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Rush (Thorpe Park)
Encyclopedia
Rush is a ride at Thorpe Park
in Chertsey
, Surrey
. It is S&S Power
's, and, along with Slammer
was the park's new attraction for the 2005 season. At the time of opening, it was the tallest ride of its type in the world.
had been removed. It was originally meant to have four air tanks, instead of two. It took around 4 months to construct and test.
's and at the bottom, positive forces of up to 3.5 G. After 4 swings at its full height, the ride slows down quickly to a stop.
The ride experience is enhanced by the fact that it has a lap bar instead of the over the shoulder restraints. This gives riders more freedom and feel more exposed. The ride is powered by compressed air which makes the ride extremely loud. Some guests feel the noise adds to the experience but it has been criticised due to the noise as well.
The ride can also run on one swing if the park is quiet or if the other is not working.
The capacity with one swing is 375 riders per hour, with two swings 750 riders per hour.
. The incident was caught on film and posted on YouTube. The fallen part was re-made and re-fitted and new platforms were built. The ride was covered in scaffolding for a week whilst being fixed and re-opened shortly afterwards.
Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park is a theme park located in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK. It was built in 1979 on the site of a gravel pit which was partially flooded, the intention of creating a water based theme for the park. The park's first large roller coaster, Colossus, was added in 2002...
in Chertsey
Chertsey
Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. It is S&S Power
S&S Power
S&S Worldwide is a company known for its pneumatically powered amusement rides and roller coaster designing.-History:S&S Worldwide was founded by Stan Checketts as S&S Sports, Inc. S&S Sports manufactures bungee jumping and trampoline equipment. S&S Sports was sold in 1996...
's, and, along with Slammer
Slammer (Ride)
Slammer is an S&S Power Sky Swat at Thorpe Park, Chertsey, UK. It is one of only two Sky Swats in the world, alongside Catapult ....
was the park's new attraction for the 2005 season. At the time of opening, it was the tallest ride of its type in the world.
Construction
Construction for Rush started late 2004, after 'Eclipse', the Ferris wheelFerris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
had been removed. It was originally meant to have four air tanks, instead of two. It took around 4 months to construct and test.
Ride Opening
The grand opening for Rush was at midday on 27 May 2005. After testing all through the morning, it opened, only to break down after four ride cycles. It tested for over 1 hour, and reopened again. As the ride has two swings which swing in opposite directions, it is thought the ride needed to close due to the swings falling out of sync, which caused the ride to operate with one swing, meaning it can only hold 16 people per ride.Ride Experience
The ride begins with low swings which gradually get higher. After about 5 swings it reaches its full height of 75 ft (22.9 m) and its top speed of 50 mph. The approximate angle the swings reach is 104 degrees. At the peak of the swing, riders feel strong negative GG-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
's and at the bottom, positive forces of up to 3.5 G. After 4 swings at its full height, the ride slows down quickly to a stop.
The ride experience is enhanced by the fact that it has a lap bar instead of the over the shoulder restraints. This gives riders more freedom and feel more exposed. The ride is powered by compressed air which makes the ride extremely loud. Some guests feel the noise adds to the experience but it has been criticised due to the noise as well.
The ride can also run on one swing if the park is quiet or if the other is not working.
The capacity with one swing is 375 riders per hour, with two swings 750 riders per hour.
2008 Incident
On 27 May 2008, a piece of metal fell from the ride, while it was operating with guests seated. Nobody was injured and the ride stopped immediately and was closed for inspectionInspection
An inspection is, most generally, an organized examination or formal evaluation exercise. In engineering activities inspection involves the measurements, tests, and gauges applied to certain characteristics in regard to an object or activity...
. The incident was caught on film and posted on YouTube. The fallen part was re-made and re-fitted and new platforms were built. The ride was covered in scaffolding for a week whilst being fixed and re-opened shortly afterwards.