Rozière balloon
Encyclopedia
The Rozière balloon is a type of hybrid balloon
that has separate chambers for a non-heated lifting gas
(such as hydrogen
or helium
) as well as a heated lifting gas (as used in a hot air balloon
or Montgolfière). This type of aircraft takes its name from its creator, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier.
The advantage of a Rozière is that it allows some control of
buoyancy
with much less use of fuel than a typical hot air balloon. This reduction in fuel consumption has allowed Rozière balloons and their crew to achieve very long flight times, up to several days or even weeks.
The first Rozière was built for an attempt at crossing the English Channel
on 15 June 1785. The balloon suddenly deflated (without the envelope catching fire) and crashed near Wimereux in the Pas-de-Calais.
Today, Rozière designs use non-flammable helium rather than hydrogen. Their primary application is for extremely long duration flights such as the first successful non-stop round the world balloon flights.
On February 27, 1999, while they were trying to circumnavigate the world by balloon, Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new endurance record after flying in a Rozière combined helium and hot air balloon (the Cable & Wireless balloon) for 233 hours and 55 minutes. Then on 21 March of that year, Bertrand Piccard
and Brian Jones
became the first to circumnavigate
the Earth
, in a Rozière known as the Breitling Orbiter 3, in a flight lasting 477 hours, 47 minutes. Their records for time and distance remain unbeaten in any kind of balloon. On 4 July 2002, after five previous attempts, Steve Fossett
became the first to achieve a round the world solo flight, while also topping his own solo endurance record, also in a Rozière, the Spirit of Freedom, which used the same envelope as one of his previous attempts as well as for an attempt by another team.
Balloon (aircraft)
A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
that has separate chambers for a non-heated lifting gas
Lifting gas
Because of the Archimedes' principle, a lifting gas is required for aerostats to create buoyancy. Its density is lower than that of air . Only certain lighter than air gases are suitable as lifting gases.- Hot Air :...
(such as hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
or helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
) as well as a heated lifting gas (as used in a hot air balloon
Hot air balloon
The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. It is in a class of aircraft known as balloon aircraft. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air...
or Montgolfière). This type of aircraft takes its name from its creator, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier.
The advantage of a Rozière is that it allows some control of
buoyancy
Buoyancy
In physics, buoyancy is a force exerted by a fluid that opposes an object's weight. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus a column of fluid, or an object submerged in the fluid, experiences greater pressure at the bottom of the...
with much less use of fuel than a typical hot air balloon. This reduction in fuel consumption has allowed Rozière balloons and their crew to achieve very long flight times, up to several days or even weeks.
The first Rozière was built for an attempt at crossing the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
on 15 June 1785. The balloon suddenly deflated (without the envelope catching fire) and crashed near Wimereux in the Pas-de-Calais.
Today, Rozière designs use non-flammable helium rather than hydrogen. Their primary application is for extremely long duration flights such as the first successful non-stop round the world balloon flights.
On February 27, 1999, while they were trying to circumnavigate the world by balloon, Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new endurance record after flying in a Rozière combined helium and hot air balloon (the Cable & Wireless balloon) for 233 hours and 55 minutes. Then on 21 March of that year, Bertrand Piccard
Bertrand Piccard
Bertrand Piccard is a Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist.Born in Lausanne, Vaud canton, Bertrand Piccard, along with Brian Jones, was the first to complete a non-stop balloon flight around the globe...
and Brian Jones
Brian Jones (aeronaut)
Brian Jones is an English balloonist.Brian Jones, along with Bertrand Piccard, co-piloted the first successful uninterrupted circumnavigation of the world on board the balloon Breitling Orbiter 3...
became the first to circumnavigate
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, in a Rozière known as the Breitling Orbiter 3, in a flight lasting 477 hours, 47 minutes. Their records for time and distance remain unbeaten in any kind of balloon. On 4 July 2002, after five previous attempts, Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett
James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...
became the first to achieve a round the world solo flight, while also topping his own solo endurance record, also in a Rozière, the Spirit of Freedom, which used the same envelope as one of his previous attempts as well as for an attempt by another team.
See also
- Balloon (aircraft)Balloon (aircraft)A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
- Timeline of hydrogen technologiesTimeline of hydrogen technologiesTimeline of hydrogen technologies — A timeline of the history of hydrogen technology.-1600s:* 1625 - First description of hydrogen by Johann Baptista van Helmont...
- List of firsts in aviation