Hot Air Balloon with an Outboard Motor

FlyDoo is aiming to revolutionize the balloon space by introducing maneuverable aircraft to the market. Here's more.

One of the unique things about flying in a balloon is the sensation - you drift along silently with the wind, floating serenely with only the occasional blast of heat and flames. You just go with the flow. There lies a problem, though - you never know quite where you'll end up. A new company aims to change this, however.

French company FlyDoo is a launching a new type of light sport balloon that aims to remove the hassle of ballooning whilst making it safer.

The aircraft is compact meaning it can be managed by just one person. All of the gear simply packs up into bags whilst the basket is small enough to be transported easily. You can even tow it by bike!

"The aerospace titanium welded structure delivers ultimate strength, with unmatched elasticity and shock absorbing characteristics."

Easily the most impressive and unique aspect of this balloon, though, is the vectored thrust unit. This comprises of a very large brushless outrunner motor mounted to a tubular frame.

"All these advantages have been packed in a product that has been designed according to our philosophy: small, lightweight, foldable and portable, as we believe that through minimizing the machine we will enhance your flight and ownership experience."

This motor is a 10Kw unit, is fitted with a 140cm propellor and 14s battery - more than enough power to pootle about the sky. This power unit is also fitted with temperature sensors and touchscreen display. Impressive!

If you know how much one of these will set you back, the balloon will be on sale for around $21,000. The FlyDOO will be launching a Kickstarter in the near future to develop the company. In the meantime, you can find out more about them on their website. You can also customize your own balloon design in their super 3D configurator.