Rotor (ride)

The Rotor is an amusement ride designed and patented by

German engineer Ernst Hoffmeister in 1948. The ride was
first demonstrated at Oktoberfest 1949 and still appears in
numerous amusement parks. The Rotor is a large, upright
barrel, rotated to create an inward acting centripetal force
supplied by the wall's support's force. Once at full speed, the
floor is retracted, leaving the riders stuck to the wall of the
drum.

Interior of the Rotor at Luna Park Sydney.

History The ride is in mid-cycle, and the riders
are stuck to the wall of the barrel by the
The Rotor amusement ride was designed and patented by force of friction combined with their
German engineer Ernst Hoffmeister in 1948. It was first inertia. The yellow lines on the barrel wall
demonstrated at Oktoberfest 1949,[1] and was exhibited at indicate the level the floor is at during
fairs and events throughout Europe, during the 1950s and different points of the ride; the higher line
is level with the floor when the ride
1960s. The ride still appears in select amusement parks in
begins.
Europe, although travelling variants have been surpassed by
the Gravitron.

Design and operation

The Rotor is a large, upright barrel, rotated at 33 revolutions per
minute. The rotation of the barrel creates an inward acting
centripetal force supplied by the wall's support's force, equivalent
to almost 3 g. Once the barrel has attained full speed, the floor is
retracted, leaving the riders stuck to the wall of the drum. At the
end of the ride cycle, the drum slows down and gravity takes over.
The riders slide down the wall slowly. Most Rotors were
1:30
constructed with an observation deck.
Video of Finnish Fling operating at
Although Hoffmeister was the designer, most Rotors were
Worlds of Fun in 2015
constructed under license. In Australia, the Rotors were built by
Ted Hopkins of Luna Park Milsons Point. In the United States, two
main companies were responsible for production; the Velare Brothers and the Anglo Rotor
Corporation. A dispute between these two companies was resolved when the construction rights to
touring Rotors were assigned to the Velare Brothers, while permanent-standing Rotors (later
becoming known as Chance Rotors) became the domain of ARC.

Appearances
Australia – Three Rotors were built in Australia based on
Hoffmeister's design. All had been demolished or destroyed by
the 1990s, although a slightly redesigned Rotor was rebuilt for
Luna Park Sydney in 1995, which is still in operation.
United States – Several Rotors have been constructed in the
United States, since the 1960s. There is only one known fixed
location Rotor currently in operation in the United States,
which is an SDC Model ride. It operates at Canobie Lake Park
in Salem, New Hampshire ("Turkish Twist"). A standard
Chance model Rotor still stands at Sylvan Beach Amusement Facade of Rotor at Luna Park
Park in Sylvan Beach, New York, but has not operated since
Sydney
the 2018 season. A traveling Chance Rotor travels with Kissel
Entertainment, but no longer features the dropping floor.[2]

