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Breitling Orbiter 2 balloon gondolaForerunner of successBertrand Piccard launched his second attempt to circumnavigate the earth in a balloon on 28 January 1998 in Château d’Oex, with Wim Verstraeten and Andy Elson on board. The Breitling Orbiter 2 covered over 8’000 km, but was compelled to land in Burma because permission by China to overfly that country was not granted in time. Nevertheless, the balloon was in the air for longer than any previous flying machine.The gondola is largely identical in construction to that of Orbiter 3, with which Piccard and Brian Jones achieved the first circumnavigation of the world a year later, in March 1999. Pressure equalisation creates conditions similar to those in an airliner.Kerosene, stored in the lower part of the capsule as fuel for the balloon burner, did not prove successful, being sensitive to cold. For Orbiter 3 it was decided to fall back on the more reliable propane gas. Experience with Orbiter 2 therefore made a significant contribution to the success of its successor.
  • Aviation

  • Breitling Orbiter 2 balloon gondola
    Forerunner of success
    Bertrand Piccard launched his ...

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  • Breitling Orbiter 2 balloon gondola
    Forerunner of success

    Bertrand Piccard launched his second attempt to circumnavigate the earth in a balloon on 28 January 1998 in Château d’Oex, with Wim Verstraeten and Andy Elson on board. The Breitling Orbiter 2 covered over 8’000 km, but was compelled to land in Burma because permission by China to overfly that country was not granted in time. Nevertheless, the balloon was in the air for longer than any previous flying machine.
    The gondola is largely identical in construction to that of Orbiter 3, with which Piccard and Brian Jones achieved the first circumnavigation of the world a year later, in March 1999. Pressure equalisation creates conditions similar to those in an airliner.
    Kerosene, stored in the lower part of the capsule as fuel for the balloon burner, did not prove successful, being sensitive to cold. For Orbiter 3 it was decided to fall back on the more reliable propane gas. Experience with Orbiter 2 therefore made a significant contribution to the success of its successor.
  • Inventory No.VHS-7891
  • Original/modelOriginal-Fahrzeug
  • Object typeObject (three-dimensional)
  • Manufacturer/operatorBreitling SA (*1884), Sponsor/in, archivalisch belegt
    Cameron Balloons Ltd. (*1884), Manufacturer, archivalisch belegt
    Piccard Bertrand (*1958), Pilot or balloonist, archivalisch belegt
    Verstraeten Wim (*1958), Pilot or balloonist, archivalisch belegt
    Elson Andy (*1958), Engineer, archivalisch belegt
  • GeographyTerritory: Château d’Oex (VD), Sitkwin (Burma)
  • Dating1997
  • Object weightL x B x H 540 x 274 x 305 cm inkl. Armaturen, Handlauf, etc.
    Leergewicht ca. 2000 kg
  • Number of crew3
  • Number of passengers0
  • Type of propulsionWind power
  • Range (km)8473