The Frisbee is a type of pendulum amusement ride featuring a circular gondola that rotates as it swings back and forth. Riders are seated on the gondola facing inward or outward, depending on the model. On some models, the entire pendulum makes a full 360 degree swing.

Zamperla's giant discovery model, SpinSpider, at TusenFryd, Norway

Design and operation

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A pendulum is suspended between two support frames. Attached to the base of this pendulum is a circular gondola. Riders are seated in the gondola, facing either inwards or outwards. When the ride cycle starts, the gondola begins to rotate. In addition, the pendulum arm begins to swing through an arc, maxing out between 120° and 360° (full revolution). Most parks require riders to be at least 48 inches (120 cm) tall.

Variants

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Manufacturer Model Riders Seating Swing Height Speed
Chance Rides Revolution[1] 20–32 Inward 120° 16.4 m (54 ft) - 19.6 m (64 ft)
Fabbri Group Boomerang 32 Inward 15 m (49 ft)
Space Jam 24 Inward 22 m (72 ft)
Top Swing 24–30 Outward 110° 24 m (79 ft) 31.4 mph (50 km/h)
HUSS Park Attractions Frisbee 40 Either 180° 20 m (66 ft)
Frisbee XL 40 Outward 260° 36 m (118 ft)
Giant Frisbee 40–50 Outward 240° 43 m (141 ft) 68 mph (110 km/h)
Intamin Gyro Swing[2] 32–40 Outward 240° 25 m (82 ft) 47 mph (75 km/h)
Jiuhua Rides Super Pendulum[3] 54 Outward 220° 26 m (85 ft)
KMG Afterburner (a.k.a. Fireball)[4][5][6] 24 Inward 240° 19.812 m (65.00 ft)
Freak Out (ride) 16 Inward 240° 21 m (69 ft)
XXL 20 Inward 240° 40 m (130 ft)
Luna-Park Rides Extreme 20 Inward 120° 20 m (66 ft)
Mondial Revolution 40–50 Outward 240° 35 m (115 ft) 54 mph (88 km/h)
Moser's Rides Sidewinder 24–40 Outward 240°
Sidewinder 12 12 Outward
SBF Visa Group Dance Party 40 Inward 180°
Maxi Dance Party 24 Outward 240° 27 m (89 ft) 37 mph (59.2 km/h)
Maxi Dance Party 360 24 Outward 360° 33 m
Technical Park Street Fighter 16 Inward 240° 18 m (59 ft)
Street Fighter Revolution 16 Inward 360° 21 m (69 ft)
Typhoon 16–30 Outward 240° 30 m (98 ft)
Typhoon 360 16–30 Outward 360° 33 m (108 ft)
Zamperla Discovery 30 Outward 240° 21 m (69 ft) - 26 m (85 ft)
Discovery Revolution 16–30 Outward 360° 18 m (59 ft) - 30 m (98 ft)
Giga Discovery 40 Outward 260° 52.5 m (172 ft) 75 mph (120 km/h)
Giant Discovery[7] 40 Outward 240° 44.8 m (147 ft) 68 mph (110 km/h)
Mini Discovery 16 Outward 240° 15.5 m (51 ft)
Nitro 20 Inward 200° 15 m (49 ft)

UltraMax

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The UltraMax is a type of amusement ride manufactured by Mondial which is like the HUSS Frisbee however passengers face outwards and are sitting one of the four seats on one of the six gondolas as the ride gets higher momentum and eventually starts going upside down. The ride is built with one arm with two supports and then the arm with the gondolas attached. It also uses the same harness as the ones used on the Top Scans.

Installations

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Pendulus at Pleasure Island, Cleethorpes
 
Celebrants at Octoberfest, some in traditional German dress

* Rotator at Emerald Park does not go full 360° anymore due to people getting sick on it.

