Pendulum rides are amusement rides based on the motion of a fixed pendulum

Pendulum

A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced from its resting equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward the equilibrium position...

. These rides consist of an arm attached to an axle. One end of the arm is fitted with a passenger-carrying gondola, while the other is usually fitted with a heavy counterweight

Counterweight

A counterweight is an equivalent counterbalancing weight that balances a load.-Uses:A counterweight is often used in traction lifts , cranes and funfair rides...

. The ride experience consists primarily of swinging back and forth, although some designs incorporate rotating gondolas or allow the ride to invert completely. Pendulum rides are propelled by one of two methods; a series of DC motor

DC motor

A DC motor is an electric motor that runs on direct current electricity.-Brush:The brushed DC electric motor generates torque directly from DC power supplied to the motor by using internal commutation, stationary magnets , and rotating electrical magnets.Like all electric motors or generators,...

s driving the axle, or by wheels underneath the gondola station to push the ride.

Pendulum Rides in Popular Culture

• A spoof of a Pendulum ride was featured in the South Park
  South Park
  South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
  
  episode Cartman Joins NAMBLA
  Cartman Joins NAMBLA
  "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 53rd episode of the series overall...
  
  . During a scene where Kenny's
  Kenny McCormick
  Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
  
   family visits an amusement park, there is a ride called the "John Denver
  John Denver
  Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
  
   Experience". During this ride, a "Magic Carpet" style system slowly lifts the passengers to full ride height, then without warning, flips over and repeatedly slams the passengers into the ground. The ride's finish leaves the passengers submerged upside down in a tank of water. The overture during this is "Leaving On A Jet Plane".

List of rides

Rides that can be considered pendulum rides include:

• Booster (Fabbri ride)
  Booster (Fabbri ride)
  Booster is an amusement park ride made by Fabbri. It is a pendulum ride, similar to the later Speed by KMG...
  
  
• Speed (ride)
  Speed (ride)
  Speed is an amusement ride design produced by the Dutch company KMG. It is commonly referred to as KMG Booster, due to its similarity with the Fabbri Booster ride....
  
  
• Freak Out
  Freak Out (ride)
  A Freak Out is a pendulum-based fairground ride. It is a smaller version of the Afterburner ride; both of which are manufactured by KMG of the Netherlands.The riders sit facing each other on chairs suspended around the bob on the pendulum...
  
  
• Frisbee
  Frisbee (ride)
  The Frisbee is an pendulum-motion amusement ride designed by HUSS Maschinenfabrik. The term is often used to describe similar rides built by other companies.-Design and operation:...
  
  
• Kamikaze
  Kamikaze (ride)
  A Kamikaze is a pendulum amusement ride, usually found as a traveling ride, with some examples found at amusement parks. The ride is manufactured by Far Fabbri & Sartori, and first made its debut in 1984...
  
  
• Pirate Ship
  Pirate ship (ride)
  A pirate ship is a type of amusement ride, consisting of an open, seated gondola which swings back and forth, subjecting the rider to various levels of angular momentum....
  
  
• Ranger
  Ranger (ride)
  A Ranger is a HUSS manufactured inverting pendulum ride, first manufactured in 1981. Many of the design elements were later used in the HUSS Rainbow, and the term 'Ranger' has become synonymous with inverting pendulum rides...
  
  
• Topple Tower
  Topple Tower
  A Topple Tower is an amusement ride produced by HUSS Maschinenfabrik. The ride was designed by Mr. Theo van Orsouw of van Orsouw Amusement Rides Design Service , the Netherlands Patent Pended nr: PCT/EP2002/012698 Nov...