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Swing ride

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused withPendulum ride.
A Chair-O-Planes ride with a tilting top
A woman on a swing ride at theOktoberfestinMunich,Germany
Video of "Slänggungan" atLiseberg,Gothenburg,Sweden
Chair-O-Planes or "Kettenkarussell" (chain-carousel) at theRoonkarker Martfair, Germany
Around the World

Theswing rideorchair swing ride(sometimes called aswing carousel,wave swinger,yo-yo,waver swinger,Chair-O-Planes,Dodoorswinger) is anamusement ridethat is a variation on thecarouselin which the seats are suspended from therotatingtop of the carousel. On some versions, particularly on the Wave Swingers, the rotating top of the carousel also tilts for additional variations of motion.

History

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Hollycombe Steam Collectionhas a chair-o-planes adapted from a bomb damaged roundabout in 1944.[1]

A Chair-O-Planes premiered inGermanyin 1972, designed byZiererand built byFranz Schwarzkopf,brother ofAnton Schwarzkopf.In 1974 the first portable unit debuted under the same partnership. Since then Zierer has built about 200 units.[2]Other manufacturers have followed creating their own versions of the Chair-O-Planes, includingZamperla,Chance Rides,Grover Watkins,Bertazzon,Preston & Barbieri,Vekoma,andSanoyas Hishino Meisho.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

In the late 2000s,Austrianmanufacturer Funtime developed the world's first tower swinger, known as theStar Flyer.[8]Mondialfollowed with theirWindSeeker,resulting in a lawsuit between the two companies.[9][10]Zamperla also sells a Vertical Swing.[11]

Locations

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Europe

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Austria

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The Prater Turm located in the Wurstelprater inViennaopened in 2010 at a height of 117 metres (384 ft).

Denmark

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TheStar Flyer,located inTivoli Gardens,Copenhagen,affords sweeping views of the city's historical centre. The Swing Carousel also located in Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen.

France

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Les Chaises Volantes inWalibi Sud-Ouestis a Zierer model from 1987 which was relocated to the park in 1992.

Germany

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In Germany, swing rides are often found onfairs,Volksfestslike theOktoberfestandtraveling funfairs.But swing rides are also common inamusement parks.Most of the German swing rides are from Zierer.

Some of these include:

Italy

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InItaly,most swing rides travel withfairs.The ride is called "Seggiolini volanti"(" Flying chairs ") or"calcinculo",which literally means" kick in the bottom ". Two people sit in contiguous seats, and the one sitting behind kicks or pushes their partner higher in the air, in order to reach a" tail "suspended beyond normal reach at a point in the ride's rotation. Any individual who manages to grab the tail wins a free ride.[12]

Netherlands

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Attractiepark Slagharenlocated the same Chair-O-Plane as Loundoun Castle.

Some Swing rides in the Netherlands:

Norway

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Sverrehusken a Wellenflieger at TusenFryd (Norway) in 2011

The second-largest amusement park within theNordic countriesisTusenfryd(lit. “daisies” ), located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) outside the capital cityOslo, Norway.Tusenfryd features a Wellenflieger calledSverrehusken( “swear the chairs” ) that has been in-operation since 1988. Sverrehusken was the first ride of its kind in the Nordic countries.

AtKongeparken(lit. ‘the royal park’), located 10 km outside the third-largest city in Norway,Stavanger,is a Wellenflieger namedSpinnvidle( “spin-wheel” ) that has been in-operation since 2012. Spinnvidle is the first of its kind in Norway with double seats.

Sweden

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TheSwedishname for Swing ride isSlänggungaorKättingflygare.AtGröna Lund,Stockholm,a swing ride with the name "Eclipse" can be found. With its 121.9 metres (400 ft), it shares the "world's second tallest" title withSkyScreamerin Texas, North America.[13][14]

The biggest amusement park inthe Nordic countriesisLiseberg,in Sweden's second largest cityGothenburg.Liseberg is the home of a Swing ride named "Slänggungan".

Spain

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United Kingdom

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Monkey Swinger with water fountains atChessington World of Adventures

Loudoun CastleTheme Park in Scotland claimed that its moon-shaped ride, "The Plough", was the largest Chair-O-Plane in the world. The Plough was originally called Apollo 14 and was owned by the Bembom family, operating in theirPonypark Slagharenin the Netherlands during the late seventies. It had gondolas travelling around the outside of the ride. When moved toDreamlandin England (then called "Bembom Brothers" ), it was reconstructed into a Chair-O-Plane and named Heatwave. Leaving Dreamland, it opened in Lightwater Valley in 1998 where it operated until 2003 when Henk Bembom moved Heatwave to his new park, Loudoun Castle, where it was renamed "The Plough" and painted green. The park has been closed since 2010.

Until 2016, there was a Chair-O-Plane ride atAlton TowersinStaffordshire.CalledTwirling Toadstoolit was set in a fantasy themed area of the park called Cloud Cukoo Land, it was themed as a giant mushroom. This was formerly themed as a prehistoric dinosaur-type ride and located in an area called Ug Land.

