Seeking info on Eyerly Aircraft Co.
Sam and/or Karen Rouse
I'm looking for any and all info I can find on Eyerly Aircraft Company, the
(now defunct I believe) Salem OR-based company that designed and build many
staples of the midway that are still around today - rides such as Octopus,
Spider, Loop-O-Plane, Roll-O-Plane, etc. The company was apparently
founded in 1927; any kind of info throughout their history would be
appreciated (even just citings of books, magazine articles, newspaper
articles, etc.)
There seems to be little info about them on the 'net, and my initial
(cursory) library searches have so far turned up nothing. See below for a
synopsis of what I've learned to date.
Thanks for any info,
Sam
Eyerly Aircraft info:
Websites:
* Extreme Swing (ORI - Guy Sherbourne, former Eyerly plant mgr - Salem)
http://www.entertainmentdeveloper.com/rides/ride1.html
* NAPHA FAQ - http://www.napha.org/faq.html
Rides developed:
Loop-O-Plane
Fly-O-Plane (A circular ride in which passengers in two person airplane
shaped cars maneuver the wings to get the cars to flip upside down
- one of these at Thrillville, USA)
Roll-O-Plane
Octopus
Spider
Monster (I think this was an extra-large version of the Octopus developed for
the Seattle World's Fair (1962?); had the general shape & appearance of
the Spider)
--
Sam and/or Karen Rouse
ro...@teleport.com
http://www.teleport.com/~rouse/
Joe Schwartz
ro...@teleport.com (Sam and/or Karen Rouse) wrote:
> I'm looking for any and all info I can find on Eyerly Aircraft Company, the
> (now defunct I believe) Salem OR-based company that designed and build many
> staples of the midway that are still around today - rides such as Octopus,
> Spider, Loop-O-Plane, Roll-O-Plane, etc. The company was apparently
> founded in 1927; any kind of info throughout their history would be
> appreciated (even just citings of books, magazine articles, newspaper
> articles, etc.)
As Tim Melago mentioned, ORI is producing some of the old Eyerly rides.
I'm sure Dave Althoff can provide some more info on the history of ORI and
Eyerly.
> Fly-O-Plane (A circular ride in which passengers in two person airplane
> shaped cars maneuver the wings to get the cars to flip upside down
> - one of these at Thrillville, USA)
> Roll-O-Plane
The ride at ThrillVille USA is a Sidewinder, not a Fly-O-Plane. The
Sidewinder is an updated version of the Roll-O-Plane. Just to confuse the
issue, ThrillVille has a sign that calls their Sidewinder a Fly-O-Plane.
(Ed, did you ever change that sign?) And just to confuse you even more,
the ORI web page (http://www.aimsintl.org/oregon.htm) shows the wrong photo
for the Sidewinder.
As far as I know, the only operating Fly-O-Plane is at Whalom Park in
Lunenburg, Massachusetts.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Schwartz (x...@poboxes.com) -- 5 Broadway #407, Troy, NY 12180
Come visit the Joyrides web site (http://www.joyrides.com/),
a photo gallery celebrating the joy and beauty of amusement rides!
Andy Scheurer
Dwayne L. Allen (john...@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: In Article <news:61dcav$o...@login.freenet.columbus.oh.us>,
: Dave Althoff wrote:
: >: http://www.aimsintl.org/oregon.htm
: >
: >: Oregon manufactured the Roll-O-Plane at Kennywood. It does sound like
: >: Eyerly is defunct. But they seem to live on with Oregon Rides.
: >
: >ORI Industries (Oregon Rides) did, in fact, take over the support, parts
: >inventory, and plant for Eyerly. They aren't building many complete new
: >rides (Kennywood's Roll-O-Plane was one of the first), but they do supply
: >all parts for Eyerly rides, and they refurbish Eyerly rides. For
: >instance, the Rocky Point Park Spider was rebuilt at the factory back in
: >June. Also, they sell a lot of replacement Spider tubs. They are
: >currently working on a big new ride; I hope they get it up and running
: soon.
: >
: I hope so because I really enjoyed The Roll-O-Plane at KennyWood. Brought
: back great memories of the one at The Pike. I wish someone would invest in
: a Fly-O-Plane. I havn't ridden one of those since The Pike and POP. And I
: think they would be cheaper to build then XK-1 at Knotts or Sky Hawk at
: PGA. I forget what the one at PKI was called? But someone was drunk or past
: out and fell out of it some time ago before it was removed.
Hmmm...I think you are thinking of the Flight Commander, an Intamin ride?
But, anyway, since I'm not into flat rides, what exactly is a Fly-o-Plane?
Also, on a somewhat related note, what are the "Rocket Ships" that Geauga
Lake is so kindly storing near the RWB's? I've been wondering about this
for quite a while, and I am just curious as to what these are...thanks! ;-)
: Dwayne L. Allen
: _________
: /_CYCLONE/_
: /__RACER_/
: THE WORLD'S GREATEST RIDE
: >Eyerly started as a flying service, started by Lee Eyerly and Frank
: >Hrubetz (that name should also be familiar...). They ran a school of
: >aeronautics, and developed a flight simulator, the Acroplane, which
: >also made a good amusement ride. The company got into the amusement
: >business (I'm not sure how, but it happened!) and constructed the
: >Loop-O-Plane.
: >
: >The rides I can think of that were developed by Eyerly and its related and
: >successor companies are...
: >
: >Loop-O-Plane
: >Roll-O-Plane
: >Rock-O-Plane
: >Fly-O-Plane (RARE! Whalom has one)
: >Octopus (8-tub and 16-tub)
: >Spider
: >Monster
: >Krazy Kar (gas and electric)
: >
: >Sidewinder (updated Roll-O-Plane)
: >
: >Bulgy the Whale (kiddie)
: >Midge-O-Racer (kiddie)
: >Toon Car (kiddie)
: >
: >I think that is all, apart from the new ride...
: >
: >--Dave Althoff, Jr.
