Back pedaling with balloon progress

Since my last post we screwed up the template we were doing which was annoying but it has to be perfect. We now have some more suitable tools like a long length of box section which will help covering those distances of panel F which is one of the biggest panels.

So we haven't attempted to cut out a new template so we are not progressing at all on that front. With an assignment and test coming up i will be focusing on class work with planning for Japan on the side which i leave for on the 25th which is the day after i have my final test of my degree (hopefully).

Alright that is enough negative, lets talk about what i have managed to achieve in the last month or so since my last post. Alright so i haven't managed to get a single inquiry for tank straps but i couldn't care less. Rebecca has been over and working on the tank covers. At this point she has finished the two Kav 55l Tanks and now working on the Worthingtons of Katie's. At this point we have sewn together one electric blanket and still have to remove and sew the other two once we are ready to sort out the positions of plug holes and where the pockets will sit.

The tank covers are only one part of sorting out Katie bottom end. The images below are of the new shortened tie-off i have sewn up for those occasions that a shortened tie-off might be more suitable i.e. windy inflations. Also having a spare might come in handy.

Next item on the cards was wrapping Strata's instrument panel with some carbon fibre wrap to pretty it up a little bit.

It hasn't made its way back into the balloon yet but that will probably happen once we get ready to fly again or pull it apart to sort the pockets on the new tank covers however with Japan only 4 weeks away it may have to wait.

One of the little projects i did one night while Rebecca was working on the tank covers a took a leaf out of my friend Mitch's book and made a pocket to throw commonly used tools to keep them out of the way but not out of reach. What can also be seen it the very new looking switch which i got with the brushless motor i got this week. I decided to swap over from a clutch motor because the clutch motor runs continuously and when you push the pedal it contacts the full throttle motor Because of this it makes the clutch motor a little bit 1950's. With the new motor the machine is a lot easier to control, quieter and more energy efficient. Bonus marks for my light plugging straight into the switch box. Hopefully spending the money on a new motor will save me some time with unpicking.

Its looking like once i am back from Japan i will be busy with the general Christmas rush and clocking up hours so i can fly in Balloons over Waikato. I will hopefully find some time to sew finish off cutting and start sewing. Once i get the sewing down i will hopefully knock out a large amount of the balloon but then again we will see because it seems like every post covers the same wrap up.