Doesn't seem too plausible that a helium craft 20ft in diameter could lift a 6yo boy even if his name is Falcon.

Brian is right...everyone involved are morons.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Someone on another board did the math/physics. Came to the same conclusion.

If it was a setup it explains why they have videocamera footage of the kid getting into the balloon which the cops said they had watched, convincing them the kid was actually in the balloon.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I quickly ran the math (using information on the internet - I also did this on another forum ) and it seemed pretty plausible.

Here's what I did (use at your discretion):

HowStuffWorks approximates the lifting capacity of helium to be about 28 grams per cubic foot.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/helium2.htm


If we approximate the volume as an ellipsoid, I'd guess somewhere between 2000 and 3000 cubic feet (using a length of 20' and a height of 5' with a guess for the width approximately somewhere between 5' and 7'). The equation for volume is in the link.

56000 grams (2000 cubic feet) is ~ 123 lbs lifting capacity, 84000 grams (3000 cubic feet) is ~ 185 lbs capacity.

I haven't redone the numbers with info from my textbooks as I really don't care that much

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1982 240D, sold 9/17/2008
1987 300D TurboW124.133 - 603.960, 722.317 - Smoke Silver Metallic / Medium Red (702/177), acquired 8/15/2009
262,715 and counting

With such footage and the comments by the kid.........somebody might be going to jail.........hopefully.

A moron in jail.........what could be nicer.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI6UONWCq7A

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

I doubt that thing could have gotten very far off the ground with a 6 year old in it. They are pretty heavy! At the very least the box would have easily ripped right off. The balloon might have had the "theoretical lifting capacity" to lift such a weight, but it did not have the structural ability to do so, it would have just ripped apart or away from the box.

I thought it sounded dumb/fake as soon as I saw the article....

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI6UONWCq7A&feature=player_embedded

35 seconds in.

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1961 220b: first project car - sold.
2000 CLK 430: first modern Benz - sold.
2001 CLK 55: OMG the torque!!! - sold
1972 280SE 4.5: Baby Gustav
1991 300TE 4Matic: Gretel the Snow Bunny - sold
1978 300SD: Katz the Free Man - given away
1980 Redhead: Darling Wife

I made no claims whatsoever about the structural might of this device... (I agree that it didn't look to be very well secured)


Ok, so, if neighbors are getting angry because of people drying laundry outside, what about a 20' foil blimp?

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1982 240D, sold 9/17/2008
1987 300D TurboW124.133 - 603.960, 722.317 - Smoke Silver Metallic / Medium Red (702/177), acquired 8/15/2009
262,715 and counting

Oh man... They should get a bill for all the airplanes, helicopters, cops, planes delayed, rerouted, etc. Obviously a publicity stunt. They should do time.

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

Maybe they were hoping they would be the ones to "find" it and then they would slip him back in. Or maybe they would be the ones to "find" him in a field where he miraculously survived (with a parachute or something) and then they would get booked on every talk show in the world. Unfortunately he never made it out of the garage. So nothing to talk about. What could Leno say now, "What was it like sitting in that box in the attic?"...

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

I don't understand what the gain would be?

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Yeah, his brother just happened to be video taping that part and then ran inside to tell his dad that the boy had climbed into the gondola??

I couldn't tell how big or small the thing was while in the sky. I thought it might be twice as big as it was.

Oh well, I got suckered for a bit. A li'l bit - just a li'l bit.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Oops. The Dad's composure sorta slipped also.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

BUSTED

Oh man they should do jail time and be stuck with those plane bills, that is just a waste of everyones time involved.... I can't believe people are this stupid ugh....

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2007 BMW 328XI

Tim Roth would have a field day with this moron.