: >--
: > /-\ _ _ *** Just a few more weeks!!! ***
: > /XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /XX\_ _ _ _____
: > /XXXXX\ /XXX\ _/XXXX\_ /X\ /XXXXX\ /X\ /X\ /XXXXX
: >_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX
--
Andy Scheurer
Editor
The Track
http://thetrack.rollercoaster.com
Dwayne L. Allen
In Article <news:61dcav$o...@login.freenet.columbus.oh.us>,
Dave Althoff wrote:
>: http://www.aimsintl.org/oregon.htm
>
>: Oregon manufactured the Roll-O-Plane at Kennywood. It does sound like
>: Eyerly is defunct. But they seem to live on with Oregon Rides.
>
>ORI Industries (Oregon Rides) did, in fact, take over the support, parts
>inventory, and plant for Eyerly. They aren't building many complete new
>rides (Kennywood's Roll-O-Plane was one of the first), but they do supply
>all parts for Eyerly rides, and they refurbish Eyerly rides. For
>instance, the Rocky Point Park Spider was rebuilt at the factory back in
>June. Also, they sell a lot of replacement Spider tubs. They are
>currently working on a big new ride; I hope they get it up and running
soon.
>
I hope so because I really enjoyed The Roll-O-Plane at KennyWood. Brought
back great memories of the one at The Pike. I wish someone would invest in
a Fly-O-Plane. I havn't ridden one of those since The Pike and POP. And I
think they would be cheaper to build then XK-1 at Knotts or Sky Hawk at
PGA. I forget what the one at PKI was called? But someone was drunk or past
out and fell out of it some time ago before it was removed.
Dwayne L. Allen
Dave Althoff
Tim Melago (roll...@sgi.net) wrote:
: Sam and/or Karen Rouse wrote:
: >
: > I'm looking for any and all info I can find on Eyerly Aircraft Company, the
: > (now defunct I believe) Salem OR-based company that designed and build many
: > staples of the midway that are still around today - rides such as Octopus,
: > Spider, Loop-O-Plane, Roll-O-Plane, etc. The company was apparently
: > founded in 1927; any kind of info throughout their history would be
: > appreciated (even just citings of books, magazine articles, newspaper
: > articles, etc.)
: Oregon Rides Inc. now makes some Eyerly rides and ride parts. See
: http://www.aimsintl.org/oregon.htm
: Oregon manufactured the Roll-O-Plane at Kennywood. It does sound like
: Eyerly is defunct. But they seem to live on with Oregon Rides.
ORI Industries (Oregon Rides) did, in fact, take over the support, parts
inventory, and plant for Eyerly. They aren't building many complete new
rides (Kennywood's Roll-O-Plane was one of the first), but they do supply
all parts for Eyerly rides, and they refurbish Eyerly rides. For
instance, the Rocky Point Park Spider was rebuilt at the factory back in
June. Also, they sell a lot of replacement Spider tubs. They are
currently working on a big new ride; I hope they get it up and running soon.
Eyerly started as a flying service, started by Lee Eyerly and Frank
Joe Schwartz
ashe...@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Andy Scheurer) wrote:
> But, anyway, since I'm not into flat rides, what exactly is a Fly-o-Plane?
I haven't gotten around to putting an Eyerly page on my web site, but here
are some photos of Eyerly's "O-Plane" rides, as well as ORI's Sidewinder
(an updated Roll-O-Plane):
http://www.joyrides.com/temp/photos/fly_o_plane.jpg
http://www.joyrides.com/temp/photos/loop_o_plane.jpg
http://www.joyrides.com/temp/photos/rock_o_plane.jpg
http://www.joyrides.com/kennywood/photos/roll_o_plane.jpg
http://www.joyrides.com/temp/photos/sidewinder.jpg
> Also, on a somewhat related note, what are the "Rocket Ships" that Geauga
> Lake is so kindly storing near the RWB's? I've been wondering about this
> for quite a while, and I am just curious as to what these are...thanks! ;-)
I believe those Rocket Ships belong to one of the last remaining Traver
Circle Swings, or maybe a successor.
Sam and/or Karen Rouse
In article <343e042a...@news1.newscene.com>, x...@poboxes.com (Joe
Schwartz) wrote:
> ashe...@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Andy Scheurer) wrote:
>
> > But, anyway, since I'm not into flat rides, what exactly is a Fly-o-Plane?
>
> I haven't gotten around to putting an Eyerly page on my web site, but here
> are some photos of Eyerly's "O-Plane" rides, as well as ORI's Sidewinder
> (an updated Roll-O-Plane):
>
> http://www.joyrides.com/temp/photos/fly_o_plane.jpg
{snip}
I think I can shed some light on why Fly-O-Planes are rare (and have
probably never been very popular). These could be found just about every
year at the Tillamook Co. Fair (Oregon) when I was growing up. I think I
rode it exactly three times, and two of the three rides resulted in being
soundly thrashed and bruised. At least back then (around '64-'71), there
was no padding other than the seat & seat back - and the bow-shaped
restraint that can be found in Eyerly rides like the Loop-O-Plane and
Roll-O-Plane just doesn't keep you away from the tubular frame in a fast
spin. I don't remember ever seeing a line for this ride.
-Sam
Dwayne L. Allen
In Article <news:rouse-ya02318000...@news.teleport.com>,
Sam and/or Karen Rouse wrote:
>probably never been very popular). These could be found just about every
>year at the Tillamook Co. Fair (Oregon) when I was growing up. I think I
>rode it exactly three times, and two of the three rides resulted in being
>soundly thrashed and bruised. At least back then (around '64-'71), there
>was no padding other than the seat & seat back - and the bow-shaped
>restraint that can be found in Eyerly rides like the Loop-O-Plane and
>Roll-O-Plane just doesn't keep you away from the tubular frame in a fast
>spin. I don't remember ever seeing a line for this ride.
