Breitling Orbiter 3
 Breitling Orbiter 3 gondola side view |
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Balloon |
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| Height: | 55 m (180 ft) inflated |
| Fuel: | Propane |
| Type: | Rozier balloon |
| Model: | Cameron R-650 |
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Gondola |
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| Height: | 3.1 m (10 ft 3 in) |
| Length: | 5.4 m (17 ft 10 in) |
| Weight: | 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) empty |
| Material: |
Kevlar and carbon fiber composite weave |
| Cabin Air: | nitrogen-oxygen mixture |
| Cabin Pressure: | 24 kPa (3.5 psi) at altitude |
| Manufacturer: | Cameron Balloons, 1998 |
| Location: | Gondola: Udvar-Hazy Center National Air and Space Museum, Dulles Airport outside Washington D.C. |
 Breitling Orbiter 3 gondola end view |
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Breitling Orbiter was the name of three different Rozière balloons made by Cameron Balloons to circumnavigate the globe, named after the sponsor Breitling. The first two balloons never completed the circumnavigation, while the third made a successful attempt in March 1999 thereby reaching the milestone of the first nonstop flight around the world by balloon (Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones).
Breitling Orbiter 3 was the first balloon to fly around the world non-stop, piloted by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones. Designed and built by Cameron Balloons, of Bristol, England, Breitling Orbiter 3 stood 55 m (180 ft) tall when fully inflated. The propane gas that fueled its six burners was contained in 28 titanium cylinders mounted in two rows along the sides of the gondola. Concerned about fuel consumption, the team added four additional propane containers prior to take-off; these additions proved necessary to complete the trip.
The gondola is on display in the Udvar-Hazy Center at the National Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport outside Washington DC, while the envelope was displayed at the Gasometer Oberhausen in Germany between 2004 and 2006.
The Breitling Orbiter 3 was a Rozière balloon, which combines the features of a hot-air balloon and a gas balloon, with a helium cell within the hot-air envelope. Initially, the helium cell is filled to approximately 47% of its maximum capacity. During ascent, warming by the sun causes the helium to expand even more than the surrounding air, which in turn aids the balloon in gaining altitude (unlike the expansion caused by the drop in atmospheric pressure, which can even hinder that until the air and helium temperatures equalise).
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