Okay, so I got this crazy idea to make a balloon parachute, you know, like the ones you see in those science videos? I figured it would be a fun little project to mess around with on a lazy Sunday.
Gathering Supplies
First things first, I needed to gather my materials. I raided my junk drawer and found some leftover balloons from a birthday party. Then, I grabbed:
- Some string (I think it was dental floss, but hey, it worked!)
- A small plastic cup (yogurt container, to be exact)
- Tape (lots of it)
- Scissors
- A small toy figure (my son’s action figure volunteered for the mission)
Building the Parachute
I blew up the balloon, not too big, just enough to give it some decent airtime. I tied it off securely, making sure no air would escape.
The real “engineering” challenge, or that I called it at that moment, was that I attached the strings.
Then I cut four equal lengths of the string (or floss, haha).
Then I taped them to the balloon at equal distances around the knot.
This part was a little tricky, as I had to make sure the strings were evenly spaced to keep the parachute balanced.
Assembling the Gondola
Next up, the gondola – the cup where my brave action figure would ride.
I punched four holes around the rim of the cup, again trying to keep them evenly spaced.
Then, I threaded each string through a hole and tied a knot to secure it. I double-knotted everything, just to be safe.
The Test Flight
With everything assembled, it was time for the moment of truth! I climbed onto a chair (safety first, kids!), held the balloon parachute up high, and let it go.
The Result? It actually worked, well not perfectly, but it worked! The balloon floated down gently, much slower than if I had just dropped the cup.
My action figure landed safely, although a bit shaken.
The parachute itself got a bit tangled, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right?
What I Learned
I realized that the size of the balloon and the weight of the load really matter. A bigger balloon would probably provide a slower descent. And maybe a lighter toy would have been a better choice for my first attempt.
But overall, it was a fun experiment! I might try it again with a larger balloon and some different materials.
It’s all about trial and error, I guess. I had fun!