I think its a strong possibility the father was just looking to get his mug back (family were apparently former contestants on “Wife Swap”) on TV…
If this was indeed a hoax, they ought to horsewhip the shit-eating publicity whore.
I can attest from personal experience that a weather balloon will lift a 6 year old. When I was 6 my family visted a weather station and they let me launch one. Everybody was yelling at me to let go like it was a real emergency. Looking back I’m guessing they were holding onto it but it picked me up easily.
With that said the pictures of the saucer it looked like it barely lifted itself. They should have known how much lift it was capable of before chasing it around like a bunch of keystone cops. It certainly has the smell of publicity stunt on it.
Why in the world was this thing saucer shaped ?
There are damn good reasons balloons are generally roundish.
Maybe this guy is the Burt Rutan of balloons, but I doubt it.
It’s called “Rhino” and is, of course, not limited to just “flying saucers”. Among other things, my husband has used it to design bagpipes, buildings, and radio control airplanes. The software has an ability to analyze properties of modeled objects if you know how to utilize that feature.
Yes.
Yes.
Uh… yeah, I think I said that already, didn’t I?
No, I don’t think so. That volume of helium lifts, at most, 65 pounds TOTAL. That would be including the mylar envelope (admittedly not very heavy) and whatever rope/rigging is on it and whatever that plywood or cardboard “pod” thing was and the kid. No, I don’t think it was large enough. And keep in mind that lifting coefficient for helium is at sea level and probably also at standard temperature… given he took off in Colorado it would have been neither of those.
Cause dad thought it would look cool?
If Rutan had built a flying saucer it would look even weirder, I’m sure.
I’d also like to point out that the balloon in question is not, actually, an “oblate spheroid” but is shaped in such a way that it actually would have less volume than the theoretical spheroid. Since I don’t have all dimensions I can’t be specific, but it certainly would lift less than 65 pounds.
Your cite now reports the finding of the little boy. He was hiding in the attic, 'cause he thought he was in trouble.
I remember feeling that way about stuff when I was six. Poor kid.
Where is “Lawnchair Larry” when you need him?
Regrettably, in 1993 Lawnchair Larry launched himself into the afterlife.
How did this balloon measure 20’ diameter? Looking at the pictures, yes, with people running around it, I think saying that it was 15’ would be generous.
I don’t know if authorities had an accurate impression of its size when it was still at altitude. In any case, these seems like the kind of situation in which they would rather err on the side of caution. Can you imagine the uproar if they had treated it like a hoax and it wasn’t?
Point taken but if they asked dad what the size was then it should have been a quick calculation. they can always use the Civil Air Patrol to chase it cheaply as a matter of safety for restricted airspace.
I assumed it was saucer-shaped and not a sphere because you can’t easily create a sphere out of mylar. But if you take two round sheets of mylar, seal the edges, and fill it with helium: presto! A saucer.
From an updated article today:
But I still think the dad knew full well the kid wasn’t in it.
From my experience, weather balloons assend RAPIDLY. The home movies of the saucer didn’t appear like it had much lift. And any idea that this could be used to track a storm is retarded. That thing wouldn’t survive a sneeze.
This is why I don’t watch the news. They’re just interested in ratching up the entertainment value with shots of people’s reactions and suggestive speculation for what happened. Ha, you think they CARE about trying to figure things out? That’s for nerds.
Did you miss the part where the dad asks him why he didn’t respond to being called for, and the kid says, “You guys said we did this for the show.”
Whoops. What a dumb kid. You won’t find the new playing this up too much. At least at first. They spent so much energy using their serious voice that if they suddenly switched sides the viewers might get a bit cynical about them too. But they’ll enjoy playing that angle soon enough.
billfish678 made a very good point above. If the father built that thing, then he damned well knew what its lifting power was, and therefore he knew his kid wasn’t in it. I think this was some kind of publicity stunt or scam. Maybe the family figured this would be their ticket into the lucrative “trainwreck of a family which gets its own show” business. Then you make money on the inevitable fall from ratings, the acrimonious breakup and divorce, and the book deals.
Given the complete lack of discipline with the kids I think it will be a show on Fox called “Juvee Swap”.
When I saw the kid jump off the stairs onto the couch and flip off the camera operator I wondered what kind of whack-job the parents were and then I saw the father throwing tantrums like a 2-year-old.
So lets assume the boy is either 50 or 65 pounds and the altitude he is starting off at is 5,500 feet and the balloon rises to 8,000ft. First question, if the lifting power of the balloon is 65 pounds, and the boy and balloon weigh 65 pounds, how much altitude will it get? What if the combined weight is 50 pounds, what is the altitude at which it will hit equilibrium. Make lots of assumptions, but it was a sunny cool day.
I think the dad knew, just by holding on the line, that the balloon couldn’t lift 50 pounds, so this is a hoax.
If the kid were in the balloon, it would float about 10 feet above the ground is my guess - total guess.
So if the lifting power was 80 lbs and the kid (damn skinny 6 year old) weighed 37? pounds, what would be a rough guess of the altitude equilibrium?