You can also find a Chair-O-Plane atCarters Steam Fairwhich is one of the largest vintagetravelling funfairsincluding some steam driven rides. Their ride's past is a little patchy but is thought to have been built in Germany in the 1920s and imported to Britain with a blank canvas. It's generally the case thatBritishroundabouts run clockwise, whereas theirContinentalandAmericancounterparts run anti-clockwise. The Chair-o-Plane certainly runs the right direction to be a British-built ride, but it may have been adapted by an early owner.

Adventure Islandhas a Chair-O-Plane called Archelon, which was themed tothe extinct species of turtle of the same name.

Chessington World of Adventuresis home to a monkey-themed Chair-O-Planes, named the "Monkey Swinger", that squirts water at riders. This formerly had a theme based onBilly WhizzofThe Beano.

Paultons Parkis also home to a Chair-O-Planes called "The Sky Swinger". This ride opened in 2008 and is aZierermodel.

Butlinsis home to three Chair-O-Planes, one at each site, located atButlins Minehead,Butlins Bognor Regis,andButlins Skegness.Butlins Mineheadis home to a Zierer Wave Swinger, and the other two resorts manufacturers are unknown.

North America

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Wave Swingerride atPlayland, Vancouver,BC, Canada.
The Gunslingerride atSix Flags Over Texas.
The 301-footWindSeekeris found at severalCedar Fairparks; above is atCedar Point,Lake Erie,Sandusky, OH.
DC Super-Villains Swingis located at severalSix Flagsparks; pictured is ofSix Flags Great America,Gurnee, IL.

Most of the traditional-style swing carousel rides in North America are found in amusement parks, as well as at many seasonal fairs and carnivals. They are usually made by Zierer (which calls the ride ‘Wave Swinger’), although some are made by Bertazzon (which calls the ride ‘Swing Carousel’) or Zamperla (which calls it ‘Flying Carousel’ or ‘Lollyswings’).

In recent years, many American amusement parks have opened towering (and considerably more thrilling) models, such as theWindSeeker(byMondial) or theSky Screamer(bySNS). These high-thrill swing rides are normally a minimum of 100 feet (30.48 m) tall, with several even surpassing 200’ (60.96 m). The Texas and New England Six Flags parks have Sky Screamers measuring 400’ (121.92 m).

North American swing rides include:

South America

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Asia and Oceania

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Australia

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New Zealand

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  • Chair-o-Plane – Mahons Amusements (Carnival Ride Operator)

Malaysia

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Spinner had dismantled when the Genting Outdoor Theme Park closed since 1 September 2013 to make way for the world's first20th Century Fox World,which was completed by 2021.

Africa

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South Africa

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TheMetalocalypseepisode "Motherklok" features a Wave Slinger.

A Chair-O-Planes is featured on the cover ofDave Matthews Band's 1994 albumUnder the Table and Dreaming.The liner note credit lists the site of this photo asSandusky, Ohio,which is the location ofCedar Point.

InJohn Updike's short story "You'll Never Know Dear How Much I Love You" he mentions a WhirloGig.

At the end of theLilo & Stitch: The Seriesepisode "Short Stuff", Experiment 297, a crab-like alien who was accidentally enlarged by his creatorJumba Jookiba's growth ray and given the name "Shortstuff", has the ability to swivel his body from the waist up. He was allowed to stay at his enlarged size by being employed as a living swing ride for a carnival as his "one true place".[15]

The 2022 film, Swing-Ride (Italiantitle: 'Calcinculo'), directed by Chiara Bellosi, is a coming of age story set in the world of travelling fairs. It recounts the friendship between a young girl seeking to escape her family and atransgirlfrom a family ofshow people.Its title is a play on the Italian name for Swing-Rides (Calcinculo"kick up the arse" ), and refers both to the ride and to the blows and setbacks that girls receive during adolescence.[16]

References

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  1. ^"Steam Chair-o-Planes".hollycombe.co.uk.Hollycombe Working Steam Museum.Retrieved1 July2024.
  2. ^abDavid Burton."Waveswinger".Amusement Ride Extravaganza web site.RetrievedJune 12,2010.
  3. ^"Family Swinger".Zamperla.Retrieved21 November2011.
  4. ^"Midi Family Swinger".Zamperla.Retrieved21 November2011.
  5. ^"Yo-yo".Chance Rides.Retrieved24 March2012.
  6. ^"Swinger".The Flat Joint.Retrieved21 November2011.
  7. ^"Star Flyer".Funtime.Retrieved21 November2011.
  8. ^Jackson, Tom (25 August 2010)."Cedar Fair says patent dispute won't halt development of new rides".Sandusky Register.Retrieved21 November2011.
  9. ^Jackson, Tom (18 August 2010)."Ride wars at Cedar Point?".Sandusky Register.Retrieved21 November2011.
  10. ^"Vertical Swing".Zamperla.Retrieved21 November2011.
  11. ^Dell'Acua, Silvio."Calcinculo".Laputa.it.Retrieved30 July2023.
  12. ^"Eclipse".Retrieved13 June2013.
  13. ^"SkyScreamer".Retrieved13 June2013.
  14. ^"Short Stuff".Lilo & Stitch: The Series.Season 1. Episode 29. January 2, 2004.Disney Channel.
  15. ^Finos, Arianna (13 February 2022)."Berlinale, 'Calcinculo', la fiaba di Chiara Bellosi:" È come un universo che si espande "".La Republicca.Retrieved30 July2023.
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