoration
• solar balloon
• balloon mail as part of a balloon flight competition or to spread propaganda
• Balloon helicopter
• Demonstration of rocket propulsion by let the gas streaming off (balloon rocket)
• Ceiling balloon
• medium balloons (volume of hundreds to thousands of litres)
• transport of bombs (in World War II, FUGU-Balloon)
• transport of propaganda (in World War II and in cold war)
• radiosonde
• Ceiling balloon
• as fixed balloon
• for carrying up advertising signs
• pushing antennas for LF and VLF upwards
• party balloon
• large balloons (volume up to 12000 cubic metres)
• fixed balloon
• as manned outlock (before World War II)
• barrage balloon
• positioning atomic bombs at atomic bomb tests in the atmosphere
• free flying balloons
• lofting people, often with hot air
• airship
• research balloon with extended instrumentations. Also carrying teleguided telescopes
• espionage balloon for military reconnaissance
• rockoon
• carrier for tests of atomic bombs in the upper atmosphere

A further application is the balloon satellite. A balloon satellite must be launched as each satellite with a rocket in the orbit, where it deflates.

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