"Advice Wanted for Basing Hot Air Balloons" Topic

I am thinking about building some hypothetical 18th hot air balloons from the Montgolfier Brothers in a SYW era game. I am looking for some ideas on how to base the balloons before I start the construction.

I'm thinking of a basic wicker basket with the balloon overhead. Should I run a pole up through the basket and the balloon or should I have the balloon hanging from a hook above the balloon? Or is there a better method?

Later, I might progress to some kind of mythical 'flying ship' with more of boat platform and a derigible style of balloon above the deck of the ship. Again, I need ideas for how to base this concoction.

Mount the balloon (at the basket) on a stiff wire, and disguise the wire to look like a rope dangling from the balloon with a sandbag at the end, brushing the ground.

Helium balloons.

Hiya

I got a plastic ball from a Xmas decoration, it was covered in fine plastic strands that made it look like canvas when painted.

Glue onto the ball a net/bag that fruit or sweets come in, this will look like the ropes over the balloon bit.

Next I salvaged the wire off a champers bottle, this is pretty much in the right shape (inverted) for the main ropes connecting to the basket.

The basket I made out of some spare metal basket/wicker matterial bent into shape.

As one poster said, run a stiff wire from the basket to the ground as a trailing rope, I plan to have ground crew holding onto the rope, with some of it trailing onto the base for more strength.

I have 10mm crew to go in the basket and 15mm ground crew, hopefully it will give the impression of the balloon flying high.

I haven't assembled the lot yet, the crew need some hat conversions to turn them from ACW to Frech Naps. And haven't sourced/ converted the ground crew yet.

regards

David B

My advice: weight the base.

With the balloon any decent height there's a – no kidding – tendency for it to fall over. There's a limit on how big you can make the base, but if you buy a couple of the biggest thickest washers you can find at Home Depot and glue them together under your flocking and ground crew, you'll be the happier for it.

If the rope thing works great. If you go for a pole, make it black, not transparent. Clear plastic posts look more obvious to mean than flat black.

Hanging it from a hook just means its going to swing in an illusion destroying way.

Andrew

Have the 'guiderope' not merely dragging / trailing on the ground but fixed to a winch carried by a very heavy, oxen-draught wagon. This would at the same time weight the base and allow some mobility to your hot air observation balloon. This 'mobile base' (!) wagon can carry a furnace, coal… practically a mobile forge and its stockpile.

A post supporting a hook would be far more obvious, illusion-destroying than a supporting stiff wire.

A purely functional observation balloon can well have a simple wicker craft – though montgolfieres were richly decorated. What about using the hull of a (1/600?) 17th C. warship model picture
link
For a larger, more elaborated 'skyship', the balloon in Gillian's Munchausen is quite inspirational picture -and you may even have 'the birth of Venus' picture "painted" on the 'envelope'…

DAF and evilgong: I'm looking eagerly forward to discover your models!

I've used a Christmas ornament stand for my Boer War balloon:

picture

Balloon is a repainted Authentic Models balloon.

Later, I might progress to some kind of mythical 'flying ship' with more of boat platform and a derigible style of balloon above the deck of the ship.

Something like this one link (with a larger 'balloon' / size of the 'hull' -and tricornes insetad of shakos, of course!)?
To base such a large model, see here: link
(the models are amazing, btw, and scream to be modified to Lacepunk dirigibles link )

From my rules "Demi-Brigades in the Desert!"

link

This is how I handle Aerostiers Operations:

Aerostiers (Balloonists). In the original plan for the invasion of Egypt by General Bonaparte, the French brought two Observation Balloons along with them. Napoleon was lukewarm toward aerial observation. Unfortunately they were still onboard the ships of the French fleet when on the 1st – 2nd August 1798, the French Fleet was destroyed at the Battle of the Nile (Aboukir Bay).

A few months later the Aerostiers had built a replacement Balloon that was used mainly for festivals and demonstrations in and around Cairo.

The following rules will be used for the use of Observation Balloons.
Observation Balloons may not operate in Gusty Wind, Rain or a Stormy condition.

