Hot Air Balloon
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This is an experimental weapon that The Mechanist developed for the Fire Nation. It is a primitive version of a hot air balloon, also known as War Balloon. The Mechanist had difficulty figuring out how to control the balloon, but with Sokka's help, they finally got it working. The key was creating a small valve in the top of the balloon that allows the pilot to control the hot air, thereby controlling the up and down movement of the balloon.
During the "The Northern Air Temple", the Mechanist and Sokka used this war balloon against Fire Nation soldiers attempting to invade the Northern Air Temple by dropping bombs on them. They then used the ship's furnace as an explosive to detonate a gas pocket in a nearby chasm, causing a huge explosion that forced the invaders to retreat. Unfortunately, the balloon was lost after Sokka and the Mechanist were forced to abandon it in mid-flight. It was later captured by War Minister Qin, who stated: "This defeat is the gateway to many victories".
After the failed invasion on the Day of Black Sun, the Fire Nation unleashed a whole armada of these war balloons on the invaders, much to the Mechanist's despair. The balloon technology was adapted for use on the newer and much larger Fire Nation Airships, which were used to trap the invaders by destroying their submarines. After the invasion, Zuko commandeered one of these balloons to track Aang and his friends to the Western Air Temple, but this time to help them, not capture them.
Zuko used the balloon again when he and Sokka traveled to the Boiling Rock Prison to save Sokka's father, Hakoda. Unfortunately, the balloon was destroyed in a crash landing when the intense heat from the surrounding boiling lake equaled that of the balloon's heat and rendered it unable to fly. Sokka then disposed of the wreck in the boiling lake to prevent the prison guards from finding it, where it was lost forever.
It is possible that the Fire Nation has produced dozens more of these ballons. It would seem, however, that the Fire Nation focused its production capacity on the airships instead, as the balloons are not present at later engagements involving the airships.
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