>
>-Sam
>
When I look back on it, The Fly-O-Plane was pretty popular out West. As far
as Traditional Parks go, the one at The Pike always had folks wanting to go
on it. Enough to keep it spining through most of a busy summer weekend. It
was located in the Virginia Park (North end) section of The Pike along with
The Loop-O-Plane. I never got thrashed, but I do remember getting pinned to
the outside in a severe barrel roll because of one of my (larger than me as
a kid) friends. One of those laughing (Get off Me!!!) in pain memories.
edr
Joe Schwartz wrote:
>
> ro...@teleport.com (Sam and/or Karen Rouse) wrote:
>
> > I'm looking for any and all info I can find on Eyerly Aircraft Company, the
> > (now defunct I believe) Salem OR-based company that designed and build many
> > staples of the midway that are still around today - rides such as Octopus,
> > Spider, Loop-O-Plane, Roll-O-Plane, etc. The company was apparently
> > founded in 1927; any kind of info throughout their history would be
> > appreciated (even just citings of books, magazine articles, newspaper
> > articles, etc.)
>
> I'm sure Dave Althoff can provide some more info on the history of ORI and
> Eyerly.
>
> > Fly-O-Plane (A circular ride in which passengers in two person airplane
> > shaped cars maneuver the wings to get the cars to flip upside down
> > - one of these at Thrillville, USA)
> > Roll-O-Plane
>
> The ride at ThrillVille USA is a Sidewinder, not a Fly-O-Plane. The
> Sidewinder is an updated version of the Roll-O-Plane. Just to confuse the
> issue, ThrillVille has a sign that calls their Sidewinder a Fly-O-Plane.
> (Ed, did you ever change that sign?) And just to confuse you even more,
> the ORI web page (http://www.aimsintl.org/oregon.htm) shows the wrong photo
> for the Sidewinder.
>
> As far as I know, the only operating Fly-O-Plane is at Whalom Park in
> Lunenburg, Massachusetts.
We did have a Fly-o-plane up until two years ago when it was sold to a
small road show that travels mainly in eastern Oregon! Now The
Sidewinder stands where the Fy-o-plane did.
Fy-o-plane was sold because it was a real bear to keep running and to
operate.
Our park has three eyerly rides; sidewinder, rock-o-plane, and octopus.
We also havein storage a set of krazy cars.
See you in Novemeber gang.
Ed Roberts
Operations Manager
Thrill-Ville USA
Richard Bonner
Andy Scheurer (ashe...@freenet.columbus.oh.us) wrote:
: Dwayne L. Allen (john...@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: : I wish someone would invest in
: : a Fly-O-Plane. I havn't ridden one of those since The Pike and POP. And I
: : think they would be cheaper to build then XK-1 at Knotts or Sky Hawk at
: : PGA. I forget what the one at PKI was called? But someone was drunk or past
: : out and fell out of it some time ago before it was removed.
: : Dwayne L. Allen
: Hmmm...I think you are thinking of the Flight Commander, an Intamin ride?
: But, anyway, since I'm not into flat rides, what exactly is a Fly-o-Plane?
: Andy Scheurer
*** "Flight Commander" is correct. It was new at Kings Island for 1990
and was removed in 1993 or '94, I believe. The Intamin catalog name is
"Flight Trainer".
A "Fly-O-Plane" consists of 9 airplane-shaped tubs with oversize,
stubby wings that are controlled by the rider a bit like elevators. These
tubs are attached to a circular frame that is in turn attached to a
central tower at an angle to the ground. The ride turns clockwise (as seen
from below) so that the planes swoop down to the ground and up again. When
the rider manipulates the controls one wing is pitched up, bringing the
the other wing to a pitch-down position thus rotating the tub in a barrel
roll. Riders may roll the plane in either direction.
Richard Bonner
Managing Director:
The Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ak621/CEC/CEC.html
Richard Bonner
Dave Althoff (dal...@freenet.columbus.oh.us) wrote:
: Eyerly started as a flying service, started by Lee Eyerly and Frank
: Hrubetz (that name should also be familiar...). They ran a school of
: aeronautics, and developed a flight simulator, the Acroplane, which
: also made a good amusement ride. The company got into the amusement
: business (I'm not sure how, but it happened!) and constructed the
: Loop-O-Plane.
*** After World War II, several companies marketed their flight
simulators to the amusement park industry. Two that I have listed are
Pre-Flight Trainer Sales Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was a
division of Batter-Up Company who built a batting-cage type game. The
second company was Pilot Trainer Sales Company of New York.
These trainers consisted of an aircraft-looking tub (some enclosed -
some not) that sat on a gimble mount. Stick and rudder controls allowed
the rider to turn, bank, and pitch.
: The rides I can think of that were developed by Eyerly and its related and
: successor companies are...
(Snip)
: Sidewinder (updated Roll-O-Plane)
: --Dave Althoff, Jr.
*** I have a picture or video tape somewhere of a "Roll-O-Plane"-like
ride that has the main support arm occupying an almost horizontal
position and not just staying vertical as a "Roll-O-Plane" does. Is this a
"Sidewinder"?
Joe Schwartz
ak...@chebucto.ns.ca (Richard Bonner) wrote:
> *** I have a picture or video tape somewhere of a "Roll-O-Plane"-like
> ride that has the main support arm occupying an almost horizontal
> position and not just staying vertical as a "Roll-O-Plane" does. Is this a
> "Sidewinder"?
The Sidewinder can tilt its boom to go nearly horizontal, but so can the
Roll-O-Plane at Kennywood. I had assumed that all Roll-O-Planes can do
this, but now I'm wondering -- is this only a feature of the new
Roll-O-Plane that ORI manufactured for Kennywood? Is Kennywood's
Roll-O-Plane really a Sidewinder in disguise?
Dave Althoff
Richard Bonner (ak...@chebucto.ns.ca) wrote:
: Dave Althoff (dal...@freenet.columbus.oh.us) wrote:
: : Eyerly started as a flying service, started by Lee Eyerly and Frank
: : Hrubetz (that name should also be familiar...). They ran a school of
: : aeronautics, and developed a flight simulator, the Acroplane, which
: : also made a good amusement ride. The company got into the amusement
: : business (I'm not sure how, but it happened!) and constructed the
: : Loop-O-Plane.