It will be represented by a two inch by two inch (2" x 2") base and will have two (2) figures mounted on it. This is representing that the Observation Balloon tethered to the ground so that the Observation Balloons dose not drift, and its Aerostiers crew and a small security detachment.

An Observation Balloon will have no shooting capability. If it is attacked in close combat it will defend at zero (0) defensive points, and it may not be used as a supporting unit. It will move at the speed of beasts of burden when being transported by ground. If it is set free from its tether then you will use the following wind rule, as per XIII. Optional/Special Rules: a. Gunboats and Transport: wind direction.

Note: One roll for wind as per below is all that is needed if using Gunboats/Transport and Observation Balloon in a game.

For the direction of wind go to XII. Optional/Special Rules: – m. Weather: Wind:

It will take an Observation Balloon unit one hour (2 turn) to setup for flight or tear down for movement. And during either movement or setup/tear down they may not be assisting in observing of the enemy.

Observation:
The following distances will be used for observation of units from an Observation Balloon.
All units in the open in day light, ninety six Inches (96").
All units in the open at night, two inches (2").
All campfires in the open at night, ninety six Inches (96").
All units observing in to Orchards, Woods and Built-up areas (city, and villages) ten inches (10").

If a unit is hidden, and moves or performs shooting combat it is no longer hidden.
An observation Balloon will be able to observe troops behind terrain features (hills ridges and in depressions), and behind city walls or in towns and cities (in the streets).

m. Weather: Weather, of course, will affect the speed of an army on the march. If fighting a historical battle and you know what the weather conditions were that day use them. Or you may use the weather conditions generated by the tables below. This will also work for day to day operations if conducting a campaign.

Unless playing a historical battle roll 1d12 for the season of the year.
1-3 Summer (July, August, September)
4-6 Autumn (October, November, December)
7-9 Winter (January, February, March)
10-12 Spring (April, May, June)

Next roll 2d6 to determine the type of weather for the day.
Summer Autumn Winter Spring
2-8 * 2-7 * 2-3 2-6 * Good
9-10 * 8-9 4 7-10 Gusty Wind
11 10-11 5-7 11 Rain
12 12 8-12 12 Storm

Effects of Weather. Visibility Movement Fire Combat
Good N/A N/A N/A
Gusty Wind ** 15" N/A -1 on die roll
Rain 6" -25% *** -2 on die roll
Storm** 2" -25%/-50%**** As below **, ***

Wind: At the beginning of each game the gamemaster will roll one twelve-sided die (1d-12), to determine the direction the wind will be blowing towards. Note: the wind blows prominently to the South East in this region.

1= NORTH 2= NORTH EAST 3, 4= EAST 5, 6, 7= SOUTH EAST
8, 9= SOUTH 10= SOUTH WEST 11= WEST 12= NORTH WEST

Then roll one eight sided die (1 d-8) once every eight turns/four hours for any changes in the direction of the wind.
Below is the shift in the wind direction.
One or two (1, 2) the wind shifts one position to the left.
Three or four (3, 4) the wind shifts one position to the right.
Five (5) the wind shifts two position to the left.
Six (6) the wind shifts two position to the right.
Seven or eight (7, 8) the wind remains the same.

* Heat reduces the march rate 25% for each day without a river, water well or canal. If units continue for four days non-stop, all movement will have to cease. They may resume the march after a twenty-four hour rest and or a resupply of water.

** Sand/Dust storm roll 1d8 for distance of visibility on the beginning of every turn. For movement, and combat in "Sand/Dust storm" you may use the procedures from "n. Night Operations" below. Units that are facing in to the direction of a Sand/Dust storm will receive a -1 to Shooting Combat and Close Combat.

*** Rain, which will turn the roads to a sea of thick mud and greatly hinder the passage of Infantry Cavalry, Artillery and Beast of Burden (**** -25% on road / -50% off road.) Reduce the march rate 25% for each day it rains (i.e., if it continues for four days non-stop, all movement will have to cease: muskets and cannon would be virtually useless under these conditions). The ground dries out much more quickly, however, at a rate of 50% a day. Rain may change to snow at the higher elevations in the Holy Land.