Condor (ride)
Encyclopedia
The Condor is the trade name of an amusement ride
sold by HUSS of Bremen, Germany. It was debuted at the 1984 New Orleans World's Fair, under the name "Cyclo Tower".
The Condor has 28 steel-framed gondolas, each equipped with a painted fiberglass shell - frequently to resemble the seats to be an actual bird. The seats hold one or two people seated in each, one sitting behind the other if they decide to ride double. It can accommodate approximately 1,700 riders per hour. The automatic doors on the ride are operated by pneumatic air pressure, and are manually opened and closed during necessary points at the beginning/end of the ride cycle. The ride uses a cable and counterweight system within the tower to assist with the raising and lowering of the rotating assembly.
There is a DC induction motor
located at the end of each arm responsible for rotating the gondolas, as well as three more on the middle lifting structure used for rotation of the entire assembly and travelling the tower. To start the ride, most Condors use a three-button start system - with three buttons required to be hit at the same time to start the cycle. (The operator in the booth uses his or her thumbs on the two buttons located on the panel, while an attendant in a location around the perimeter must be holding that one as well.)
Operators of the ride have option to operate the ride at different speeds and rotation configurations (forward and reverse), with the potential for unique computerized programs on each ride. These unique motions can also be controlled manually. Most Condor installations are park models. An exception is one of the few traveling models left in the world, that being Blume & Wollenschlaeger's "Ikarus-Der-Mythos". The Ikarus was one of the fastest Condors still in operation, and featured different and unique manually operated ride cycles, usually with reverse rotation used. Ikarus was taken off the funfair circuit and put into storage in 2007.
The Condor offers a scenic view combined with an exciting ride cycle, making it one of the most distinctive amusement experiences in the industry. Most recently, in 2007, Huss discontinued the manufacturing of new installations of the ride.
in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Six Flags); Morey's Piers
, Wildwood, NJ; Hersheypark
, Hershey, PA; Six Flags Great America
, Gurnee, IL; Tykkimäki
, Finland Kouvola; La Feria Chapultepec Mágico
, Mexico City, MEX, one at Gardaland as "Ikarus"; Attractiepark Slagharen, Netherlands (operates as "Eagle") and one at The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom
in Queensbury, New York.
Amusement ride
Amusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...
sold by HUSS of Bremen, Germany. It was debuted at the 1984 New Orleans World's Fair, under the name "Cyclo Tower".
The Condor has 28 steel-framed gondolas, each equipped with a painted fiberglass shell - frequently to resemble the seats to be an actual bird. The seats hold one or two people seated in each, one sitting behind the other if they decide to ride double. It can accommodate approximately 1,700 riders per hour. The automatic doors on the ride are operated by pneumatic air pressure, and are manually opened and closed during necessary points at the beginning/end of the ride cycle. The ride uses a cable and counterweight system within the tower to assist with the raising and lowering of the rotating assembly.
There is a DC induction motor
Induction motor
An induction or asynchronous motor is a type of AC motor where power is supplied to the rotor by means of electromagnetic induction. These motors are widely used in industrial drives, particularly polyphase induction motors, because they are robust and have no brushes...
located at the end of each arm responsible for rotating the gondolas, as well as three more on the middle lifting structure used for rotation of the entire assembly and travelling the tower. To start the ride, most Condors use a three-button start system - with three buttons required to be hit at the same time to start the cycle. (The operator in the booth uses his or her thumbs on the two buttons located on the panel, while an attendant in a location around the perimeter must be holding that one as well.)
Operators of the ride have option to operate the ride at different speeds and rotation configurations (forward and reverse), with the potential for unique computerized programs on each ride. These unique motions can also be controlled manually. Most Condor installations are park models. An exception is one of the few traveling models left in the world, that being Blume & Wollenschlaeger's "Ikarus-Der-Mythos". The Ikarus was one of the fastest Condors still in operation, and featured different and unique manually operated ride cycles, usually with reverse rotation used. Ikarus was taken off the funfair circuit and put into storage in 2007.
The Condor offers a scenic view combined with an exciting ride cycle, making it one of the most distinctive amusement experiences in the industry. Most recently, in 2007, Huss discontinued the manufacturing of new installations of the ride.
Locations
There are several Huss Condor locations throughout the world, including one at Marineland in Niagara Falls, La RondeLa Ronde (amusement park)
La Ronde is an amusement park in Montreal, owned and operated by Six Flags. It is the largest in the province of Quebec and the second largest in Canada after Canada's Wonderland, with about 2.5 million guests in 2006...
in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Six Flags); Morey's Piers
Morey's Piers
Morey’s Piers is a seaside amusement park located in Wildwood, New Jersey. It started when Morey brothers, Will and Bill bought two boardwalk lots in North Wildwood at 25th and 26th streets. They called it Surfside Pier and opened in the summer of 1969 with a giant fiberglass slide called the Wipe...
, Wildwood, NJ; Hersheypark
Hersheypark
Hersheypark is an amusement park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, near the Hershey Chocolate Factory.Hersheypark was opened on April 24, 1907 as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company, an American confectionery company. Later, the company decided to open the park to the...
, Hershey, PA; Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
, Gurnee, IL; Tykkimäki
Tykkimäki
Tykkimäki is an amusement park in Kouvola, Finland. It has 30 different rides, along with some restaurants and kiosks. A camping site and Lake Käyrälampi are located near Tykkimäki....
, Finland Kouvola; La Feria Chapultepec Mágico
La Feria Chapultepec Mágico
La Feria Chapultepec Mágico is an amusement park in Mexico City, Mexico. Located in Chapultepec Park, it opened in 1964 as Juegos Mecánicos de Chapultepec and was operated by the Mexican government...
, Mexico City, MEX, one at Gardaland as "Ikarus"; Attractiepark Slagharen, Netherlands (operates as "Eagle") and one at The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom
The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom
The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom is an amusement and waterpark located in Queensbury, New York. It is advertised as being located in Lake George, New York...
in Queensbury, New York.
External video
- An on-ride video of Morey's Piers' Condor in Wildwood, NJ
- Blume & Wollenschlaeger's 'Ikarus-Der-Mythos' at a fair in Tilburg, Germany
- A combination of on-ride and external shots of Morey's Piers' Condor