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A 'moored balloon' is an inflated fabric structure, often shaped like an airship and usually filled with helium that is restrained by a cable attached to the ground or a vehicle. Moored balloons differ from airships and free balloons in that airships and free balloons are both free flying.
Moored balloons are sometimes called 'aerostats'. However the term
aerostat can also be used to refer to all lighter than air aircraft.
In this broader sense, moored balloons are a type of aerostat.
Moored balloons come in three forms. 1) Traditional sausage shaped (i.e. blimp shaped) with fins to stabilise them but relying upon helium alone for lift. 2)Simple round balloons relying on helium alone but without stabilisation. 3) Helikites, that utilise both helium and wind if it is available. A Helikite has a kite attached directly to its oblate-spheroid balloon to stabilise it and to create a single aerodynamic structure for wind lift. Helikites can fly in higher winds than other types of aerostat and to greater altitude.

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Applications

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External links

Applications

The barrage balloons of World War I and World War II were examples of moored balloons. Today, moored balloons are used for lifting: cameras; radio antennas;electro-optical sensors; radio-relay equipment and advertising banners - often for long durations. Moored balloons are also used for position marking and bird control work.
During the 1990 Invasion of Kuwait, the first indication of the Iraqi ground advance was from a radar-equipped moored balloon that detected Iraqi armor and air assets moving south.[1] Surveillance moored balloon have been used in the 2004 American occupation of Iraq. Utilizing a high-tech optics system to detect and observe enemies from miles away and have been used accompanying foot patrols in Baghdad.
The USGS uses moored balloons to carry equipment to places where conventional aircraft cannot go, such as above an erupting volcano. Moored balloon are ideal as they can easily remain more or less in one place, are less likely to be damaged by volcanic ash, and are less expensive to operate than a helicopter.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has contracted with Lockheed Martin to operate a series of radar-equipped moored balloons to detect low-flying aircraft attempting to enter the United States. A total of twelve moored balloons are positioned approximately 350 miles apart, from California to Florida to Puerto Rico, providing unbroken radar coverage along the entire southern border of the US.[2]
Worldwide Aeros Corp. manufactures family of moored balloons systems for variety of uses.
Moored balloons can be used for temporarily transmitters instead of a radio mast, either by using the rope, which holds the balloon as antenna or by carrying antennas, which are either fed by a radio frequency cable inside the rope, which holds the balloon upward.
The advantage of moored balloons is that large antenna heights are easily realizable. A use of an antenna carried by a captured balloon took place for GQV-transmitter in 2003.
Moored balloons are sometimes used for advertisement, either by lifting up advertisement signs or by using a balloon with advertisement on it. Often both methods are combined. It is also not in common to use therefore special designed balloons. By suspending a light source within the envelope, the balloon can be made to glow at night, drawing attention to its message.

See also

★ Aerostatics

★ Airship

★ Balloon (aircraft)

★ Buoyancy

★ Lighter than air

External links

★ Worldwide Aeros Corp - a manufacturer of aerostats

★ TCOM - a manufacturer of aerostats

★ Top I Vision - video surveillance aerostats