Collection of stats from microballoon flights in an attempt to understand the concepts of foil balloons and super-pressure.
| Flight | Date | Payload mass (g) | Balloons | Fill (%) | Ascent rate (m/s) | Burst alt (m) | float altitude (m) | Float time (s) | Descent rate (m/s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PicoAtlas I | 17/01/11 | 100 | 2×92 + 2×48 | 50 | 0.4 | 2400 | n/a | 0 | 0.5 | Lost 1×48 resulting in slow descent |
| PicoAtlas II | 30/01/11 | 95 | 4×92 | 50 | 0.88 | 7200 | n/a | 0 | 1 | 1×92 burst |
| Picochu-1 | 06/08/11 | 105 | 4×92 | 100 | 1.8 | 4200 | n/a | 0 | 1 | |
| Picochu-2 | 14/10/11 | 86 | 4×92 | 45-50% | 1.1 | 7263 | n/a | unknown | unknown | Lost GPS signal at 7263m (payload was still ascending, probably due to the effects of the cold on the lipo battery, temp hit -15c) Carrier Signal was still obtained for at least 3 hours after losing GPS, this indicates a possible float, would estimate a 7.5km - 8km float |
| PicoAtlas IV | 25/08/11 | 135 | 4×92 | 70 | 0.6 | - | 6200 | 600+ | n/a | out of radio range |
| PicoAtlas V | 05/09/11 | 120g | 4×92 | 60 | 0.6 | 1551 | - | - | 1 | 1×92 burst |
| PicoChu-3 | 28/11/11 | 106g | 4×92 | 60 | 1.5 | 869m | - | - | 1 | Presume burst, poor weather a factor possibly. |
| PicoAtlas VI MK1 | 24/12/11 | - | 1×92 | - | 0.5 | - | ~3000 | 4200 | 0.28 | Unusual float |
| PicoAtlas VI MK2 | 07/01/12 | 28g | 1×92 | - | 0.5 | - | - | - | - | failed early after launch |
| Ozzie1 | 11/03/12 | 35g | 1×92 | 60 | 1.3 | - | 5000 | 27360 | - | Lost contact in France. |
| PicoChu-4 | 30/03/12 | 77g | 2×92 | 50 | 0.8 | 4238m | 3890m | 10mins | 1.1 | Successfully flight, and recovery, 2 small periods of float around 4km, payload recovered 20miles north west of salisbury |
| PicoAtlas VI MK3 | 11/04/12 | 33.3g | 1×92 | 60 | 1.0 | - | 4500 | 8400 | - | Lost contact over the North Sea however was heard at 1830UTC briefly suggesting 7hrs + of float |
| PicoChu-5 | 21/04/12 | 55g | 1×92 1×79 | 90 | 0.8 - 7.1 | 5319m | - | - | 1.5 | Very unusual flight, payload was sucked into a thunderstorm cell and gained an ascent rate upto 7m/s at one point, failed to achieve float, landed on the MOD target range for tanks on salisbury plain, payload lost. |
| BONZO1 | 07/05/12 | 100g | 3×92 | >90 | 540m | - | - | Short flight to test tracker HW. Assume overinflation od balloons, resulting in at least one early burst. Payload recovered less than 20km away, with two bursts. |