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|Review by National Science Teachers Association |
Review by Canadian Teacher Magazine
The ultimate high-tech paper flying machine has to be the hot air balloon. It's just made from tissue paper and wire but it can fly for miles and reach hundreds of feet in altitude.
Whether you want to make beautiful Chinese Sky Lanterns for a family celebration or eeie glowing UFOs to weird-out your neighbors this is the book for you.
The Hot Air Balloon Book is a complete guide to making and flying miniature hot air balloons. It contains instructions for building eight different designs - from traditional paper Chinese and Thai balloons to high-tech solar powered balloons that can fly for hours and cover hundreds of miles. And despite being high-performance flying machines all of the balloons are made from readily available household materials.
Each project starts with a list of everything you will need, followed by clear line illustrations showing just what you have to do at each step. At the end of the book there is a chapter that shows you what to do if things go a bit wrong, and each project chapter has suggestions about changing the designs around to make new balloons.
As well as the instructions, each chapter also covers a different part of the science behind ballooning, so the reader will learn how the balloons work as well how to make them.
The book starts with a history of ballooning and a guide to flying model hot air balloons. Safe flying is emphasised throughout the flying guide.