Home >> Hobbies >> Aviation

A DIY Camera Blimp

A blimp is a vehicle, or "airship" that utilizes a lighter than air gas to float. You can make a do-it-yourself (DIY) camera blimp by employing a few products from a camera store and a party store. You will need some household tools as well. You will not need any special equipment to make a blimp that will carry a camera into the sky.

Things You'll Need

Inflated polyester film party balloon, 10-inch diameter
String roll
Hobby rocket nose-cone digital camera
Duct tape
Assistant

Instructions

- 1
  Knot the end of the string attached to the inflated polyester film party balloon to the end of the string on the string roll.
- 2
  Go outside in your backyard. Have an assistant hold the polyester film party balloon so the bottom where the string is attached to faces you.
- 3
  Tape the sides of the single-shot digital camera, that is normally used in the nose cone of a hobby rocket, to the bottom of the balloon, using strips of duct tape.
- 4
  Unwind the string from the string roll. Press the shutter button on the digital camera to begin the countdown of its built-in timer.
- 5
  Have your assistant release the balloon so that it floats up. Feed string to the balloon so it can ascend skyward. Stop feeding the string when you feel your DIY camera blimp is high enough to take an interesting picture of the ground. Let a minute or two pass to ensure that the digital camera's timer has fired off a picture.
- 6
  Wind the string back on the spool to return your camera blimp to you. Remove the camera if you are done, or activate the camera's timer and repeat the process if you want to take another picture.

Aviation