Name Park Location Manufacturer Model Opened Status
Apollo Wheel Happy Valley Beijing   China Huss Giant Frisbee Unknown Operating
Aztec Swing Energylandia   Poland SBF Visa Group Maxi Dance Party Unknown Operating
Beach Blaster Belmont Park   United States Chance Rides Revolution 20 Unknown Operating
Beach Party Coney Beach Pleasure Park   United Kingdom KMG Afterburner Unknown Operating
Blizzard Kumdori Land   South Korea Zamperla Discovery Unknown Removed
Crazy Flywheel Jin Jiang Action Park   China Zamperla Discovery Unknown Operating
Discovery Dream Park   Egypt Unknown Unknown Unknown Operating
Discovery Revolution Wiener Prater   Austria Zamperla Discovery Revolution Unknown Operating
Freakout Botton's Pleasure Beach   United Kingdom KMG Freak Out Unknown Operating
Freak Out Poor Jack Amusements   United States KMG Freak Out Unknown Operating
Free Swing Tongdo Fantasia   South Korea Huss Frisbee Unknown SBNO
Frisbee Nagashima Spa Land   Japan Huss Frisbee Unknown Operating
Hurricane Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park   China Beijing Shibaolai Amusement Equipment Unknown Unknown Operating
Side Winder Adventure Island   India Unknown Unknown Unknown Operating
Sonic Twister Galaxyland   Canada Moser's Rides Sidewinder 12 Unknown Removed
Star Frisbee Star City   Philippines Unknown Unknown Unknown Operating
Super Gyro Swing Happy Valley Shanghai   China Intamin Gyro Swing Unknown Operating
The Rattler Camden Park   United States Unknown Unknown Unknown Operating
Hurricane Everland   South Korea Huss Frisbee 1996 Operating
La Máquina Parque de Atracciones de Madrid   Spain Huss Frisbee 1997 Operating
Frisbee Six Flags Fiesta Texas   United States Huss Frisbee 1998 Removed
Tasmanian Devil Six Flags Discovery Kingdom   United States Huss Frisbee 1999 Removed
Tomahawk Six Flags New England   United States Huss Frisbee 1999 Operating
Frisbee Särkänniemi   Finland Huss Frisbee 2000 Removed
Side Kick
Formerly Blazing Saddles
Movie Park Germany   Germany Huss Frisbee 2000 Operating
Tomahawk Walibi Holland   Netherlands SBF Visa Group Dance Party 2000 Operating
Vudú Six Flags México   México SBF Visa Group Dance Party 2000 Removed
Gyro Swing Lotte World   South Korea Intamin Gyro Swing 2001 Operating
Mad Mill Duinrell   Netherlands Huss Frisbee 2001 Operating
Tornado Gyeongju World   South Korea Zamperla Discovery 2001 Operating
Vortex Thorpe Park   United Kingdom KMG Vortex 2001 Operating
Black Fly West Midland Safari Park   United Kingdom Fabbri Group Boomerang 2002 Operating
Boomerang Bosque Mágico Coca Cola   México Fabbri Group Boomerang 2002 Removed
Delirium California's Great America   United States Chance Rides Revolution 32 2002 Operating
Maelstrom Drayton Manor   United Kingdom Intamin Gyro Swing 2002 Operating
Psyclone Canada's Wonderland   Canada Mondial Revolution 2002 Operating
Delirium Kings Island   United States Huss Giant Frisbee 2003 Operating
Dreggen Kristiansand Dyrepark   Norway KMG Afterburner 2003 Removed
Freak Out Barry's Amusements   United Kingdom KMG Freak Out 2003 Removed
La Revolucion Knott's Berry Farm   United States Chance Rides Revolution 32 2003 Operating
Manitou La Ronde   Canada Zamperla Nitro 2003 Operating
The Claw Hersheypark   United States Chance Rides Revolution 32 2003 Operating
Crazy Beach Party Playland   Canada Huss Frisbee 2004 Removed
Eagle's Claw Lightwater Valley   United Kingdom KMG Afterburner 2004 Operating
Giant Frisbee Nagashima Spa Land   Japan Huss Giant Frisbee 2004 Operating
Revolution Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom   United States Chance Rides Revolution 32 2004 operating
Sidewinder Adventureland   United States Moser's Rides Sidewinder 2004 Operating
Sledge Hammer[8] Bobbejaanland   Belgium Huss Giant Frisbee 2004 Operating
SynKope Terra Mítica   Spain Mondial Revolution 2004 Operating
The Claw Dreamworld   Australia Intamin Gyro Swing 2004 Operating
Tondemina Fuji-Q Highland   Japan Huss Giant Frisbee 2004 Operating
Typhoon 360 PowerPark   Finland Technical Park Typhoon 360 2004 Operating
maXair Cedar Point   United States Huss Giant Frisbee 2005 Operating
Frisbee Adventureland   United States Huss Frisbee 2006 Operating
Giant Discovery China Dinosaurs Park   China Zamperla Giant Discovery 2006 Operating
Fandango Knoebels Amusement Resort   United States Moser's Rides Sidewinder 2007 Operating
Flip Flop Flamingo Land   United Kingdom Fabbri Group Top Swing 2007 Operating
Xtreme Frisbee Canobie Lake Park   United States Huss Frisbee 2007 Operating
Super Frisbee Europark Idroscalo Milano   Italy Technical Park Typhoon 2008 Operating
The Rattler Wild Adventures   United States Moser's Rides Sidewinder 2008 Operating
SpinSpider Tusenfryd   Norway Zamperla Giant Discovery 2009 Operating
Vepsen Kongeparken   Norway Fabbri Group Boomerang 2009 Operating
Yukatan Cavallino Matto   Italy Technical Park Typhoon 2009 Operating
Giant Discovery Kaeson Youth Park   North Korea Zamperla Giant Discovery 2010 Operating