: *** After World War II, several companies marketed their flight
: simulators to the amusement park industry. Two that I have listed are
: Pre-Flight Trainer Sales Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was a
: division of Batter-Up Company who built a batting-cage type game. The
: second company was Pilot Trainer Sales Company of New York.
: These trainers consisted of an aircraft-looking tub (some enclosed -
: some not) that sat on a gimble mount. Stick and rudder controls allowed
: the rider to turn, bank, and pitch.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not...the Acroplane was an
aircraft-looking tub mounted on a yoke, which appears to be mounted on a
"yaw" pivot. It is hard to tell from the poorly-copied photo if the
fuselage can bank or not, but it can certainly pitch and yaw. The
Acroplane has an electric-motor driven propeller on the front end and
control surfaces (wings) such as one might find on a Fly-O-Plane. The air
from the prop is apparently sufficient to make this thing actually fly!
It is an unbelievable piece of machinery.
: : The rides I can think of that were developed by Eyerly and its related and
: : successor companies are...
: (Snip)
: : Sidewinder (updated Roll-O-Plane)
: : --Dave Althoff, Jr.
: *** I have a picture or video tape somewhere of a "Roll-O-Plane"-like
: ride that has the main support arm occupying an almost horizontal
: position and not just staying vertical as a "Roll-O-Plane" does. Is this a
: "Sidewinder"?
That is a Roll-O-Plane. The Roll-O-Plane consists of a 28' triangular
boom mounted on a pivoting head at the top of the tower. At each end of
the boom, there is an enclosed tub mounted on a longitudinal pivot. Each
tub seats four riders, two facing in each direction. A fixed control arm
extends the full length of the boom. The control arm drives a pinion
gear, which rotates the ride tub as the boom rotates. The motion is such
that as the boom rotates the tub from its lowest position through the
circle, the tub rotates toward the outside on its own longitudinal
axis...that is, it executes a half barrel-roll until the tub is again
vertical and rightside up at the top of the circle.
The ride is supposed to feature a second motion, in which the drive head
pivots back, lifting the boom until it is rotating in a horizontal plane.
In this position, the tub rotation is 180 degrees, from 90-degrees left to
90-degrees right...that is, at no time does the tub invert relative to the
ground. I believe the Sidewinder features this action as well, but I have
never seen a Sidewinder actually operating. I have seen several
Roll-O-Planes where the secondary motion...the head pivot...is not
functional, for example, at Old Indiana Fun Park, the drive chain on the
pivot bull gear was missing. (Anyone know who bought that ride?)
The Sidewinder is essentially the same as the Roll-O-Plane, except that
the ride tub is trapezoidal in profile instead of bullet-shaped, and it is
rectangular in cross-section instead of round. Also, the lighting package
is a little different, and the Sidewinder main boom has flat metal insert
panels. The ride motion is the same. Also, every Sidewinder I have ever
seen is green with white accents. 8-)
Joe Schwartz
ak...@chebucto.ns.ca (Richard Bonner) wrote:
> A "Fly-O-Plane" consists of 9 airplane-shaped tubs with oversize,
> stubby wings that are controlled by the rider a bit like elevators. These
> tubs are attached to a circular frame that is in turn attached to a
> central tower at an angle to the ground. The ride turns clockwise (as seen
> from below) so that the planes swoop down to the ground and up again. When
> the rider manipulates the controls one wing is pitched up, bringing the
> the other wing to a pitch-down position thus rotating the tub in a barrel
> roll. Riders may roll the plane in either direction.
On the only Fly-O-Plane that I've seen (at Whalom Park), the tubs are kept
parallel to the ground. They can barrel roll, but they don't swoop down to
the ground and up again. Again, here's a photo:
http://www.joyrides.com/temp/photos/fly_o_plane.jpg
Are there other Fly-O-Planes around (in Canada, perhaps?) that work as
Richard describes?
Matt Garretson
In article <34494c22...@news1.newscene.com>,
Joe Schwartz <x...@poboxes.com> wrote:
>ak...@chebucto.ns.ca (Richard Bonner) wrote:
>
>> *** I have a picture or video tape somewhere of a "Roll-O-Plane"-like
>> ride that has the main support arm occupying an almost horizontal
>> position and not just staying vertical as a "Roll-O-Plane" does. Is this a
>> "Sidewinder"?
>
>Roll-O-Plane at Kennywood.
As can the one at Knoebels. That is, if i'm understanding you guys
correctly. You're talking about the arm between the 2 cars (not
the arm that anchors the ride to the ground), right?
BTW at the risk of asking a FAQ, what are some other locations where
Roll-O-Planes or Sidewinders are installed? I know of only Kennywood
and Knoebels. Do many traveling fairs still have R-o-Ps?
Is their very low throughput the main reason there aren't more of these
rides in use now? I've always thought it would be cool to have a
half-dozen installed in a row -- having them all operate simultaneously
would be quite a sight. And it would boost the riders/hour rating.
But of course there would be hassles involved.
-Matt
Sam and/or Karen Rouse
In article <34494c22...@news1.newscene.com>, x...@poboxes.com (Joe
Schwartz) wrote:
> The Sidewinder can tilt its boom to go nearly horizontal, but so can the
> Roll-O-Plane at Kennywood. I had assumed that all Roll-O-Planes can do
> this, but now I'm wondering -- is this only a feature of the new
> Roll-O-Plane that ORI manufactured for Kennywood? Is Kennywood's
> Roll-O-Plane really a Sidewinder in disguise?
Every Roll-O-Plane I've ever seen (and they used to be quite common at
fairs, carnivals, etc. in Oregon & Washington) has been equipped to do the
horizontal maneuver, but for some reason it was seldom used.
Sam and/or Karen Rouse
In article <34484ade...@news1.newscene.com>, x...@poboxes.com (Joe
Schwartz) wrote:
> ak...@chebucto.ns.ca (Richard Bonner) wrote:
>
> > A "Fly-O-Plane" consists of 9 airplane-shaped tubs with oversize,
> > stubby wings that are controlled by the rider a bit like elevators. These
> > tubs are attached to a circular frame that is in turn attached to a
> > central tower at an angle to the ground. The ride turns clockwise (as seen
> > from below) so that the planes swoop down to the ground and up again. When
> > the rider manipulates the controls one wing is pitched up, bringing the
> > the other wing to a pitch-down position thus rotating the tub in a barrel
> > roll. Riders may roll the plane in either direction.
