Eyerly O-Plane Rides

^Not in my book, LOL. Well, the ride MOSTION is....

Unless they're gonna build a Top Spin where the RIDERS get to control the flippage, it's just not the same....now THAT would be a sa-weeeeet idea (imagining an ERT session on a TopSpin with virtually unlimited flipping action)! :)

Rider-controlled is one of the things that makes flyers so awesome...and bumper cars... ;)

Actually, I was talking about a Kasper-Klaus Strato-Jet... oops. Um, I think that's the name. The one Lakeside in Denver has, the one that Whalom used to have. Sorry!

Have you ever seen a TopSpin in the maintenance overspeed test mode? That is sick! I'd love to ride it in that mode.

Basically, it goes back a little bit.. probably around 10°-15° (like the beginning of some of the regular cycles) and then locks the gondola. Then proceeds to go forward at more-than full-speed (hence the name 'overspeed test'). I'm not 100% certain if it's timed like a regular cycle, or if it'll go indefinitely until the operator stops the ride, but the one I saw just kept going around and around at a fairly high rate of speed. :)

I think Astroland runs their Top Spin in the maintenance overspeed test mode on a regular basis!

I'm not certain, but I don't think places are allowed to run in overspeed test with people on it.

I know there's a program for the TopSpin that isn't used much that is fairly similar, but doesn't run near as fast. When I saw it, I had no idea a TopSpin was able to run that fast.

I was half-kidding. Have you ever been on Astroland's Top Spin?

Here are some pics of the rock o plane, and roll o plane still in operation at thrillville park.

http://thrillparkreview.com/thrillville/thrillville.htm *** Edited 2/23/2007 8:13:04 PM UTC by crazy horse*** *** Edited 2/23/2007 8:13:46 PM UTC by crazy horse***

You have to link to that site by using that little hyperlink button above the text box. The name of the site is automatically blocked in your message.

Unfortunately, I have not been to Astroland yet :(

(A problem I plan to fix in 2007)

After the Loop-O-Planes, they just increased the size. That's why for many years, carnivals had rides called Kamikazes. They are just like them, but a lot bigger. Now, they are starting to fade away. They are made by Fabbri.

dannerman, I hope you fix that problem this year because it's looking like there won't be a "next year", at least as far as Astroland is concerned.

I did the RollOPlane at a small park in New Jersey called kingsbourgh. My friend and I decided to give it a try. Riding foward for me was fine,I could have walked off and just had a buzz. However once that ride stoped upside and started going backwards for about five mins, I was done. After the ride I coulden't wait for the attendent to open the gate, I jumped over and ran to the bathroom, and was ruined for the rest of the night.

The Rock-o-plane does not come close to a Top Spin for intensity.

Most park topspin rides 4-6 flips are the norm. Carnivals like Strates have been reported to give some decent ride cycles, however I have never experenced that one.

A experenced Rock-o-plane "pilot" can get a tub spinning while the wheel is stationary. Not all shows like this as it can shake the whole ride while other riders are unloaded/loaded. Having a working brake is not a requirement, in fact one of the now defunct local shows had a rock where tub 2 did not have a working brake at all. This tub was able to spin very easily.

A good example of this is on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zFcjHkK4fI

That video is not the one I liked, but the SCBB rock-o however some say I made that performance look tame.

The Loop-o-plane can also deliver a ride experence thats better than the new versions if you get a operator thats willing to show off.

I have not made it to Lake winne for the Fly-o-plane.

Jerry

ROB-
You were thinking of a Klaus SatelliteJet (the big, "modern" brother of the good old RotoJet. Natural misteak.....

I've always been fascinated with the Eyerly "O-Planes", with the Rock-O and Roll-O being my faves.

In the 1940's Hrubetz offered the Spitfire ride. Riders were able to control the inclination of the planes mounted between the sweeps, putting this ride in competition with Eyerly's Fly-o-Plane.

Many of the old Spitfires were later converted to Paratroopers, which used the same hub.

here is a photo of a Spitfire. Has anyone ridden one of these back in the day?

http://members.aol.com/k9660r/spitfire.jpg

You're right, Comet Rider. I should have known because we worked on that list together!

The one O-Plane ride that I really miss now is the Rock-O-Plane. Years ago both KW and West View had them.

I did ride a Roll-O-Plane last summer at Conneaut Lake. As for the Loop-O-Plane, I really dont miss it that much because there are better rides of this type now such as KWs Aero 360 (Zamperla Hawk). I never was on a Fly-O-Plane.

Spitfire model (for HarryTraver^^):

http://www.rahmodels.com/SPITFIRE.JPG

Harry Traver -- Interesting name. Wasn't there a real-life roller coaster tycoon by that name? He dreamed up some of the most wicked coasters ever built including the infamous Crystal Beach Cyclone.

Back to the topic. Eyerly Aircraft originally built training machines for pilots that simulated plane movements in flight. Some people found how much fun it was riding these devices so the company started building amusement rides with those types of movements. The Eyerly rides were regarded as being among the most intense thrill rides during their heyday and were a very common part of both amusement parks and carnivals during the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Yes, Harry Traver designed some of the most diabolical roller coasters ever. Knowing the current-day Harry Traver, I am almost certain the names are just a coincidence ;)