BALLOONISTS WAIT FOR BREAK IN WEATHER TO START JOURNEY.

Byline: Romy Jacobson Daily News Staff Writer

Mojave pilot Dick Rutan and Albuquerque balloonist Dave Melton expect stable weather conditions for the beginning of their round-the-world balloon trip, scheduled to start in New Mexico at 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Rutan and Melton had hoped to launch the huge helium balloon today, but changed plans when Albuquerque weathermen forecast winds up to 10 mph, twice the safe level for their 17-story-tall Global Hilton craft.

``We need pretty dead calm conditions,'' said project spokesman Patrick Barry. ``Once we're upright and cut them loose, the track is excellent.''

The two men will live inside a hermetically sealed capsule, 8 feet in diameter, insulated with foam to protect them from outside temperatures as cold as 55 degrees below zero.

They plan to carry Heater Meals that can be cooked with steam, snacks and enough drinking water to use up to one gallon per day, according to Barry.

The balloon will weigh about 12,000 pounds when launched and is expected to reach speeds of 100 to 200 mph in the jet stream at altitudes of 32,000 to 36,000 feet. The balloon could reach 50,000 feet by the end of the journey that is expected to last nine to 14 days, according to Barry.

``We're pressurized and can fly above weather,'' Barry said. ``Our whole design is to fly above the weather.''

The balloon is equipped with a backup high-pressure oxygen system that can be activated if the pressurized cabin malfunctions above 25,000 feet. If pressure is lost below 25,000 feet, cabin windows can be opened to let in oxygen.

Rutan, 59, made aviation history with co-pilot Jeana Yeager in 1986 by flying his twin-engine Voyager aircraft around the world, nonstop and without refueling.

Melton, 39, is a member of the Albuquerque ballooning community and made several world-flight attempts as a member of the Earthwinds Hilton crew in 1993 and 1994.

Rutan and Melton are interested in the progress of the world distance record holder, Steve Fossett, who began a solo journey Dec. 31, but they are more concerned about final preparations for their own departure, Barry said.

On Sunday afternoon, Fossett and his balloon, Solo Spirit, were 225 miles northeast of Istanbul, Turkey, over the Black Sea, traveling east at 26 miles per hour at an altitude of 23,000 feet. He has flown about 5,000 miles so far.

The Global Hilton project is funded by Pepsi-Cola, Hilton Hotels and the hotel corporation's chairman, Barron Hilton. Project updates will be posted on the Internet at www.hilton.com, and radio reports from the crew can be monitored by calling (900) BALLOON.