ACHIEVEMENTS
Back in the ordinary world, and back to our ordinary lives.
The Project had succeeded beyond our wildest hopes. As with all great expeditions, there were some hair raising moments, but all had ended well.
— Per and Richard had successfully flown the Pacific in a hot air balloon.
— The team had successfully launched the balloon and recovered it from one of the wildest
places on earth.
— Thunder and Colt had built the world's most advanced balloon.
— Virgin and Otsuka had sponsored a major milestone in adventure and aviation history.
Copyright © JOHN ACKROYD - April 5. 1991
BALLOON SPECIFICATIONS
- Balloon: Pacific Flyer
- Type: Transpacific hot air balloon
- Manufacturer: Thunder and Colt, Oswestry, England
- Dimensions: Height, ground to crown 223 feet (68m). Diameter, equator 167 feet (51m)
- Crew: Two men
- Envelope: Capacity: 2.6 x 106 ft.3 (7500m') Material: Bright aluminized polyester on ripstop nylon
- Weights: Take-off 8.8 Tonnes, Envelope: 1.2 Tonnes, Capsule (empty): 1.4 Tonnes, Fuel: 4.6 Tonnes, Payload (crew & provisions) 0.5 Tonnes
- Lift Power: Climb & night cruise Gas burners, Daylight cruise: Solar heating
- Burners: Fuel: Propane gas, No. of burners: 12, Type of burners: Thunder and Colt, Total power: 27,000 HP 20MW
- Capsule: Cylindrical Pressure Vessel, Height-Landing frame/burner: 13.3 feet (4.10m), Height - Internal: 7.0 feet (2.14m feet (4.10m), Diameter: 7.9 feet (2.40m), Cabin Altitude: 10,000 feet (0.3km), Working Pressure: 6.13 p.s.i. (422mbar), Test Pressure: 10 p.s.i. (700mbar), Construction: Aluminum, welded and riveted, Landing Frame: Collapsible tubular aluminum, Load Frame: Hexagonal space frame, Windows: 5 off aircraft type, Visibility dome: Perspex-dia: 23" 58cm, Door: Flat honeycomb panel-1", Seats: 2, with opposite view, External insulation: Polyurethane foam
- Fuel Tanks: Cylindrical Pressure Vessels
- Material Stainless steel, welded
- Working pressure 116 p.s.i. (8 bar)
- Internal, underfloor 4 tanks
- Capacity, total 200Kg (384 1.)
- External, jettisonable 6 tanks
- Capacity, each 733Kg (1410 1.)
- Total fuel load 4.6 Tonnes
- External Equipment: Pressurisation Blower Screw type
- Pressurisation Engines: Onan 2 Cylinder
- Power: 20 hp at 3600 rpm
- Fuel: Propane conversion
- Cabin Heater: Heat exchanger
- Blower: drive Toothed belt
- Parachute: rip 2 hand winches
- Electric power: 2 alternators 24V.D.C 2 alternators 12V.D.C
- Internal Equipment: 2 opposed crew seats with work stations
- Controls
- Avionics
- Instruments
- Navcomms
- Cabin pressure regulator valve
- Video cameras
- Safety Equipment: Emergency oxygen
- Parachutes
- Dinghies
- Fire extinguishers
- Envelope jettison - explosive bolts
- Emergency location transmitters
- Controls:
- Ascent - burners
- Descent - parachute vent
- Direction - search and selection of jetstream strata
- Tank jettison - cable guillotines
- Engine - throttle cable
- Heat exchanger regulator
- Cabin pressure regulator
- Performance: Cruise altitude 27,000 - 36,000 feet (8,230m - 11,000m)
- Max. altitude: 40,000 feet (12,200m)
- Duration: 100 hours
- Flight path: North Pacific Jetstream - Direction West to East
