88.01 Balloons and dirigibles; gliders, hang gliders and other non-powered aircraft.
(¥°) BALLOONS AND DIRIGIBLES This group covers lighter-than-air aircraft whatever their intended use (military, sporting, scientific, publicity, etc.). These comprise balloons, free or captive (i.e., moored to the ground by a cable), and mechanically driven dirigibles. This group also includes balloons of the following types, used in aeronautics or meteorology : (1) Sounding balloons. These are used to carry radio sounding instruments to high altitudes. They may weigh up to 4,500 g, but their normal weight varies between 350 and 1,500 g. (2) Pilot balloons. These are released to indicate the speed and direction of wind. Normally they weigh from 50 to 100 g. (3) Ceiling balloons. These are smaller than the balloons in (1) and (2) above and normally weigh 4 to 30 g. They are used to determine cloud height. In most cases balloons used in meteorology are of very thin, high quality rubber allowing a high degree of expansion. Children¡¯s toy balloons are excluded (heading 95.03). They may be distinguished by their inferior quality, short inflation necks and the advertisements or decorations often found on them. (¥±) GLIDERS AND HANG GLIDERS Gliders are heavier-than-air aircraft which stay airborne using atmospheric currents. However, gliders fitted with or designed to be fitted with an engine are classified in heading 88.02. Hang gliders include, in particular, delta wings which enable one or two persons, suspended by a harness, to perform certain aerial manoeuvres. These wings consist of material (generally textile) stretched over a rigid structure, usually tubular and of metal, incorporating a horizontal steering bar in the centre. Other types of hang gliders may be otherwise shaped, but are similar to delta wings in their structure and aerodynamic behaviour. (¥²) OTHER NON-POWERED AIRCRAFT This group includes kites which are heavier-than-air aircraft without mechanical propulsion. Kites are moored to the ground by a line in the same way as captive balloons and may be used, for example, to carry meteorological instruments. Kites clearly designed as toys are excluded (heading 95.03). The heading also excludes models, whether or not built accurately to scale, used, for example, for decoration (e.g., heading 44.20 or 83.06), for purely demonstrational purposes (heading 90.23), or as toys or models for recreational purposes (heading 95.03).
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