Head Full of Air LLC
Video & Cameras
Robotics & Motors
Airpup
A kite-balloon offering quiet, long-term flight for videography, communications, and meteorology.
Head Full of Air LLC
Video & Cameras
Robotics & Motors
Airpup is a small kite balloon that can fly quietly for days, opening new frontiers in videography, communications, and meteorology. Lightweight construction and a novel kite shape allow Airpup to use 40% less helium than spherical balloons while also flying in much higher winds. No-fuss attachment rails make mounting your payload to Airpup a breeze.
Fly around an event without making a sound, capturing audio and video without the drone of a drone. Tow Airpup behind a vehicle or boat for hours. Fly in locations drones are prohibited. See smiling faces happy to see Airpup.
At 500’ Airpup has a 25 mile line of sight, extending the range of low-power communications. Airpup and a helium tank together weigh 25lbs and can be carried into remote areas.
Kite balloons are a great way to capture weather data above boundary layer turbulence. Climate researchers use them to take vertical profiles of the atmosphere. Airpup brings these capabilities within reach of everyone who wants to collect weather data.
Specifications
Features
As the wind picks up, Airpup maintains a high flying angle of 60° - 75°.
Airpup takes off with a 2.4ghz mesh node from Clackamas ARES. The node has 50% signal strength at 0.2 miles on the ground, in flight at 500 feet, 50% signal strength was observed at 1.25 miles. {airpup-packedup-size} {backpacking}
Airpup and a standard rented 40 cubic foot helium tank in a backpack. Combined weight is 25lbs.
Airpup’s belly rails accept standard 1/4-20 attachments for a variety of payloads, including this Kestrel 5500 weather meter. Proper balance is important to a kite balloon, and rails make balancing quick and easy.
Airpup’s dual-function Boston valve makes for quick inflation and deflation.
Airpup’s deluxe kit comes with an 18" flat winder to eliminate line twist.
Kite balloons are tethered balloons that fly like kites, and are often called ‘aerostats’ in the US. Invented in the late 19th century, Most kite balloons are fairly large tethered blimps used for advertising, weather measurements, photography, and to lift radar systems.
Kite balloons are prized for:
Large kite balloons are a mature technology. Until recent innovations in electronics, there hasn’t been much demand for kite balloons that lift small payloads. The physics of volume constrain very small kite balloons, and existing small kite balloons like the Skystar and Helikite use a Mentos-shaped "oblate spheriod" gas envelope that is made like a mylar party balloon.
Airpup is the first new kite balloon design in 25 years. Airpup’s envelope is designed to be more stable than an oblate spheriod envelope, and to make fittings like wings and bridle lines less laborious to attach, bringing down manufacturing costs. Airpup is also designed to mount payloads directly to the belly rather than dangling below, simplifying payload rigging and reducing tangles. By using the thinnest urethane available and hollow carbon fiber spars, Airpup is designed to lift more payload for the same gas volume.
| Cost | Helium | Payload | Payload mount | Wind range | Inflated Dimensions | Durability | Stability | Open hardware | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airpup | $650 | 37 cu ft | 500g | included | 0-20 mph | 72"L x 39"W x 44"H | fully reusable | high | yes |
| 1m³ Helikite | $1000 | 35.3 cu ft | 200g | no | 0-30 mph | 66"L x 48" W x 39" H | fully reusable | high | no |
| tethered blimp | $500 | 72 cu ft | 250g | no | 0-20mph | 120" L x 30" W x 30" H | fully reusable | high | no |
| 5' Sphere | $250 | 65 cu ft | 300g | no | 0-12mph | 66" sphere | fully reusable | moderate | no |
| 5.5' chloroprene balloon | $40 | 60-87 cu ft | 300g | no | 0-10mph | 66" sphere | easily popped, 2-3 flights | poor | no |
The balloon envelope (the part that holds helium) is manufactured by Blimp Works. For a small run, I will sew and attach the rest of the fittings at my studio in Portland.
The first 20 or so Airpups will provide critical production experience, allowing me to revise and optimize the design. I have a kite sewing expert lined up to assist me, and will engage other people in contract sewing if orders are high.
Throughout the fall and winter I’ll refine the production details of Airpup with kite experts I know through years of experience as an American Kitefliers Association member and workshop leader.
Airpup is designed for mailing. The deluxe Airpup kit fits in a 4" box 37" long.
All orders ship from Crowd Supply’s fulfillment services in Portland, Oregon.
