Winzen Research Inc,

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, Minnesota, created balloons in the 1950s and 1960s that were used by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

in its Projects Helios, Skyhook, and Strato-Lab. Balloons were also sold to the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

for use in

Project Manhigh Project Manhigh was a pre-Space Age military project that took men in Balloon (aircraft), balloons to the middle layers of the stratosphere, funded as an aero-medical research program, though seen by its designers as a stepping stone to space. It ...

and for a secret reconnaissance mission, called Moby Dick, to overfly the Soviet Union.

Otto C. Winzen Otto C. Winzen (1917–1979) was a German-American aeronautics engineer who made significant advances in the materials and construction of high-altitude balloons after World War II. Winzen emigrated to the United States in 1937 and spent time d ...

developed the use of polyethylene resin for plastic balloons. Polyethylene balloons vastly reduced the weight in comparison with previously used rubber materials.

Polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging (plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bott ...

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 The company was created by Otto Winzen and his wife

Vera Simons Vera Simons (1920–2012) was an inventor, artist, and balloonist. She became known in the 1950s and 1960s as a leader in high altitude gas balloon development and exploration, belonging to a group of pioneers known as the "Pre-Astronauts." Ca ...

. 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

polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging (plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bott ...

and build the giant balloons. 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 thick. At , the balloon envelope was the largest that had ever been successfully launched, expanding to 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 tall.

References

{{reflist Balloon manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Minnesota Defunct companies based in Minneapolis American companies established in 1949 Manufacturing companies established in 1949 1949 establishments in Minnesota