I’m watching these huge machines with big baskets, two or three riders, blast furnace and sand bags.
Analagous to a sailboat.
Is there a single person version, analogous to a kayak?
I suppose the rider would hang like a parachutist.
I’ve never seen one pictured, but I can’t believe that all the solo hang gliders haven’t considered it.
Yes, they exist, primarily they rely on solar power.
http://perso.orange.fr/ballonsolaire/en-index.htm
I don’t have a photo handy but I remember an article in Popular Mechanics (or was it Popular Science?) back in the mid-1980s about a one-man, gas-powered hot air balloon. Just like its big brothers, it used a gas tank and a burner. The pilot wore a harness which was strapped to the gas tank - it looked kind of like a big SCUBA setup.
They showed a fellow wearing one doing some stunt work where he landed on a full-size hot air balloon in flight. Very cool.
Ah, here we go, some links:
http://www.eballoon.org/pictures/gallery/miscellaneous/thumbs/one-manned-balloon.jpg
http://www.eballoon.org/pictures/gallery/miscellaneous/thumbs/one-man-landing-on-balloon2.jpg
It wasn’t a hot-air balloon but, Larry Walters attached 45 weather balloons to a lawn chair in 1982 and flew up to 16,000 feet in his chair with an air rifle to shoot balloons to come back down. He violated LAX airspace in the process and had some mishaps on the way down.
The idea worked for the most part although he later killed himself. I am sure that you can find some plans somewhere.
Larry Walters’ technique is now called cluster ballooning. There are a small number of people engaging in it, although usually with better planning, safety equipment, and avoidance of LAX airspace.
Personal, that is, one-person hot air balloons do exist, and most of them that I’ve heard of fall under the Part 103 Ultralight category of air vehicles. I’m not aware aware of any companies producing them commercially, but it wouldn’t surprise me. It’s not an area of aviation I’m involved with currently. Some are also hand made, although it is probably a good idea to purchase a commercially made burner set up rather than cobbling one together yourself (unless you have expertise in that area). Lessons with a hot-air balloon instructor are also recommended.
However, I feel I should point out that even a one-person balloon will still be quite large, as you need a sizable quantity of hot air to provide the necessary lift.
Balloon pilot here.
One person balloons are called “Cloudhoppers” or “hoppers” for short. (obligatory Wikipedia link)
They’re significantly smaller than the “normal” hot air balloons you see. They’re only usually about 15,000 - 35,000 cubic feet of volume (balloons are measured by volume). Generally the smallest balloons you’ll see with a basket (capable of taking passengers) will be at least 66,000’cu , probably about 90,000’cu is more common.
They’re pretty cool actually. I’ve heard of some people in Europe that will take a bicycle with them, and when they land, pack up and throw it all on the back of the bike, and head home, no ground-crew required. Some of them have a saddle over the fuel tank, and it’s like riding a horse. Some just have a harness. I’ve even heard of one enterprising person’s even attaching an Air Chair to the bottom (That looks damn comfortable!) Though landing would be a little tricky (Hoppers generally land backwards, with the pilot looking over his shoulder… I don’t imagine the chair would make it easier)
They’re not too available in North America, but in Europe they’re more common. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper than cluster ballooning.
And those “solar powered” hot air balloons… To put a human on board one of those is just reckless. There’s no way to avoid obstacles if low. No way to abort a landing… Nothing. Nice idea, but it’s even more impractical than a regular balloon.