News archive 2008
Albania Open 2008
Last event in year 2008 for our Demo balloon was in Albania. Michael spent exciting time when travelling over 11 countries to visit clients in Balkan countries. Brand new balloon was delivered to Boris in Macedonia. He and his friend Alket (see www.alketislami.com) arranged small balloon event in Tirana. Tethering directly on the main heavy traffic street infront of the exhibition hall was almost same exciting like flight over the city of Tirana.
First Official Representative in the U.S.A.
We were very proud to hand over traditional plaque of Offical Representative confirming his dealership by first sale for Mike Bauwens, Utah. Happened in Albuqerque during memorable 2008 Gordon Bennet ascent.
Current status of the U.S. dealer network you can check at updated U.S. website www.kubicekballoons.us.
Wider range of stock balloons
As we already assumed, our production technology inovations have very positive results. After big price reduction, announced in August, we have added also another advantage for our customers.
In this year we have shortened the delivery time for 2-4 weeks in average which gives us more free capacity for making Cash&Fly balloons, stock envelopes immediately for sale. Therefore you can choose from four envelope designs in three sizes now and new surprises are coming soon! Check the offers, you will find your favourite for sure.
The most beautiful balloon of the season?
Although more and more orders for digitally printed artwork are coming, it cannot replace the handpainted and airbrushed artwork completely. For example when the brush touches are expected, because the motive on the envelope is based on the picture from grand-daughter to her dad-pilot.
And this is the case - balloon s/n 620. More than 500 m2 of hand-painted artwork with flowers and "Admiral" butterfly motive will be flown in Germany to give a pleasure to all spectators (and the dad first of all, of course).
Petr Kubicek is a Czech champion
After some years without a big success on balloon races, Petr Kubicek took a very new racer BB20XR this year and started to compete very seriously. :-) He took part at some competitions abroad to find out how to fly it best and use all the advantages of the envelope. He learned very well, because on first event in Czech Republic, the Czech championship, he astonished all others and became first time the Czech champion. The name Kubicek is again on the highest stage.
New level of fabric inspection
We did another step in improving of production technology. Together with buying a cutting machine, we acquired a new machine into the fabric production. It's inspection machine with automatic rim cutting and classifying of the fabric with electronic recording of quality reports. It means - each, even the smallest fault on the fabric will be found and recorded and we could better use the fabric and cut the panels without problematic places.
Outstanding price drop at Kubicek!
All items pushed down! New items!
Kubicek pressed prices down to stay unbeatable on the market and runs for 100 balloons/year production.
"Beginning of August is a right time to make changes" - it was a decision taken after getting result of first half of the year.
Huge investments from the last years starts to earn money. Another advantage - efficient partnership with Textil Kubicek supplying us with strategic material - balloon fabric. "Let's pass the savings to our clients now!"
5% down in average, some of items for 10% (see big balloons!), some for almost 20% (see racers!).
Again best ratio of price and superb quality from Kubicek! Save your money! Buy nice-priced balloon which will last you longer built of Triumph polyester balloon fabric.
Big deal to Kapadokya Balloons & new big basket
We are proud of big delivery to Kapadokya Balloons in last weeks. Using our new three big envelopes (7.000 m3 and 8.500 m3) Lars and Kaili will be able to carry 40 passengers more.
A part of the delivery was a bottom-end including new type K50Y basket. It is 3 m long, has three "Y" partitions and is designed for 10-12 passengers + pilot. For flying in stony countryside around Kapadokya we equipped this basket with many extras to tough conditions, like vertical skids on side wall, pilot's restraint harness, bottom skids solidification, bar around pilot compartment etc.
In addition to best-serve-to-operation options listed above there is one nice item for passengers. Burner frame roof - glared to shiny mirror effect. Dear ladies, enjoy comfortable makeup applying during the flight.
The tallest special shape from Kubicek
Pilot Yashar Modiri from Sweden (more info watch under www.peakexperience.se) will fly our newest special shape soon! Yellow Santa is the tallest balloon we have ever built! Including Santa's funny cap it is 46,5 m high. It was first great success of our new cutter, details in news from February. 1.850 different parts so fast and easy. And no coffee breaks, no ill kids. :-) Thank you EU for your support - we have to consider seriously price reduction of special shapes under such circumstances.
Volume is 3600 m3, balloon will carry pilot plus 3 or 4 persons. Yes, passengers allowed, Kubicek special shapes are covered by standard Type Certificate since last year. So no restrictions like for experimental machines. Do you recover what Santa keeps in his hand? See www.parlino.se for details. Designers apply special deflation flap parachute in combination with rip panel. Buy a trolley, Yashar, 265 kg is quite a huge bag to pack!
1. Kubíček's Air show
As a right aircraft manufacturer we decided to learn more about flying, including airplanes. We had a good possibility on the airfield in Moravská Třebová to expereince the glider take-off on the winch, then the sighseeing flight or air-acrobatics in sport glider. Aleš Kubíček accepted proposal for a flight in aerobatics aircraft Su-29. Unforgettable experience! Three white balloons Kubicek on the sky finished the challenging afternoon.
