A miniatures game about balloon racing

Project One: Balloon Race Game

For a balloon race, I want to preserve certain elements for the game that are reminiscient of HOT AIR BALLOON RACING. My example, the historical "reference" I'm modelling a game around, is the Coup Gordon Bennett balloon race, an event that has been ongoing since the turn of the 20th century. This is an international event, sort of like the Olympics of balloons. I like that.

Elements of the Gordon Bennett I wanted in this race: International Competiton, Variableness of winds, weather, having no clear idea of where the race will end, lack of control direciton on the balloon (other than up and down), and how terrain effects temperature, and thus lift.

Ballooning references:

FAI BALLOONING COMMISSION
THE COUP GORDON BENNETT
BALLOONING HISTORY

Archive Post: Cheap Balloon Stands n' such

BALLOON STANDS ON THE VERY CHEAP

Parts needed.

A dowel, about a yard long. Found in most craft stores. The one I'm thinking of is painted orange on the tip at Total Crafts... somewhere between a quarter and a half inch in diameter.

One of those large wood 'craft spools' you see in the interesting wood bits section of any Total Crafts. This is literally shaped like a giant spool for thread. The hole running down the center is too small for the dowel. You will need to drill it out with a 1/4" drill bit.

A base. These are wood, usually a dollar at Total Crafts. About the size of a large paperback novel. Something like 5 x 8 rectangular. Cheap, but thick. You'll need this for your stability.

Drill out the spool, glue to base as close to dead center as you can make it. Let dry. You probably won't need to reinforce the spool with tacks. Insert doweling into spool. You should have approximately 34" sticking out above the spool. That's the amount you need. Glue dowel into spool. Let dry-- and I mean let it take a day.

Paint alternating bands (5.6 inches in width) black and white, starting with black, up from the top of the spool, which I also paint black. NOTE-- the last 5.6" piece on top is painted a cheerful red). The final band, the red one, can take up the slack from your dowel and actually be longer than 5.6" in height. It represents "too high" anyway.

I'm going to paint the bases a neutral Ivy Green color. Haven't done so yet. I won't bother flocking them.

THE HOOK (even cheaper)

Find a wire hanger (Joan Crawford can spare a few). Cut the base (the wide part of the isoceles triangle) out. Bend a 5.6" section on the end at right angles to the rest of the wire. Wrap the bent 5.6" section in ducktape about three thickness' worth. Paint black.

Find two medium binder clips-- not the gargantuan ones, but the midrange size. Clip 5.6" ducktaped part of wire to upright dowel. If all the planets are aligned aright, this should work fine when you adjust up and down. Experiment a little if it slips. If you are using a styrafoam balloon model, like me, you won't have a huge weight pulling the wire down. If you are using something heavier, you may have to come up with a more sturdy connection.