BALLOON TROOPER
TEST PILOTS!
The Mission of the BT Test Pilots Squad is to test all new Balloon Trooper Rigs which are being considered for future use by the Balloon Trooper Unit.
At the top of this page, we see BT Test Pilot "Captain Luke" in his new Experimental "Stringless Rubberband Rig." This Rig utilizes a rubberband instead of a typical Shroud Line. The rubberband is secured to the "rubber edge ring" at the end of the balloon knot by looping it through a small hole torn into the balloon material just above the edge ring. Then the other end of the rubberband is looped around the Trooper. This simple Rig launched perfectly and is fully biodegradable because the latex balloon, latex rubberband and Mission Paper are all items that will disintegrate rapidly in the environment.
Also above, we show the test launch of a new "Balloon Paratrooper." This design involves combining a paper Paratrooper with a paper Parachute and a Helium Balloon for lift.
It is hoped that at high altitude, the balloon will eventually pop from expanding helium pressure or be blown loose from it's place between the Parachute's Shroud Lines (the balloon is not secured in any way to the actual parachute.)
When the Parachute is freed from the balloon, the Trooper will then float back to the ground in his Parachute, far from his original launch point!
In the Test Launch above, our Balloon Paratrooper was launched from a rooftop. He first descended a bit on low wind currents toward the trees below, but then caught a nice thermal draft that brought him straight up into the blue sky. He was last seen headed toward the San Gabriel Mountains. The new Balloon Paratrooper Rig seems to have worked perfectly so far!
In the image below, we show another type of new Balloon Trooper Rig called a "Stringless" Balloon Trooper. This Rig featured a brave paper BT Test Pilot named "Cpt. G." Cpt. G.'s Stringless Rig is designed to lift Cpt. G. to high altitude where the balloons will eventually pop, then he will Freefall all the way back to the Earth, far from his Launch site. He is an expert Skydiver so this should not pose any problem for him!
Note that the Stringless Rig is designed to secure Cpt. G. to his balloons by simply pulling the balloon knots through a small hole punched into the paper near Cpt. G's head. The hole was made by using a standard hole puncher.
We wish all our brave Balloon Trooper Test Pilots safe and successful Missions in their experimental Rigs!