Past appearances
Adventureland (Known as "Silly Silo", active 1974 – 2013), Altoona, Iowa
AstroWorld (known as the "Barrel of Fun" 1971 – 1979), Houston, Texas
Battersea Fun Fair, London
Boblo Island (circa 1980s), Ontario, Canada
Canadian National Exhibition (circa 1980's), Toronto, Ontario
Carowinds (1973-1980s, known as "The Oaken Bucket")
Cedar Point (circa 1960s – circa 1970s), Sandusky, Ohio
Coney Island (1970 – 1971), Cincinnati, Ohio
Conneaut Lake Park (known as the "Hell Hole" 1976 – 1992), Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania
COSI Columbus (1999 – 2011), Columbus, Ohio
Crystal Beach Park (circa 1960s), west of Fort Erie, Ontario
Elitch Gardens (known as the "Mine Shaft" 1989 – 1998), Denver, Colorado
Euclid Beach Park [1957 – 1969] [Cleveland], Ohio
Fantasy Island (known as "Devil's Hole" active 1975 – 1993), Grand Island, New York
Frontier City (relocated from Six Flags Over Texas, known as the Terrible Twister from 1992 to
2014, when it was renamed Tumbleweed. 1992 – 2019)
Geauga Lake (1981 – 1999), Aurora, Ohio
Great Escape (1983 – circa 1990s) Queensbury, New York
Hersheypark (1970 – 1994[3]), Hershey, Pennsylvania
Kennywood – three different rides (1955 – 1958; 1965 – 1972;[4] 1988 – 1994), West Mifflin,
Pennsylvania
Kings Dominion Time Shaft (1979 – 1995), Doswell, Virginia
Kings Island (1972 – 1982), Mason, Ohio
 Lagoon Amusement Park (1972 – circa 1990), Farmington, Utah
Lake Compounce (closed in 2010), Bristol, Connecticut
Lakeside Amusement Park (1990s – 2005), Denver, Colorado
Nottingham Goose Fair (Mid 1950s to mid 1970s)
Old Chicago (1975 – 1980), Bolingbrook, Illinois
Old Indiana (circa 1980s?), Thorntown, Indiana
Pacific Ocean Park (1960 – 1967) Santa Monica, California
Palace Playland (closed circa mid-1990s), Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Paragon Park (closed 1984), Nantasket Beach, Hull, Massachusetts
The Pike (circa 1960s – 1979 opened as "Rotor", Long Beach, California
Playland Amusement Park (circa 1970s) Ocean City, Maryland
Pontchartrain Beach (1963 – 1983), New Orleans, Louisiana
Riverview Park (Chicago) (1952–1967)
Six Flags Great America (known as Cajun Cliffhanger, opened 1976 and closed in 2000 due to an
accident when two girls were injured on the ride, Gurnee, Illinois.)
Six Flags Magic Mountain (1971 – 2008 "Spin-out" custom wood enclosure and observation
deck), Valencia, California
Six Flags New England (removed after 1998 season), Agawam, Massachusetts
Six Flags Over Georgia Was called the "Spindle Top" (removed), Atlanta, Georgia
Six Flags Over Texas "Spindletop" (1967 – 1989), Arlington, Texas
Six Flags St. Louis (Known as "Tom's Twister" active 1972 – 2005), Eureka, Missouri
Wicksteed Park, Kettering, Northamptonshire
Worlds of Fun (Known as "Finnish Fling", active 1973 – 2017[5]), Kansas City, Missouri

In popular culture
A scene in The 400 Blows depicts Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud) riding a Rotor. Director
François Truffaut is among the other riders.
The 2006 film Candy's opening scene features actors Abbie Cornish and Heath Ledger riding the
Rotor in Sydney's Luna Park, while actor Geoffrey Rush watches them from above.
In the 1976 television series Charlie's Angels, the heroines capture a criminal by trapping him into
a Rotor ride and turning it on; as such, he became stuck to the wall and couldn't escape.
In the season 4 The Cleveland Show episode "Spins, Pins, and Fins!", after breaking into an
abandoned amusement park, Cleveland, Lester, Holt, and Tim become trapped while riding the
park's Rotor after Lester, who was supposed to be operating the ride, jumps into the ride to join
the rest of his friends.

See also
Gravitron
Round Up (ride)
 O'Neill cylinder

References
1. Canfield, Victor (2 July 2015). "Rotors" (http://personal.psu.edu/users/v/a/vac3/rotors.html).
Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
2. "Big Kahuna" (https://kisselentertainment.com/rides/byid/62).
3. Michelson, Harry (9 December 2018). "A Brief History of the Rotor" (https://amusementparkives.co
m/2018/12/09/a-brief-history-of-the-rotor/). The Amusement Parkives. Retrieved 7 December
2020.
4. "Park Is Ready For Opry Month". The Pittsburgh Press. April 30, 1965. p. 14. "Beginning Sunday
an old favorite, the Rotor, will be at the amusement center, brought back by requests."
5. Sloan, Nick (2017-10-18). "Worlds of Fun announces closing of Finnish Fling" (http://www.kctv5.co
m/story/36631064/worlds-of-fun-announces-closing-of-finnish-fling). KCTV 5 News. Retrieved
2018-04-30.

Sources
Marshall, Sam (2005). Luna Park – Just for fun (2nd ed.). Sydney, Australia: Luna Park Sydney
Pty Ltd. ISBN 0-646-44807-2.
Historical information boards located at Luna Park Sydney
François Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959)

External links
Belgian Rotor page at rotorsensation.com (https://www.rotorse
nsation.com/)

Rotor page at Ride-Extravaganza.com (https://www.ride-extrav

aganza.com/intermediate/rotor/)

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