Sky lantern – the third try to make it fly
Today we have a lot to do. I had thought of a gift for my sister, that I have to make today, and, with dad, we are making another sky lantern. Tomorrow is Katia’s birthday so I have to make it in time. About my gift, I will write in tomorrow’s post about Katia’s birthday. And today I am writing about the lampion we are making.
The lampion
Of course, if there is a third time it means that the first and the second didn’t go well. So today we are making the third one. The second was too big and heavy. My father, after the thought, is making one of a simple plastic bag. In the morning I browsed the internet for sky lanterns and how to make one. One guy made one of tin paper, straws, metal wire, and aluminum. The fuel was a cotton wool soaked in kerosene. I gave the idea to my father and we came to the conclusion that it is way much lighter. We didn’t have aluminum, nor cotton or kerosene.
In the morning I went with mom for a long walk to buy everything needed. The list was big as I had Katia’s gift in there too. After 4 hours we came back with all needed except kerasine. We decided to use a cooking oil as a fuel.
We had cut out the unneeded pieces of a bag and glued it properly with super glue. Using tape we stuck the bottom of the bag with the bamboo – before ready, made in a circle using threads. Then we made an aluminum cap by crumpling it and forming a small bowl. The bowl was stuck with the balloon by a metal wire.
The try
We went on the roof, and not waiting for the dawn, we just did it in the light. Girls were there too, playing. We took the lampion, bottle of oil and piece of cotton wool. I soaked the cotton in oil and had put it into the bowl. We had few last matches with us. We lighted one and had put into a bowl, the cotton didn’t light up. It slowly faded. The second match was used the same way and nothing happened. Dad told to bring candles and he had cut out a piece and put there. It slowly lighted up and after dad added some more of a candle. Quite fast it stood up by itself and we just sat waiting. 5 minutes went by and it was the same. It was much lighter than before and had a big fire at the same time so we waited. But the fire lit for 20 minutes and the lampion didn’t go up. Father looking at it concluded that it almost flew.
He says that the bag must be bigger so there can be more air. I, at first, thought that it should be smaller so the fore can easier make hot air.
In calculating: The hot air is a power and the fire is a strength (more fire more strength the air has). Dad thinks that the ballon just needs more power and I thought that it needs more strength. The smaller balloon the more strength will have the air. But I see that the balloon almost floated, so it just, really, needed more power.
Tomorrow is the birthday and still, we are getting closer to make the sky lantern. It isn’t ready.