Luna 360 Luna Park   United States Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2010 Operating
Super Frisbee Nova Nicolandia   Brazil Technical Park Typhoon 2010 Operating
Svend Svingarm BonBon-Land   Denmark Zamperla Giant Discovery 2010 Operating
Eretic Festyland   France Zamperla Discovery 2011 Operating
Giant Swing Trans Studio Mini Bandung
inside the Transmart Buah Batu Square
  Indonesia Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2011 Operating
It Morey's Piers   United States KMG Afterburner 2011 Operating
Nautilus Drievliet   Netherlands KMG Afterburner 2011 Operating
Black Widow Kennywood   United States Zamperla Giant Discovery 2012 Operating
The Rattler Camden Park   United States Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2012 Operating
Thunder Mirabilandia   Brazil Technical Park Typhoon 2012 Operating
Petir JungleLand   Indonesia Zamperla Discovery 2013 Operating
Scream Machine Adlabs Imagica   India Zamperla Giant Discovery 2013 Operating
SpinCycle Silverwood Theme Park   United States SBF Visa Group Maxi Dance Party 360 2013 Operating
Extreme Supernova Six Flags Great Escape   United States Zamperla Discovery 2014 Operating
Rotator Emerald Park   Ireland SBF Visa Maxi Dance Party 360* 2014 Operating
Stratosfear Rainbow's End   New Zealand Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2014 Operating
Thor's Pendulum Quancheng Euro Park   China Unknown Unknown 2014 Operating
Cyclos Kentucky Kingdom   United States Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2015 Operating
The Beast Playland   Canada KMG XXL 2015 Operating
The Riddler Revenge Six Flags Over Texas   United States Zamperla Giant Discovery 2016 Operating
Mega Swing 360 E-World   South Korea Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2016 Operating
Delirium Kings Dominion   United States Mondial Revolution 2016 Operating
X Särkänniemi   Finland Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2016 Operating
Goliath Adventure World   Australia Intamin Gyro Swing 2017 Operating
Loke Liseberg   Sweden Intamin Gyro Swing 2017 Operating
Sky-Force
Formerly Pendulus
Flambards
Pleasure Island Family Theme Park
  United Kingdom Huss Frisbee 2017
2003 to 2016
Operating
Titan La Ronde   Canada Zamperla Giant Discovery 2017 Operating
Twister Park at OWA   United States Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2017 Operating
Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth Six Flags Discovery Kingdom   United States Zamperla Giant Discovery 2017 Operating
Klake Gyeongju World   South Korea Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2017 Operating
Trompo Loco Barrio Frenezi Cuernavaca   México SBF Visa Group Midi Dance Party 360 2017 Operating
CraZanity Six Flags Magic Mountain   United States Zamperla Giga Discovery 2018 Operating
Harley Quinn Spinsanity Six Flags New England   United States Zamperla Giant Discovery 2018 Operating
Pendulum Dreamland Margate   United Kingdom Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2018 Operating
Trompo Loco Barrio Frenezi Puebla   México Zamperla Midi Discovery 2018 Operating
Patatús Kataplum!   México Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2018 Operating
Big Pendulum Gwangju Family Land   South Korea Unknown Unknown 2018 Operating
Tigeren Djurs Sommerland   Denmark Intamin Gyro Swing 2019 Operating
Axis Adventure Island   United Kingdom SBF Visa Group Maxi Dance Party 360 2019 Operating
Pandemonium Six Flags Over Georgia   United States Zamperla Giant Discovery 2019 Operating
Chaos Waldameer & Water World   United States Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2019 Operating
The Joker: Carnival of Chaos Six Flags Fiesta Texas   United States Zamperla Giga Discovery 2019 Operating
Sea Swinger SeaWorld San Antonio   United States Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2019 Operating
Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth Six Flags Great Adventure   United States Zamperla Giga Discovery 2019 Operating
CraZanity Six Flags Mexico   Mexico Zamperla Giga Discovery 2020 Operating
Harley Quinn Spinsanity Six Flags America   United States Zamperla Giant Discovery 2021 Operating
Cyclonator Paultons Park   United Kingdom Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2021 Operating
AtmosFear Oaks Amusement Park   United States Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2021 Closed until further notice[9]
Sledgehammer Luna Park Sydney   Australia Zamperla Discovery Revolution 2021 Operating
Giant Swing Lotte World Busan   South Korea Zamperla Giant Discovery 2022 Operating
Swingi Linnanmäki   Finland Intamin Gyro Swing 2024 Operating
Sky Striker Six Flags Great America   United States Zamperla Giga Discovery 2024 Under construction
The Joker: Carnival of Chaos Six Flags St. Louis   United States Zamperla Giga Discovery 2024 Under construction
Midway Mayhem
Formerly Revolution
Formerly Pendulum
Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great Adventure
  United States Huss Frisbee 2024
2004 to 2023
1999 to 2003
Under construction

