How do you make a candle powered hot air balloon?
You’ll either need a very small “balloon” or a lot of candles. I say “balloon” because I think the latex jobies are the wrong tree to bark up on this one. (Though a student claims to have seen it done.) I’d say your best bet is a fairly rigid structure with an open bottom. I used a simple paper bag, but I just barely got off the ground. Mylar might be a reasonable choice, but store bought balloons are probably relatively thick (to hold helium) and thus rather heavy. How long do you need to stay aloft? I made my own candle to cut weight, with a faster burning base on top (to build heat for lift off) and a slower burning pseudo-wax at the bottom to (basically) qualify as a “lit candle” and look pretty.