>
> On the only Fly-O-Plane that I've seen (at Whalom Park), the tubs are kept
> parallel to the ground. They can barrel roll, but they don't swoop down to
> the ground and up again. Again, here's a photo:
>
> http://www.joyrides.com/temp/photos/fly_o_plane.jpg
>
> Are there other Fly-O-Planes around (in Canada, perhaps?) that work as
> Richard describes?
The ones I used to see at the Tillamook County Fair and Oregon State Fair
worked as follows:
The booms to which the planes are attached have a hinge about 2/3 of the
way out from center, with a stub that extends beyond the hinge opposite the
plane. The stub has a cable that goes to the center of the ride. The arms
are in the lower position only for loading and unloading; the ride would
usually start turning slowly while the cables winched the planes to the
upper position, & only when they were lifted all the way up would it start
turning fast enough to generate the wind needed to make the planes roll
(controlled by the angle of the wings). No rider control over the up &
down motion of the arms (the wings would hit the ground if you rolled in
the lower position).
Hope this explanation makes sense; might help to look at the picture.
Eric Griswold
In article <343ff6b9...@news1.newscene.com>, x...@poboxes.com (Joe
Schwartz) wrote:
> These are the O-Plane (and Sidewinder) installations that I know of. If
> anyone knows of others, please add them to the list:
> Roll-O-Plane:
> Family Funway (Burnsville, MN)
> Fun Spot (Angola, IN)
> Kennywood (West Mifflin, PA)
> Knoebels (Elysburg, PA)
> Old Indiana Fun Park (Thorntown, IN) -- who bought this one?
> Sylvan Beach (Sylvan Beach, NY)
Lakeside (Denver, CO)
> Rock-O-Plane:
> Americana (Middletown, OH)
> Arnolds Park (Arnolds Park, IA)
> Frasier's Frontier (El Cajon, CA)
> Keansburg Beach (Keansburg, NJ)
> Jenkinson's South (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ)
> Martin's Fantasy Island (Grand Island, NY)
> Oaks Park (Portland, OR)
> Sylvan Beach (Sylvan Beach, NY)
> Thrill-Ville USA (Turner, OR)
> Wyandot Lake (Powell, OH)
Lakeside (Denver, CO)
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (Santa Cruz, CA)
--
Eric Griswold (e...@ix.netcom.com)
Distracted by too much Kim Chee.
Jeff Merritt
Hello everyone. I have really been enjoying this discussion.
Lakeside Park in Denver is a great location for Eyerly rides. They have
( or did have in 1994) the following:
Roll-o-Plane
Loop-o-Plane
Rock-o-Plane
Spider
Their Roll-o-Plane does tilt on its side, which I find to be pretty
scary and uncomfortable. I don't like laying on my side against the
door. However, I LOVE the motion when ride is in the vetical position.
I agree that this ride would be a prime candidate for high capacity
updating. If Zamperla, Huss, Chance, or somebody could make the same
ride motion but with larger passenger compartments and a more
comfortable restraint, it would be a very popular ride with the big
parks.
After all, the Huss Ranger, Vekoma Skyflyer and that "Phoenix" ride that
is common at carnivals are simply modern versions of the Loop-o-Plane.
I think Eyerly may have made one other ride that has not been
mentioned: The Chair-o-Plane. The Chair-o-Plane is a primitive chair
swing ride. I think I read about it in the book Step Right Up Folks and
I saw a ride like it at a carnival once.
Joe Schwartz
gar...@rpi.edu (Matt Garretson) wrote:
> In article <34494c22...@news1.newscene.com>,
> Joe Schwartz <x...@poboxes.com> wrote:
> >ak...@chebucto.ns.ca (Richard Bonner) wrote:
> >
> >> *** I have a picture or video tape somewhere of a "Roll-O-Plane"-like
> >> ride that has the main support arm occupying an almost horizontal
> >> position and not just staying vertical as a "Roll-O-Plane" does. Is this a
> >> "Sidewinder"?
> >
> >The Sidewinder can tilt its boom to go nearly horizontal, but so can the
> >Roll-O-Plane at Kennywood.
>
> As can the one at Knoebels. That is, if i'm understanding you guys
> correctly. You're talking about the arm between the 2 cars (not
> the arm that anchors the ride to the ground), right?
Correct. To illustrate, I've added a second Roll-O-Plane photo to my web
site. Compare these two photos -- in the second one, the boom is beginning
to pivot into the horizontal position:
http://www.joyrides.com/kennywood/photos/roll_o_plane.jpg
http://www.joyrides.com/kennywood/photos/roll_o_plane2.jpg
> BTW at the risk of asking a FAQ, what are some other locations where
> Roll-O-Planes or Sidewinders are installed? I know of only Kennywood
> and Knoebels. Do many traveling fairs still have R-o-Ps?
These are the O-Plane (and Sidewinder) installations that I know of. If
anyone knows of others, please add them to the list:
Fly-O-Plane:
Whalom Park (Lunenburg, MA)
Loop-O-Plane:
Gillian's Wonderland (Ocean City, NJ)
Keansburg Beach (Keansburg, NJ)
Miracle Strip (Panama City Beach, FL)
Western Washington Fair (Puyallup, WA)
Roll-O-Plane:
Family Funway (Burnsville, MN)
Fun Spot (Angola, IN)
Kennywood (West Mifflin, PA)
Knoebels (Elysburg, PA)
Old Indiana Fun Park (Thorntown, IN) -- who bought this one?
