What is a balloon made of?
There are four main components of a modern hot air balloon. The Envelope: The main part of the envelope is made of an extremely tough and hardwearing nylon material. The lower panels are normally made with Nomex, a scorch resistant fabric. The weight of the equipment carried beneath the envelope is spread evenly over the surface by a series of ultra-strong webbing load tapes and wires. The Burner: The balloons equivalent of an engine. All our balloons are powered by at least a twin burner unit, which have a power output of some 20,000,000 Btu. The Fuel System: Our fuel is liquid propane, carried in stainless steel fuel cylinders, and vaporised a split second before being ignited by a pilot flame. The Basket: Traditionally constructed in cane and willow, reinforced with steel cables, and topped with suede, our baskets have partitions and padding to carry our passengers in elegant comfort.
