WI: a fighting "Balloon Force"

So I was reading a book on Civil war commanders when I stumbled upon something interesting about a Union "balloon force". I saw that it was more or less just for reconnaissance but I was wonder what if they had started using balloons to fly over the enemy and drop makeshift bombs on them? How would a primitive Air ‘balloon” Force affected the war? Would the Confederates have constructed their own balloons with which to try and bomb Washington and fight the Yankees? How would the Europeans react to Balloon warfare? Would it possibly set of an Arms race or would it simply die down and become one of those peculiar things that people tried out but never caught on?


If the question has been asked before I’m sorry but please don’t be to harsh.
 
Well its intriguing indeed but there might be logical reasons not to do it, namely how weak to enemy fire such warballoons would be, to my (limited) knowledge Hot-Air Balloons aren't terribly fast, are they? Also a case of how much ammunition could one carry?

Very cool idea but I can't say, doesn't look good though in terms of realism.
 
Honestly, hot air balloons aren't that much less viable than WWI aircraft. They're slower, obviously, but can drop hand-made bombs just as well. They could also serve as launching point for rockets, or sharpshooter stations.

While the balloons would clearly get hit a lot, a hot-air balloon can actually take a number of small holes, so long as they stay small.

They're certainly be a novelty rather than a war-changer, like in WWI, but there's no reason why not...and it could make later air power much more employed.
 
It would be very difficult to employ balloons effectively in combat beyond OTL's scouting duties. They're all but impossible to steer, susceptible to any wind, and vulnerable to ground fire if kept low enough for any sort of accurate bombing. In order to be deployed you'd probably need to tether them, which makes them and their ground support troops potentially vulnerable if you want it to drift over enemy lines for bombing. A Parrot Gun or other rifled cannon would be a powerful anti-balloon weapon (one exploding shell could potentially take it down), and crew would be vulnerable to grape or any rifled musket if they drifted low enough. At best they'd be a nuisance weapon. Maybe if the winds are calm enough they could be a workable sharpshooter platform, but you'd need a damned good shot and a lot of luck given the rifle tech.

Also keep in mind that unlike modern balloons with portable burners, these will have to be inflated with hot air from a ground fire and will stay aloft only until that cools. A small brazier may help extend flight time, but the amount of fuel you could carry will be limited.

So, potentially doable, but limited, vulnerable, and impractical. Make an interesting anecdote for some ACW professor.
 
The Chinese invented rockets hundreds of years before. Perhaps rockets can be bolted to the underside of balloons and used to manuever them until the rocket burns out.

Then they've got to attach another rocket to the bottom, in midair. :)
 
How easy would it be to create something resembling a modern burner during the Civil War?

Something based on a brazier might work. Maybe if there's someone pedaling a bicycle-style engine to "blow" hot air upward?
 
How easy would it be to create something resembling a modern burner during the Civil War?

Something based on a brazier might work. Maybe if there's someone pedaling a bicycle-style engine to "blow" hot air upward?
Couldn't some simple fuel source be found fit for the nineteenth century, such as coal gas or kerosene?
 
Couldn't some simple fuel source be found fit for the nineteenth century, such as coal gas or kerosene?

That's possible, but will need some way to control the heat output and it will still have severe weight restrictions.

Modern ones use lightweight clean burning pressurized liquid propane.

Yep...

Mmmmhmmm...
 
That's possible, but will need some way to control the heat output and it will still have severe weight restrictions.

Modern ones use lightweight clean burning pressurized liquid propane.

Yep...

Mmmmhmmm...
I tell you what, even though clean-propane may be the most efficient fuel possible, heavier kerosene may work just fine with a simple burner. A blast valve seems like a simple enough contraption, after all.

Yep.
 
Ahtelyouwhatman daggonkerosceneburnergoodasany getyouuptherepurtyasyoupleez youknowman? Coursewhawithe pricekeepgoin' up an' nothingettinmade intheol' USA anymoreman.
 
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