Incidents

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In May 2017, greasing material on a KMG Freak Out ride at Barry's Amusements at Portrush in Northern Ireland was dislodged, causing a loud bang and oil to spray over people and the nearby children's roller coaster. Nobody was injured, but the ride remained closed for the rest of the day whilst park staff investigated.

In July 2017, an 18-year old was killed while riding a KMG Fireball (aka Afterburner) ride that malfunctioned at the Ohio State Fair, sending him flying more than 50 feet in the air. Seven others were injured as well.[10][11] Numerous fairs and exhibitions have either shut down or pulled the Fireball from their attractions in response to the incident. KMG stated that the malfunction was due to a corroded support beam.[12][13]

In June 2019, a Zamperla Discovery Revolution ride named Chaos, located at Waldameer Park in Erie, Pennsylvania malfunctioned, resulting in riders being stuck upside down for several minutes. There were no injuries, and the ride reopened several days later with no subsequent incidents.[14]

In June 2024, the atmosFEAR ride at Oaks Amusement Park, got suspended upside down, trapping 28 riders for about 30 minutes.

References

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  1. ^ "Revolutions". Chance Rides. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Gyro Swing" (PDF). Intamin. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Super Pendulum Pictures and Stats".
  4. ^ Rotondo, Christie (28 July 2011). "Riding 'It' is a hair-raising experience". Shore News Today. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  5. ^ Afterburner (Fahrgeschäft)[circular reference]
  6. ^ "AFTER BURNER". KMG Machinebouw. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  7. ^ McKay, Gretchen (16 December 2011). "Kennywood's newest thrill: Black Widow". Pittsborough Post-Gazette. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Sledge Hammer". Bobbejaanland Nostalgie (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  9. ^ Zane Sparling (June 15, 2024). "More than 2 dozen people stuck for 30 minutes dangling upside down on AtmosFEAR ride at Oaks Park". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  10. ^ "1 Dead, 7 Injured When Fire Ball Ride Flies Apart At Ohio State Fair". HuffPost. 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  11. ^ "Ohio State Fair ride video: Video shows moment Fire Ball ride broke mid-swing, killing 1". WCPO. Scripps Media. 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  12. ^ "Corroded beam caused fatal Ohio State Fair accident, ride maker says".
  13. ^ "AMUSEMENT RIDE SAFETY ALERT: KMG International BV Afterburner and Fireball" (PDF). U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  14. ^ "Waldameer Chaos ride operating in limited thrill capacity".
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