To learn more about ordering, please visit the Crowd Supply Guide
International shipping fees cover USPS Priority Mail. USPS uses their own carriers to deliver packages internationally, simplifying tracking, insurance, and returns.
Orders are limited to USPS Priority International because Airpup will be produced in small batches, and we cannot stock inventory to quickly replace lost, delayed, and returned packages. Less expensive international mailing rates require transferring packages to local carriers. This transfer introduces risk and delay regardless of the reliability of your mail system.
While Airpup has been designed in consultation with with balloon experts and will be made with the assistance of experienced kite and balloon manufacturers, Head Full of Air is a one-person company. You’re trusting me to finalize the Airpup design, do a portion of the fabrication, provide support, and manage the process.
Airpup is not my first crowdfunding campaign or product. For over five years I directed the Public Lab Kits program, arranging the manufacturing and shipping of tens of thousands kits, their packaging, and their documentation.
Airpup is made by hand by skilled kite and balloon makers in the US. Maintaining a delivery schedule with multiple skilled artisans is challenging. Airpup has a fairly simple pattern, but more work is needed to optimize the design for manufacturing. Full seam patterns must be created and assembly instructions must be written.
This campaign is scheduled to allow a production run during the winter, a slow period in the kite and tethered balloon industry, however, making sure all the production patterns are ready and tested before the spring rush will be a challenge.
If production quantities hit 100 or more, more contract sewing services will have to be lined up, and contractors may need to be trained on lightweight kite materials.
Certain fittings on the Airpup payload mount are 3D printed, and it is unlikely Airpup will be in enough demand to injection mold these plastic parts. Producing and checking the quality of large number of 3D printed connectors will be a challenge.
Rentals require coordinating between multiple customers as well as a mail carriers, and inspecting returns for damage. People may break, lose Airpup or fail to return Airpup.
While Airpup is an unregulated device, we all have a responsiblity to share public airspace without creating a hazard. Always follow safe flying guidelines. At less than 115 cu ft and less than 6’ in diameter, Airpup is an exempt moored balloon under Federal Aviation Regulations 14CFR, part 101A, and is not considered an aircraft. You can’t fly Airpup in the District of Columbia.
While no rules prevent moored balloons in National Parks, please communicate with rangers about your intentions. National Parks are shared recreation and conservation spaces, managed by the National Park Service. Plan to avoid crowds and wildlife refuge areas where nesting birds could be disturbed.
Please consult your local authorities. Canada is similar to the US. Moored balloons and kites are not subject to EU-wide regulations and rules differ by country.
I’m making a map of helium suppliers. If you have a helium supplier, please add them to the map. If you can’t find a good local helium supplier, get in touch and I’ll help.
Helium is best sourced from welding supply stores, not all party stores sell pure helium. A 40 cubic foot aluminum helium tank rental currently costs \$53-59 in the Portland, OR area. An in-store fill-up is \$40.
3-5% of Airpup’s helium permeates out every day. Day-to-night temperature shifts may also reduce Airpup’s lift and stability. Airpup can go two days of flying between top-ups.
At your own risk and with extreme caution. Helium is the safest choice by far.
Talk to your helium supplier about the tanks they will fill. Often they prefer to have you pay a tank deposit for helium tanks filled off-site. A 40-60 cu ft aluminum helium tanks are about $150-350 for certified DOT 3AL 1800 (seamless aluminum, 1800 PSI tank). A CGA 580 valve is standard. A balloon regulator is also needed. Steel is cheaper and heavier, carbon fiber is much more expensive.
No. Pressurizing helium to 1800 PSI is hard. Move Airpup fully inflated.
No. Drawing down the US strategic helium reserve destabilized the helium market between 2011-2013. A lack of refining capacity lead to popular reports that the world was running out of helium. The market has since stabilized.
"Airpup Is a Balloon-Kite Hybrid That’s Perfect for Aerial Photography"
"Photographers, meteorologists or those looking to expand communication to their projects may be interested in a new balloon kite hybrid device aptly named the Airpup"
"Airpup’s silent, long-duration flight fills a gap in the drone market: flight capability for locations where FAA rules and site restrictions make drones unlawful or unwelcome."
Produced by Head Full of Air LLC in Portland, Oregon.
Sold and shipped by Crowd Supply.
Mathew Lippincott created Head Full of Air LLC to further his passion for low-cost kite and balloon flight systems and open hardware. Through Head Full of Air, Mathew has created learning resources for NSF- add NASA- funded educational projects as well as led public workshops.
