A "sky lantern" is a small hot-air balloon made of (usually) white paper, with a small burner to provide heat.

The BorgCo "stealth" sky lantern is made of matt black paper or plastic, and the heat source is a low-signature fuel such as hexamine, metaldehyde or "sterno". As a result, when released into the night sky, the device is almost invisible, rising rapidly out of sight.

Purchasers may also be interested in two optional extras offered by BorgCo; either a set of black metalized streamers, designed to give the device a radar echo totally out of proportion to its size - guaranteed to disrupt air traffic control over a wide area; or a neat, lightweight, time-delay thunderflash, which produces an extremely loud detonation in mid-air at a preset time after launch - guaranteed to wake everyone within a five kilometer radius at 0300, yet leaving no evidence of its source.
-- 8th of 7, Sep 12 2011

Quite a litter problem when they land I understand.
-- pocmloc, Sep 12 2011


Not if no-one can see them ...
-- 8th of 7, Sep 12 2011


Are you going to publish the plans and disperse them via flash mob?
-- normzone, Sep 12 2011


...or a flash-less mob even?
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Sep 12 2011


//Make the entire thing combustible and include a cheap altimeter. If it falls below a preselected altitude, the whole thing goes up in smoke, and the altimeter melts into an unrecognizable lump of plastic and metal. This ensures there is little litter and no evidence.// Baked. Aeroflot.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 12 2011



random, halfbakery