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Data

Collection of stats from microballoon flights in an attempt to understand the concepts of foil balloons and super-pressure.

Flight Stats

Flight	Date	Payload mass (g)	Balloons	Fill (%)	Ascent rate (m/s)	Burst alt (m)	float altitude (m)	Float time (s)	Descent rate (m/s)	Free Lift (g)	Notes
PicoAtlas I	17/01/11	100	2×92 + 2×48	50	0.4	2400	n/a	0	0.5	n/a	Lost 1×48 resulting in slow descent
PicoAtlas II	30/01/11	95	4×92	50	0.88	7200	n/a	0	1	n/a	1×92 burst
Picochu-1	06/08/11	105	4×92	100	1.8	4200	n/a	0	1	n/a
Picochu-2	14/10/11	86	4×92	45-50%	1.1	7263	n/a	unknown	unknown	n/a	Lost GPS signal at 7263m (payload was still ascending, probably due to the effects of the cold on the lipo battery, temp hit -15c) Carrier Signal was still obtained for at least 3 hours after losing GPS, this indicates a possible float, would estimate a 7.5km - 8km float
PicoAtlas IV	25/08/11	135	4×92	70	0.6	-	6200	600+	n/a	n/a	out of radio range
PicoAtlas V	05/09/11	120	4×92	60	0.6	1551	-	-	1	n/a	1×92 burst
PicoChu-3	28/11/11	106	4×92	60	1.5	869m	-	-	1	n/a	Presume burst, poor weather a factor possibly.
PicoAtlas VI MK1	24/12/11	-	1×92	-	0.5	-	~3000	4200	0.28	n/a	Unusual float
PicoAtlas VI MK2	07/01/12	28	1×92	-	0.5	-	-	-	-	n/a	failed early after launch
Ozzie1	11/03/12	35	1×92	60	1.3	-	5000	27360	-	n/a	Lost contact in France.
PicoChu-4	30/03/12	77	2×92	50	0.8	4238m	3890m	10mins	1.1	n/a	Successfully flight, and recovery, 2 small periods of float around 4km, payload recovered 20miles north west of salisbury
PicoAtlas VI MK3	11/04/12	33.3	1×92	60	1.0	-	4500	8400	-	n/a	Lost contact over the North Sea however was heard at 1830UTC briefly suggesting 7hrs + of float
PicoChu-5	21/04/12	55	1×92 1×79	90	0.8 - 7.1	5319m	-	-	1.5	n/a	Very unusual flight, payload was sucked into a thunderstorm cell and gained an ascent rate upto 7m/s at one point, failed to achieve float, landed on the MOD target range for tanks on salisbury plain, payload lost.
BONZO1	07/05/12	100	3×92	>90		540m	-	-		n/a	Short flight to test tracker HW. Assume overinflation od balloons, resulting in at least one early burst. Payload recovered less than 20km away, with two bursts.
PicoAtlas VI MK4	04/07/12	29	1×92	60	0.8	-	4100 - 5600	61200	-	n/a	17 hours float from Kent to Scotland, survived overnight, batteries ran out
OZZIE3	15/07/12	55	1 x 0.21m3 custom	50	1.6	-	7300	600+	-	n/a	transmitter fail - went out of range
PAVA2	12/08/12	26	1 x 92	-	1.0	7194	-	-	1.0	35	Neck lift 35g
BLT31.8 (KT5TK-11)	06/10/12	46	2×92 + 1×80	50/50/60	0.9	5760	n/a	0	0.9	38
CRAAG1	10/10/12	35	1×92	-	1.7	4688	-	-	6.7	17	balloon split at neck resulting in the payload descending rapidly with only the balloon neck and valve attached.
Full House (KT5TK-11)	19/10/12	55	5 x 80	~50	0.9	n/a	5600 … 3600	21600+	0.01	34.5	still floating (probably in the water of the Gulf of Mexico)
PicoAtlas VII	20/10/12	31	1 x 92	~65	0.8	n/a	4000	57600+	0.3	1.5	across North sea, around top of Denmark, lost contact in Sweden ?descent, travelled over 1050km
PicoBuzz2	24/10/12	41	1 x 92	~60	1.0	3700	2600	26000	0.45	8	Initial float for 2 hours, then dropped 1000m before floating again
BLT31.TWELVE (K5SAF-11)	03/11/12	59	3 x 80	~50	1.4	1888	n/a	0	unknown	29	Was torn down by a heavy thunder storm short after launch
CRAAG1-Camera	26/11/12	50	1×92	-	1.0	3190	-	-	6	11	Payload caught in 15m treetop, not yet recovered.
PicoAtlas VIII	15/12/12	35	1×92	~65	-	101	-	-	-	-	Not enough lift, recovered 2km away next day
NANU 1	15/12/12	33.5	1×92	?	0.61	3189	No	-	1.12	-	Lost over North Sea off Norfolk
NANU 2	6/11/13	33.5	1×92	?	0.83	4423	No	-	0.64	-	Lost over North Sea off Suffolk
BONZO4	23/02/2013	80	2×92	?	1.0	2256	No float	-	-	10g	One foil burst and caught in tree nr. Blandford. Suspect overinflation and stress to neck whilst tethered for extended period awaiting GPS lock.
PAVA	02/03/2013	29	1×92	?	1.2	5606	No float	-	11	1g	Burst and landed in a field near Sheffield. Recovered a day later still TXing
Picoatlas IX	02/03/2013	37	1×92	~60	0.7	-	3600	93600	-	1g	33.9hr long flight, 2 float periods, lost contact over Wales
PSB	10/03/2013	79	2×92	?	1.1	4255	No float	-	0.9	-	PICO launch near Wycheproof, Australia
BONZO6	14/04/2013	98	2×92	?	0.5(avg)	2018	No float	-	0.61	~3g	Float attempt, burst due to heavy payload. No sigs heard from landing site. Lost.
PicoHorus-2	20/4/2013	23	1×92	50%?	1.1	4930	No float	-	0.5-1	29g	Float attempt, small rupture at neck found on landing. Payload recovered.
B-2	2/7/2013	13.4	1×92	~50%	0.8	6535	-	-	0.9	1.3g	Testing DominoEX transmit mode and new tracker hardware
PicoX	6/7/2013	28.8	1×92	~50%	0.9	5100	4900	7200	1	-	Test day launch
B-3	6/7/2013	13.4	1×92	~50%	0.9	-	6750	4500	-	1.5g	Successful float. Downlink lost
B-4	7/7/2013	12.5	1×92	~50%	0.8	-	6800 N 7700 D	56000	-	1.3g	Successful float. AAA run out of power after 19 hours
B-5	11/7/2013	14	1×92	~50%	0.8	-	6100 N 7000 D	57600	-	1.3g	Collected temperature and pressure readings inside the balloon envelope

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Table of Contents

Data

Flight Stats

Graphs (8/7/13)