I want to find a low-cost lifting-gas barrier for use in our flycycle. I obtained some 3-mil polyethylene painter’s tarp material which i then folded in half and whose edges i welded together with a clothing iron. i covered the edges with 3″ masking tape to protect the iron from molten polyethylene. For the nozzle I cut a plastic funnel (and my middle finger) and attached it to an open corner using hot-glue from a crafter’s hot-glue gun. Then I test-inflated the bag at Gemeinschaftszentrum Bachwiesen. What follows are a series of photos from that successful air-inflation test. No perceptible leaks were observed. The 4×5m painter’s tarp material worked out to give 16m3 of volume (idealizing the shape to a right-angled cylinder), and thus approximately 16kg of lift if filled with lifting gas.

The air compressor from GZ Bachwiesen was a custom built number consisting of a motor and piston pump.  The rubber tube fit perfectly into the funnel-nozzle of the gas-bag.

Mu ha ha ha ha it’s alive!

It gets more air….

Fully Inflated. Ready to rock and roll.

Getting the kind assistance and motivation from 8hourcustom, we proceeded to start a fabric 1/50th mock-up of the piloted craft in order to plot our our envelope-attachment points, et, cet, tera. A four-gore, canvas model of the same aspect-ratio (or close) of the end-design has been started (marked, partially cut, sewn). Next week it will be ready to assist us with the fine-planning.

Marking the gores with #2 pencil on canvas (or similar – bedsheet material).

Sewing gores.

Stay tuned. Wait till we unfurl our self-correcting ballast system for free-flights over water.

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