116:(0.025 mm) thick. At 10 million cubic feet (280,000 m), the balloon envelope was the largest that had ever been successfully launched, expanding to 300 feet (91 m) in diameter when fully inflated. Beneath the balloon hung a large parachute and then the gondola. Winzen Research designed a unique gondola for the flight. To control temperature, the gondola was protected by special venetian blinds, but otherwise open to space. The venetian blinds had light and dark sides. The light side could be turned outwards to cool the cabin while the dark side could be turned outward to warm the cabin. Balloon, parachute, gondola, and a trailing antenna made a craft close to 500 feet (150 m) tall.
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Winzen
Research also designed and built gondolas. The company supplied both the balloon and gondola that were used for the 1961 Strato-Lab V flight that set current altitude record for manned balloon flights. The balloon was constructed of polyethylene plastic measuring only .001 inches
108:. Vera, eventually an accomplished balloonist herself, borrowed money from her parents to help start Winzen Research. She held over two-thirds ownership of the company and became its vice president. Vera supervised and trained her "balloon girls" to handle
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was light, relatively cheap, and unaffected by ultraviolet radiation. Winzen refined the manufacturing techniques to reduce the plastics used in the balloons to less than the thickness of a human hair
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developed the use of polyethylene resin for plastic balloons. Polyethylene balloons vastly reduced the weight in comparison with previously used rubber materials.
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and for a secret reconnaissance mission, called Moby Dick, to overfly the Soviet Union.
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163:"Winzen left General Mills under a cloud in 1949 to found Winzen Research, Inc"
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Inflating Winzen
Research balloon for 1958 manned flight to the stratosphere
71:, Minnesota, created balloons in the 1950s and 1960s that were used by the
137:"Space Men: They were the first to brave the unknown (Transcript)"
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The company was created by Otto Winzen and his wife
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188:"Vera Simons and the Da Vinci Balloon Project"
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236:Manufacturing companies established in 1949
221:Manufacturing companies based in Minnesota
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231:American companies established in 1949
226:Defunct companies based in Minneapolis
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83:. Balloons were also sold to the
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112:and build the giant balloons.
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192:www.centennialofflight.gov
75:in its Projects Helios,
85:United States Air Force
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216:Balloon manufacturers
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143:. PBS. 1 March 2016
141:American Experience
65:Winzen Research Inc
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73:United States Navy
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194:. Archived from
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198:on 2003-04-30.
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95:Otto C. Winzen
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196:the original
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171:. Retrieved
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110:polyethylene
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99:Polyethylene
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30:Headquarters
106:Vera Simons
87:for use in
69:Minneapolis
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35:Minneapolis
210:Categories
173:2012-10-07
120:References
81:Strato-Lab
147:2 January
47:Products
77:Skyhook
50:Ballons
22:Founded
79:, and
149:2019
41:U.S.
25:1949
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128:^
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