Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
envelope
References
Images
Labeled diagram of a hot air balloon showing key components: the colorful envelope with gores, parachute valve at the top, skirt at the base, burners and wind guard above the woven basket where passengers ride.
Britannica AI Icon

envelope

balloon component
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Labeled diagram of a hot air balloon showing key components: the colorful envelope with gores, parachute valve at the top, skirt at the base, burners and wind guard above the woven basket where passengers ride.
Hot-air balloon Basic components of a hot-air balloon.

The envelope of a balloon is its outer casing, which holds the lifting gas or heated air. Common materials for hot-air balloon envelopes include nylon and polyester fabrics, chosen for their lightweight and strength properties. Cotton is also used but has a less favorable weight-to-strength ratio.12

The design of the envelope is crucial for a balloon's flight. It can be constructed from vertical or horizontal fabric sections called gores. The way these gores are cut and assembled affects the balloon's flexibility and how it handles stress. Load tapes, also known as tensors, are sewn into the seams to carry the weight of the balloon and its payload, ensuring structural integrity.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. balloon flight - Elements of balloon flight
  2. balloon flight - Envelope design
  3. envelope

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.