Types and Usage
There are many different types of balloons. They come in many shapes and sizes depending on their intended purpose – transport, play or even medicine.
Here are some of them:
1. Hot air balloon is an oldest type of flying machine.
2. Gas balloon is filled with a gas that is lighter than air – helium or hydrogen.
3. Cluster balloons are clusters of helium-inflated rubber balloons which also can have gondola or a harness that carries a pilot.
4. Hopper balloon (or just Hopper) is a small, one-person hot air balloon.
5. Airship or dirigible is a type of a lighter-than-air steerable balloon that uses engines to move through the air.
6. Toy balloon is a small balloon filled with air or helium used for child play, party decoration, and advertising.
7. Balloon helicopter is a type of a toy balloon that has a plastic propeller.
8. Water balloon is a toy balloon filled with water and used as a projectile in play fights.
9. Solar balloon is a balloon, usually made out of material that is light and black or dark balloon material.
10. Fire balloon was a type of balloon used by Japan during World War II. It was a hydrogen balloon which carried bombs.
11. Research balloons are balloons that are used in scientific research. They carry instruments that do meteorological, atmospheric, astronomic, and military research and are usually unmanned.
12. Balloon rocket is a long and narrow toy balloon used to demonstrate physical principles and the functioning of a rocket.
13. Barrage balloon , or a blimp, is a non-rigid balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against aircraft attacks making the approach of airplanes more difficult.
14. Observation balloon were usually hot air balloons or blimps with a gondola that were used for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting.
15. Ceiling balloon is a type of meteorological balloon that is used to determine the height of the base of clouds above ground level..
16. Balloon catheter is a balloon used in medicine.
17. Angioplasty is a surgical procedure in which very small balloons are inserted into blocked or partially blocked blood vessels near the heart.
18. Some balloons are used as decoys during the war. They are shaped like tanks or some other real item of military equipment, and its purpose is to deceive the enemy.