Sylvan Beach (Sylvan Beach, NY)
Rock-O-Plane:
Americana (Middletown, OH)
Arnolds Park (Arnolds Park, IA)
Frasier's Frontier (El Cajon, CA)
Keansburg Beach (Keansburg, NJ)
Jenkinson's South (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ)
Martin's Fantasy Island (Grand Island, NY)
Oaks Park (Portland, OR)
Sylvan Beach (Sylvan Beach, NY)
Thrill-Ville USA (Turner, OR)
Wyandot Lake (Powell, OH)
Sidewinder:
Thrill-Ville USA (Turner, OR)
> Is their very low throughput the main reason there aren't more of these
> rides in use now? I've always thought it would be cool to have a
> half-dozen installed in a row -- having them all operate simultaneously
> would be quite a sight. And it would boost the riders/hour rating.
> But of course there would be hassles involved.
I don't know why Roll-O-Planes aren't more popular. The low throughput may
be a factor. I'm eager to try Gravity Works' new Skyscraper ride, which
sounds like a big freakin' Loop-O-Plane with Zipper-flipping seats. It'll
have low throughput too, but it's being marketed as a pay-per-ride
attraction:
http://www.gravityworks.com/idx_sky.htm
http://www.thrillride.com/Skyscraper/Skyscraper.html
edr
under the impression this will be changing soon. I drove past ORI just
the other ady and saw a brand spankin' new sidewinder being tested, so
someone out there is getting one!
Oh, and Joe keep up the good work, love your web site.
Shawn Mamros
x...@poboxes.com (Joe Schwartz) writes:
> These are the O-Plane (and Sidewinder) installations that I know of. If
> anyone knows of others, please add them to the list:
>
> Fly-O-Plane:
> Whalom Park (Lunenburg, MA)
Only one of which I'm aware. Fortunately, it's less than an hour away from
me... :-)
> Loop-O-Plane:
> Gillian's Wonderland (Ocean City, NJ)
> Keansburg Beach (Keansburg, NJ)
> Miracle Strip (Panama City Beach, FL)
> Western Washington Fair (Puyallup, WA)
Doesn't Lakeside (Denver, CO) still have one? They certainly did a year
ago - talk about a ride that can induce blackout-level G's! I ask because
I saw Eric Griswold mention the Rock- and Roll-O-Planes at Lakeside, but
not the Loop-O-Plane.
Minor piece of trivia for the day: The Roll-O-Plane at Knoebel's used to
be at Kennywood, years ago. Kennywood also used to have a Loop-O-Plane.
Then they went O-Plane-less for about a decade or so, until Lost Kennywood
was built and they commissioned a new Roll-O-Plane from ORI.
-Shawn Mamros
E-mail to: mam...@mit.edu
Ted Ansley
x...@poboxes.com (Joe Schwartz) wrote:
>gar...@rpi.edu (Matt Garretson) wrote:
>
>> In article <34494c22...@news1.newscene.com>,
>> Joe Schwartz <x...@poboxes.com> wrote:
>> >ak...@chebucto.ns.ca (Richard Bonner) wrote:
>> >
>> >> *** I have a picture or video tape somewhere of a "Roll-O-Plane"-like
>> >> ride that has the main support arm occupying an almost horizontal
>> >> position and not just staying vertical as a "Roll-O-Plane" does. Is this a
>> >> "Sidewinder"?
>> >
>> >The Sidewinder can tilt its boom to go nearly horizontal, but so can the
>> >Roll-O-Plane at Kennywood.
>>
>> As can the one at Knoebels. That is, if i'm understanding you guys
>> correctly. You're talking about the arm between the 2 cars (not
>> the arm that anchors the ride to the ground), right?
>
>Correct. To illustrate, I've added a second Roll-O-Plane photo to my web
>site. Compare these two photos -- in the second one, the boom is beginning
>to pivot into the horizontal position:
>
> http://www.joyrides.com/kennywood/photos/roll_o_plane.jpg
> http://www.joyrides.com/kennywood/photos/roll_o_plane2.jpg
>
>> BTW at the risk of asking a FAQ, what are some other locations where
>> Roll-O-Planes or Sidewinders are installed? I know of only Kennywood
>> and Knoebels. Do many traveling fairs still have R-o-Ps?
>
>These are the O-Plane (and Sidewinder) installations that I know of. If
>anyone knows of others, please add them to the list:
>
>Fly-O-Plane:
> Whalom Park (Lunenburg, MA)
>
>Loop-O-Plane:
> Gillian's Wonderland (Ocean City, NJ)
> Keansburg Beach (Keansburg, NJ)
> Miracle Strip (Panama City Beach, FL)
> Western Washington Fair (Puyallup, WA)
>
>Roll-O-Plane:
> Family Funway (Burnsville, MN)
> Fun Spot (Angola, IN)
> Kennywood (West Mifflin, PA)
> Knoebels (Elysburg, PA)
> Old Indiana Fun Park (Thorntown, IN) -- who bought this one?
> Sylvan Beach (Sylvan Beach, NY)
>
>Rock-O-Plane:
> Americana (Middletown, OH)
> Arnolds Park (Arnolds Park, IA)
> Frasier's Frontier (El Cajon, CA)
> Keansburg Beach (Keansburg, NJ)
> Jenkinson's South (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ)
> Martin's Fantasy Island (Grand Island, NY)
> Oaks Park (Portland, OR)
> Sylvan Beach (Sylvan Beach, NY)
> Thrill-Ville USA (Turner, OR)
> Wyandot Lake (Powell, OH)
>
>Sidewinder:
> Thrill-Ville USA (Turner, OR)
>
>> Is their very low throughput the main reason there aren't more of these
>> rides in use now? I've always thought it would be cool to have a
>> half-dozen installed in a row -- having them all operate simultaneously
>> would be quite a sight. And it would boost the riders/hour rating.
>> But of course there would be hassles involved.
>
>I don't know why Roll-O-Planes aren't more popular. The low throughput may
>be a factor. I'm eager to try Gravity Works' new Skyscraper ride, which
>sounds like a big freakin' Loop-O-Plane with Zipper-flipping seats. It'll
>have low throughput too, but it's being marketed as a pay-per-ride
>attraction:
>
> http://www.gravityworks.com/idx_sky.htm
> http://www.thrillride.com/Skyscraper/Skyscraper.html
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>Joe Schwartz (x...@poboxes.com) -- 5 Broadway #407, Troy, NY 12180
>
> Come visit the Joyrides web site (http://www.joyrides.com/),
>a photo gallery celebrating the joy and beauty of amusement rides!
