Day two of the Lindstrand build... Yesterday... basket.. bottom.. wicker.. handles.. upper bolster leather.. today... Whats cool to see.... oh yeah! Here is a picture of the upper bolster collars around the upright pole ports ( where you put the bottom of the upright ). The upright mylar pole slots into the burner frame and the ports ( I forget the darn name now ) in the bolster. Also you can see the cable that goes from the burner frame down to the basket.and covered with a clear plastic cover... through the basket weave and down and across the bottom of the basket ( remember that black leather cover yesterday? ). This collar is a Lindstrand awesome detail item. Awesome. Very! See how supple that leather is... It feels like butter...
Now is this picture you can see the inside of the basket. That's the name plate in the middle. My basket also has side wall pads. See that red cover on the wicker? That's pads so you don't get hurt against the wicker if there is a hard landing. One on each side. There are two handles.. six total inside and outside the basket. I have my cables and carabiners tucked into the handles for safe keeping. The carabiners attach the cables to the upright frame then also to the envelope.That leather you see on the top of the picture is NOT Lindstrand. That's my Wicker Slicker ( copyright, unregistered logo and name lol ). Its to save the wicker from damage. If you want one I can make one for you. It is on the down side of the basket and covers from bottom to over the bolster and is leather tied to the wicker. You drag land and it will protect your wicker from being scraped up. Look at that weave, Look at how the handles are woven in. You get to choose your colors. Sweet!
Tanks and straps. Mmmmm.. love the open frame around the tank to the upper collar that protects the fuel lines and valves. I can get in there and get connected or move things around but it also protects the dangerous places too. The straps are cinch and clamp style. Love them.. nothing to get hooked up on and they do stay stuck. I have mine up over the top so that it will keep the tank ( 15 gallons of propane per tank ) from moving upwards. There is also another strap near the bottom to keep the tank from shifting around in the basket. Notice.. my balloon is predominantly yellow with red and blue squares. I went with ( with kind suggestions from the wonderful people at the factory ) Red wall pads. Blue tank covers and yellow straps. It looks great! Caps on the fuel connectors with security ropes so you wont lose those cool caps ( Awesome item ). That wrapped cord is the heater for the tank. You can also see the spit valve in the back right.
View from the top of a tank. Now you can see the guage ( they only show when your at 60% or lower ). I chose to upgrade the tanks with QSO's... or.. Quick Shut Off ( red handle ) instead of knob type turn turn turns. QSO's are so cool.. Bob... Bob sold me on these.. Down ... off.. Snap up.. ON! So fast and easy to shut the fuel flow down. Worth every dollar.
Patturns Highperactive is a great balloon. I will get some close ups of the envelope and burner tomorrow or the day after and show you the parts and super Awesome design by Lindstrand of it. You think you have seen excellent attention to detail... not yet!.
Here is a coloring page I made for the kids at our Albuquerque Aloft stand up during Fiesta. It has some small details and some links to my video and photographic web sites. It turned out I didn't get them done in time. I will have them this year if I get selected to be in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta again. Fingers crossed!
YAY.... cool huh! Darn people at that place in Galena Ill. impressed me... everywhere I looked there was a detail that would make me go.. WOW!
L What I use for instruments on my system.. Oh.. yeah.. standard too..
http://www.flytec.com/
I Almost every balloon page out there on the webs..
http://www.euronet.nl/users/jdewilde/index.html
N What .. you fly in the cold?..
http://vesalens.asiakkaat.sigmatic.fi/index.php?id=23
K Gas ballooining.. YIKES! There are things i just wont do..
http://www.gasballooning.org/
S