Certification in U.S.A. finished
After longer certification process we finally closed the procedure on FAA and received the type certificate for our balloons in U.S.A. By that the U.S. market is opening for us and hopefully we will make a good deal there despite the poor dollar. We also launched a special website for U.S. - www.kubicekballoons.us.
A new eXtreme Racer
We like to introduce a new type from family of our racers - BB20XR. It means extreme racer with non-compromise shape and volume of 2.000 m3 suitable for pilot + copilot/navigator. The certification process is finishing in these days and we are accepting orders for delivery before Worlds 2008 in Austria.
Test pilot comments:
I had a pleasure to fly new racer type, BB20XR. After the 3 years experience with this shape in hands of Sandor Vegh, one of the best pilots in the world, team of Petr Kubicek designed a bigger size for those flying with computerman on board. We already knew, that Sandor flies this balloon in about 10 m/s (2000 ft/min) vertical speed safely. Appeared some improvements on the new product like independent wires to each load tape, increased number of gores to 20, higher nomex mouth and experimental ring of vents around the mouth. We sticked on well experienced safely fixed parachute. With this machine a type test flight was managed on May 7th. Petr Kubicek as a responsible for type and first owner of this nice toy was on board with me. IT FLIES WONDERFUL! We easy reached on full loaded machine excellent preformaces, maximum vertical speed was 9 m/s (1800 ft/min). Calm and stabile, easy to operate, I fell in love with it. I hope Peter enjoyed the flight too and still will a lot in his next competition future.
Michael Suchy
Balloon Jam 2008
In late May twenty balloons have flown on the sky above Brno again as participants of balloon festival Balloon Jam and three white demo balloons from Kubíček factory were not lost among others at all.
Balloon on church tower
Have you ever seen, how is the weather-cock fitted onto the church tower 40 meters high from the balloon basket? Not?
Swiss village Grengiols had this opportunity this year's Whitsunday and after 2 hours of complicated work of pilot and 2 engineers the church has a new cross and a weather-cock on its top.
Balloon: Metalli; Kubicek BB37. Pilot: Patrik Schmidle, our swiss representative. Congratulation, good job.
Original report (in german only) and photo-story.
The biggest basket type from Kubicek - K60
For saison 2008 we prepared again several news - first of them is the biggest basket, which we have ever produced. The new type name is K60, can carry max. 16 passenger (+ pilot of course :-) and is divided into 5 compartments in TT shape as standard.
Beside this we prepared improved version of the burner - Ignis '08 - and other suprises are on the way.
Annual conference in Germany
Last weekend in March we took part again on annual German conference (Freiballonfahrertag - exactly translated to the Day of free balloon pilots), and we did a good promotion with our updated exhibition stand. But the most interesting things took place in the auditorium, where Markus Haggeney, our German representative, was elected for a vice-president of German balloon federation (DFSV). Many congratulations!
News in Kubicek baskets range
- Already longer known sport type K11 was finally included in our TCDS.
- Very new types are K13 and K17. Increasing demand for right-angle-bottom baskets being popular especially in Japan (former T&C style) leads us to decision to offer this nice product to you. Enjoy chic looking new types.
- Swept top shape: although all the types are in flat top version available as standard, types from K12 to K17 are optionally in swept top version for sale now.
New investment into balloon production
To be able to keep pace with present technology level and high quality of production, we decided to invest into the production to make it more effective.
No, we haven't start to build a second hall (although the idea becoming actual), this time we have focused to production technology.
Last week a bulky load arrived to the factory. And what's inside? Yes, correct, it is ... /stay tuned, to be continued/
Update 31.3.: three new photos were added (1, 2, 3). Does anybody already know, what has arrived? /clarifying to be come/
Update 16.4.: after addition of three new photos (1, 2, 3) probably already everybody know, what it is. Just for case that somebody is not sure, the final disclosure will come tomorrow.
Update 17.4.: last 2 photos of our small story (1, 2). Yes, correct. Who thought from very beginning, that it must be a cutting machine (so called cutter) was completely right. We hope not only we, but also you, our customers, will find out all the features and advantages for all of us quickly.
Balloon production increase is not slowing down
We are proud that we can announce a record year in production again. We overcame last increase of 15% and in 2007 went out of the factory together 89 balloons.
Imagine - their total volume is 331.200 m3 (11.695.000 cuft) and we used unbeliveable 111 km of fabric to produce them!
New 3D animated visual!
As a news we offer our customers beside standard "static" visuals also something special. Non-standard animated visual of their next ballon in motion.
What's so revolutionary on it you can best check on a sample of Kubicek Demo balloon.
Visualisation in high resolution [WMV video, 600x400px, 2.52 MB]
New pricelist 2008
As usually, a new pricelist is valid from 1st January. Although is called "new", there are almost no changes inside. Tanks prices are notably decreasing, smooth changes on several accessories (two tanks manifold, 3-rings quick release) and trailers are now improved and more expensive.
Don't miss updated on-line calculator, which was improved itself, is able to recalculate into EUR and is working more automatically now.