There is an Eyerly kidde ferris wheel at Trimper's Rides in Ocean City,
MD. It is very small and VERY old. I think the plaque was before 1930
but I don't remember the exact date.
Ted Ansley
**Rollercoaster Fan<atic>**
ansl...@earthlink.net
Richard Bonner
Joe Schwartz (x...@poboxes.com) wrote:
: These are the O-Plane (and Sidewinder) installations that I know of. If
: anyone knows of others, please add them to the list:
(Snip)
: Rock-O-Plane:
(Snip)
: Joe Schwartz
*** Upper Clements Park has a beautifully refurbished "Rock-O-Plane",
spelled "Rocco Plane" by the park. I suspect that it is a 1960's or 70's
model, but it is electric not gasoline powered. It runs very smoothly and
quietly.
Richard Bonner
Dave Althoff (dal...@freenet.columbus.oh.us) wrote:
: Richard Bonner (ak...@chebucto.ns.ca) wrote:
: : *** After World War II, several companies marketed their flight
: : simulators to the amusement park industry. Two that I have listed are
: : Pre-Flight Trainer Sales Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was a
: : division of Batter-Up Company who built a batting-cage type game. The
: : second company was Pilot Trainer Sales Company of New York.
: : These trainers consisted of an aircraft-looking tub (some enclosed -
: : some not) that sat on a gimble mount. Stick and rudder controls allowed
: : the rider to turn, bank, and pitch.
: I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not...the Acroplane was an
: aircraft-looking tub mounted on a yoke, which appears to be mounted on a
: "yaw" pivot. It is hard to tell from the poorly-copied photo if the
: fuselage can bank or not, but it can certainly pitch and yaw. The
: Acroplane has an electric-motor driven propeller on the front end and
: control surfaces (wings) such as one might find on a Fly-O-Plane. The air
: from the prop is apparently sufficient to make this thing actually fly!
: It is an unbelievable piece of machinery.
*** This is considerably more than the simulators I describe above.
There are no propellers and all movement appears to be via the gimble
mount.
: : *** I have a picture or video tape somewhere of a "Roll-O-Plane"-like
: : ride that has the main support arm occupying an almost horizontal
: : position and not just staying vertical as a "Roll-O-Plane" does. Is this a
: : "Sidewinder"?
: That is a Roll-O-Plane. The Roll-O-Plane consists of a 28' triangular
: boom mounted on a pivoting head at the top of the tower. At each end of
: the boom, there is an enclosed tub mounted on a longitudinal pivot. Each
: tub seats four riders, two facing in each direction. A fixed control arm
: extends the full length of the boom. The control arm drives a pinion
: gear, which rotates the ride tub as the boom rotates. The motion is such
: that as the boom rotates the tub from its lowest position through the
: circle, the tub rotates toward the outside on its own longitudinal
: axis...that is, it executes a half barrel-roll until the tub is again
: vertical and rightside up at the top of the circle.
: The ride is supposed to feature a second motion, in which the drive head
: pivots back, lifting the boom until it is rotating in a horizontal plane.
: In this position, the tub rotation is 180 degrees, from 90-degrees left to
: 90-degrees right...that is, at no time does the tub invert relative to the
: ground. I believe the Sidewinder features this action as well, but I have
: never seen a Sidewinder actually operating. I have seen several
: Roll-O-Planes where the secondary motion...the head pivot...is not
: functional, for example, at Old Indiana Fun Park, the drive chain on the
: pivot bull gear was missing. (Anyone know who bought that ride?)
: --Dave Althoff, Jr.
*** The only "Roll-O-Plane" I have ever ridden was one that Bill Lynch
Shows of Nova Scotia had years ago. It only had the vertical motion. Is it
possible that the Eyerly version only had this motion and that Oregon
Rides updated the ride when they began to remanufacturer it?
Richard Bonner
: > A "Fly-O-Plane" consists of 9 airplane-shaped tubs with oversize,
: > stubby wings that are controlled by the rider a bit like elevators. These
: > tubs are attached to a circular frame that is in turn attached to a
: > central tower at an angle to the ground. The ride turns clockwise (as seen
: > from below) so that the planes swoop down to the ground and up again. When
: > the rider manipulates the controls one wing is pitched up, bringing the
: > the other wing to a pitch-down position thus rotating the tub in a barrel
: > roll. Riders may roll the plane in either direction.
: On the only Fly-O-Plane that I've seen (at Whalom Park), the tubs are kept
: parallel to the ground. They can barrel roll, but they don't swoop down to
: the ground and up again. Again, here's a photo:
: http://www.joyrides.com/temp/photos/fly_o_plane.jpg
: Are there other Fly-O-Planes around (in Canada, perhaps?) that work as
: Richard describes?
: Joe Schwartz
*** There may be "Fly-O-Planes" in Canada but I don't personally know of
any. The description I gave above was taken from a photo of such a ride at
Sunnyside Park in Toronto taken in the late 1940's or early 50's. (The
park is now gone).
Looking at the photo, I wondered how loading was done. Does the ride
lower to the ground allowing all tubs to load at once or must the ride be
rotated to allow each tub to have ground access? David A. - can you answer
this?
Dave Althoff
Richard Bonner (ak...@chebucto.ns.ca) wrote:
: : : *** I have a picture or video tape somewhere of a "Roll-O-Plane"-like
: : : ride that has the main support arm occupying an almost horizontal
: : : position and not just staying vertical as a "Roll-O-Plane" does. Is this a
: : : "Sidewinder"?
