A new world record for flight altitude in a hot-air balloon - set at 69,852 feet - used special plastic plain bearings in the balloon's pressurized capsule, which was vital to reach these heights.

A conventional hot-air balloon has a large overhead parachute valve, which the pilot opens with a cord if the balloon is required to descend. In this specially-design balloon, the mechanism was accommodated inside the pressurized capsule, where two hand wheels were installed on either side of the pilot’s seat.

The handles are linked to a drum outside the capsule through a shaft mounted with igus’s iglide® plastic plain bearings. The string to operate the parachute valve was wound onto the drum. By winding the hand wheels, the pilot easily...read more