Hot air balloon
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of two parts: a bag (or envelope) containing heated air, and a gondola or wicker basket attached to it. The basket holds not only the passengers, but also the source of heat, usually an open flame caused by burning liquid propane,[1] and at times fueled by coal gas.[2] Though they have seen military applications during its history, presently, hot air balloons are mostly used recreationally.[1]
Specific designs[edit | edit source]
Celestial Chariot[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Celestial Chariot
Built in 1725 by the Zhang Wei Union's engineer Yun Pyeong-Gyu with the assistance of Xialun Qing, the Celestial Chariot was inspired by Chinese sky lanterns.[3] Differing from later iterations of hot air balloons in that it was fueled by Greek fire, which allowed it to remain in the air for longer periods of time in exchange for increased risk of the pilot's demise, the original Celestial Chariot's first—and only—flight was operated by Qing, who used it to mark the locations of enemy encampments on Monkey Island. A sudden gust of wind caused the Greek fire inside the balloon to spill,[3] forcing her to parachute to safety.[4]
A second version, dubbed the "Celestial Chariot Mk. 2", soon followed, with the burner being installed above the balloon's basket and the frame reinforced for structural integrity, allowing the balloon to carry up to three people at once. It was used by the Union to infiltrate Fort San Pedro, this time operated by Edward Kenway, Shimazu Saito, and John Young.[5]
A third version came about following the death of Xialun Qing in the Sultanate of Sulu.[6] The balloon's dismantled components were smuggled into the city of Yangon, Burma, and assembled by Yun, allowing Edward and Saito to get closer to and infiltrate the Shwedagon Pagoda in search of a Piece of Eden.[7]
Montgolfière[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Montgolfière
Invented in the 1780s by French brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, the Montgolfière was a balloon made of silk lined with paper and held together with buttons. Inspired by the then-recent attempted Siege of Gibraltar, Joseph built a box-like chamber out of thin wood and covered it with taffeta. When he burned paper beneath the device, it quickly rose to the ceiling. He wrote to Jacques-Étienne, requesting a supply of taffeta and cordage, and together they built a second fabric-covered craft, scaled up by three.[8]
The hot air balloon was first tested on 14 December 1782 and the lifting force was so powerful that the brothers lost control of the vessel, which floated over a mile before landing, where it was destroyed by passersby. The first public demonstration was held on 4 June 1783, in Annonay, in front of a group of dignitaries. The balloon's flight lasted ten minutes, reached an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet, and covered 1.2 miles.[8]
On 31 October 1792, following the assassination of the French Templar Marie Lévesque, the French Assassin Arno Dorian met with Élise de la Serre to escape, only to be chased by a large group of guards to a presentation of a Montgolfière. Though the professor presenting the Montgolfière explained that older models like it were "entirely at the mercy of the breeze" and the current winds were far too strong for a ride to be safe, Élise climbed into the basket while Arno cut the ropes holding the balloon down. Élise drifted away while Arno chased down the balloon on the rooftops, being shot at by snipers along the way. Eventually, he managed to jump aboard, with the pair sharing a romantic moment aboard the vessel.[9]
Émilie du Châtelet[edit | edit source]
During the Franco-Prussian War, as Paris was besieged by the Prussian army, a hot air balloon was manufactured out of emerald silk that had been sitting in a warehouse for 20 years. Stiched up in the Gare du Nord by seamstresses protected against the arsenic dye, it was named after French mathematician and philosopher Émilie du Châtelet and was employed by the Assassin Simeon Price as a way to get out of the city and make his way to the Templar-controlled city of Tours. He was accompanied by the pilot Lebrun, unbeknownst to Price a Templar who was in possession of the Ankh. As the Templar tried to kill him, the Assassin got the upper hand and threw him from the ballon. Later, Price was forced to jump from the basket as the balloon went down quickly.[2]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook (first mentioned)
- Assassin's Creed: Unity (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot
- Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Hot air balloon on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 17
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 60
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 61
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 68
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 91
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 97
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook – Historic Personage Sheets: Montgolfier brothers
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Unity – The Escape
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