(Dave Althoff responded)
: : That is a Roll-O-Plane. The Roll-O-Plane consists of a 28' triangular
: : boom mounted on a pivoting head at the top of the tower. At each end of
: : the boom, there is an enclosed tub mounted on a longitudinal pivot. Each
: : tub seats four riders, two facing in each direction. A fixed control arm
: : extends the full length of the boom. The control arm drives a pinion
: : gear, which rotates the ride tub as the boom rotates. The motion is such
: : that as the boom rotates the tub from its lowest position through the
: : circle, the tub rotates toward the outside on its own longitudinal
: : axis...that is, it executes a half barrel-roll until the tub is again
: : vertical and rightside up at the top of the circle.
: : The ride is supposed to feature a second motion, in which the drive head
: : pivots back, lifting the boom until it is rotating in a horizontal plane.
: : In this position, the tub rotation is 180 degrees, from 90-degrees left to
: : 90-degrees right...that is, at no time does the tub invert relative to the
: : ground. I believe the Sidewinder features this action as well, but I have
: : never seen a Sidewinder actually operating. I have seen several
: : Roll-O-Planes where the secondary motion...the head pivot...is not
: : functional, for example, at Old Indiana Fun Park, the drive chain on the
: : pivot bull gear was missing. (Anyone know who bought that ride?)
: *** The only "Roll-O-Plane" I have ever ridden was one that Bill Lynch
: Shows of Nova Scotia had years ago. It only had the vertical motion. Is it
: possible that the Eyerly version only had this motion and that Oregon
: Rides updated the ride when they began to remanufacturer it?
No; ORI has only built one Roll-O, the one at Kennywood. More likely, the
Lynch Roll-O was broken or had pieces missing. That is apparently not
uncommon, as several of the Roll-O's I have seen do not perform the head
pivot motion, either because the operator did not operate that motion, or
because parts of the mechanism were broken/missing/removed.
This would be analogous to some shows which have Tivoli Orbiters which do
not rise vertically in the center. They all rise when they leave the
factory, and they still rise when they leave the importer. But by the
time they hit the midway, some of them lack the additional motion.
As for the Fly-O-Plane question...it appears to me that there is no
eccentric motion. Instead of having an eccentric pivot attached to the
center tube, it appears that the Fly-O has a cable drum mounted over the
ride center axis. Therefore, with the cables all unwound, all of the tubs
should be in the loading position at once.
BUT--Bear in mind that I have never seen a Fly-O-Plane in person...only in
photos taken by Shawn Mamros and Joe Schwartz.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
--
/-\ _ _ *** Just two more weeks!!! ***
Joe Schwartz
ak...@chebucto.ns.ca (Richard Bonner) wrote:
> *** There may be "Fly-O-Planes" in Canada but I don't personally know of
> any. The description I gave above was taken from a photo of such a ride at
> Sunnyside Park in Toronto taken in the late 1940's or early 50's. (The
> park is now gone).
>
> Looking at the photo, I wondered how loading was done. Does the ride
> lower to the ground allowing all tubs to load at once or must the ride be
> rotated to allow each tub to have ground access? David A. - can you answer
> this?
On the Fly-O-Plane at Whalom Park, all tubs are loaded at once.
Shawn Mamros
Richard Bonner <ak...@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote:
>*** The only "Roll-O-Plane" I have ever ridden was one that Bill Lynch
>Shows of Nova Scotia had years ago. It only had the vertical motion. Is it
>possible that the Eyerly version only had this motion and that Oregon
>Rides updated the ride when they began to remanufacturer it?
I've seen "classic" Eyerly Roll-O-Planes with the horizontal motion.
Kennywood's old one (now at Knoebel's) used to do it, many years ago.
Also, the first season it was put in, Kennywood's new one (built by ORI)
didn't do it very often, but the operators seem to have the hang of it
now. (Weight balance turns out to be very important on a Roll-O-Plane!)
Billp55
Most of the old Roll-o-planes had the head pivot mechanism but I only saw
amusement park ones actually use it. Someone told me at one time (1960's) that
for some reason they would not allow portable models to operate the head tilt
mechanism. I don't know if that was true. Any retired state inspectors out
there?
Every Sidewinder I've ever seen tilted too.
Yes, one of you was right. The Fly-o-plane lifted the planes by winding cables
around the center pole when the ride started turning. After a revolution or
two the center pole turned with the ride.
Richard Bonner
Dave Althoff (dal...@freenet.columbus.oh.us) wrote:
: Richard Bonner (ak...@chebucto.ns.ca) wrote:
: : : : *** I have a picture or video tape somewhere of a "Roll-O-Plane"-like
: : : : ride that has the main support arm occupying an almost horizontal
: : : : position and not just staying vertical as a "Roll-O-Plane" does. Is this a
: : : : "Sidewinder"?
: (Dave Althoff responded)
: : : That is a Roll-O-Plane.
: : : The ride is supposed to feature a second motion, in which the drive head
: : : pivots back, lifting the boom until it is rotating in a horizontal plane.
: : *** The only "Roll-O-Plane" I have ever ridden was one that Bill Lynch
: : Shows of Nova Scotia had years ago. It only had the vertical motion. Is it
: : possible that the Eyerly version only had this motion and that Oregon
: : Rides updated the ride when they began to remanufacturer it?
: No; ORI has only built one Roll-O, the one at Kennywood. More likely, the
: Lynch Roll-O was broken or had pieces missing. That is apparently not
: uncommon, as several of the Roll-O's I have seen do not perform the head
: pivot motion, either because the operator did not operate that motion, or
: because parts of the mechanism were broken/missing/removed.
: --Dave Althoff, Jr.
*** I just spoke with John Drummey of Bill Lynch Shows. They no longer
have any of these rides, but do have pieces of one at their Nova Scotia
maintenence location. He says that the gear that allows the "Roll-O-Plane"
to operate in a horizontal position was an option that Lynch Shows did
not purchase. That may explain why so many of these rides don't operate
this way.
I didn't think to ask if this was a monetary decision or an
operating-space decision. Thinking of the locations I've seen carnivals
operating, in many cases the rides area is squeezed into some pretty small
spaces. Therefore I tend to think this is the reason these rides only
operate vertically. So David, you are correct that some pieces were
missing, thus preventing horizontal operation.
Richard Bonner
Managing Director:
The Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ak621/CEC/CEC.html
: --
