Observation balloons

[Ignatieff]

Any ideas how to make these for 28mm???

[Over Open Sights]

Been wondering about doing something with a 1litre plastic pop bottle.... Perhaps not exactly accurate for a Caquot or a Drachen but could be a possibility for a representation of something with a basket suspended from it. The pressing problem would be sourcing a suitable flat-bed truck on which to mount the winding gear.

[former user]

or any suitable sphere for that matter
plus, there are enough diecast truck types available that can be made heavier to be used as a  rolling base

[Beast of Bukhara]

What's that the Balloons gone up  

Take a look at this  
http://gamerarchitect.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/turning-1-hummingbird-feeder-into-15mm.html
There are quite a few that have been done for ACW and somewhere I saw one for Naps

I rather like the Britains Set 1749 - Barrage Balloon, comprising: silver painted rubber Barrage Balloon with 3 fins, overall length 23cm. These occasionally comes up on Ebay. Very handy when your capital city (Bukhara) comes under attack from a hostile power

[OSHIROmodels]

Funny, when I saw the title I thought you might be planning another adventure 

cheers

James

[gamer Mac]

How you got a picture of the kind of balloon you are after.
Ideas for a normal balloon
I would suggest making one out of a plastic ball of some kind. I bought a ballcock for a couple of quid that I was going to use for a balloon. Cover it in a net. Onion bags may work. Mount it on a wire that can pass the tether. Hadn't worked out how to make a basket yet.

[Thunderchicken]

Hadn't worked out how to make a basket yet.

Svennn made one for me last year and used hessian, it works quite well. PM me if you want a pic.

[Yankeepedlar01]

I got mine from a 'tourist tatt' shop, in Whitchurch, Shropshire. I'm sure you'd find them in other such shops. Scroll down on the link to the second picture. ~

http://talesfromghq.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/an-open-flank.html

Perhaps otherwise a polystyrene egg from Hobbycraft with cardboard fins? I'm sure they do various small basket things too. Sadly I lack the necessary skills, so was pleased to get mine for the ACW.
David

[Ignatieff]

Lots of good suggestions chaps, many thanks.  And yes, James, maybe mounting a 1l engine in a hot air balloon to get to Mongolia is not such a daft idea after all.......

[OSHIROmodels]

You'd certainly get marks for ingenuity 

cheers

James

[6milPhil]

I know Hobbycraft sell polystrene balls of various suitable sizes, so long as scale isn't too much of a bugbear.

[argsilverson]

Steve
Faller (a german maufacturer mostly for HO kits for railroads) has issued a HO balloon plastic kit. As I can understand the kit now is oop but might be found in some ebay or similar shops. the kit looked like:
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2688124
The kit was aimed for 1:87 scale modelleres but I think it could work changing the size of the basket.

a newer version (with working flame and gas?) can be found here, also in HO/1:87:
http://www.modellbahnwelt24.de/Faller-131001-Hot-air-balloon-with-gas-flame-H0
I think this is normal production as being a NEW model (of 2012).

[argsilverson]

it seems that the flame is not Real but a LED

[GilmoreDK]

Why not just make it out of  block of bluefoam - With a bread knife and some sandpaper. Draw the outline on the block from all 3 sides.

Or would that be too heavy?

- Best Svend 

[OSHIROmodels]

Actually, doing a quick google image search it's the sausage type ones with rear appendages, not your normal hot air balloon.

They seem to differ between allies and axis as well, which type in particular are you after Steve?

cheers

James