How Do Gravitrons Work?

Hey everyone, I was just wondering...........does the operator in the middle spin or does he sit still or what? I have been confused about this for awhile now, does anyone know? Thanks for your help!

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-Patrick

I believe he spins. But since he is in the exact center, he does not feel any g's. Plus, I am sure he is used to spinning all day, so he doesn't get too dizzy.

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Rob

"Some people spend an entire LIFETIME wondering if they made a DIFFERENCE. The MARINES don't have that problem." -President Reagan 1985

the control booth is inside the car....but it doesnt all spin as one unit. it would be quite hard to control a ride while you are spinning with it, and the motor has to go somewhere. ;)

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http://nedesigns.com

He spins at a slower rate then everyone else. If he didn't spin at all he would get very very dizzy watching as the walls zip around.

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All I need is 4.5 million bucks and a half a mile long sliver of land and maybe someone could build me my very own Shivering Timbers. ;)

He doesnt spin but the rest of the ride does. Look at it this way the spinning part of the ride is a donut and he is in the hole.

*wonders why markey doesnt care about gravitrons*

I'm wrong...he is spinning, just a *lot* slower than the outer ring, because he would have to stand in the EXACT center of rotation, or else he would be hanging on to that railing for dear life (simple physics...)

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http://nedesigns.com

He has to be spinning somewhat because if he wasn't then it would look as if he were spinning since you are spinning, instead it looks like hes sitting still, indicating that he is spinning. does that make sense?

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"So Quoth the Lemon Chill Guy" (TM) (C)

*** This post was edited by RCmuzikGuY on 9/25/2002. ***

does taht make sense?

No, but that does.

The motor is on the trailer. The entire barrel rotates. As the speed picks up, the couches around the perimieter walls actually shift upward.

The operator has a low-current control that activates a contactor which provides power to the main motor, which is connected to the barrel through a hydraulic clutch. I think the Gravitron can run at up to 24 RPM. And earlier this season, a contactor failed on one leaving the operator unable to shut the ride down.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Doesn't have a failsafe on it ,hmm. Sounds like the first generation hydraulic drives that Eli Bridge was using. Lose power to the control circuit and the wheel she just keeps on turning.Lots of fun , you betcha.

That had to be quite a ride. I would have puked. LOL

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All I need is 4.5 million bucks and a half a mile long sliver of land and maybe someone could build me my very own Shivering Timbers. ;)

Trouble was, the contactor welded itself closed, so the operator couldn't shut the ride down from on board. The good news is that someone on the ride had a cell phone. The bad news is that the operator apparently forgot the number for the office trailer and ended up calling...you guessed it...the fire department. From the outside almost anybody can pull the plug on the ride and get it stopped... :)

There was quite a discussion about it here on CoasterBuzz when it happened, but I think it was in the News section...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I get sick from the Gravitron just knowing there's one in my state.

Homey G says "Gravitron 1 looks too intense for me"

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Getting a B&M will always beat out having to take a BM.

Sounds like a great argument for redundancy in controls.

The Gravitron is at the top of my "least favorite rides" list. In my advancing years the S &P's have little appeal for me. I can ride coasters all day long (depending upon the coaster, of course) but the high speed centrifical rides do me in.

Brian, skip the Gravitron, try out the Dutch WonderHouse, aka Vekoma's House of Nausea.....NO spinning at all, you just sit on a swinging bench while the house around you rotates around and around and around.....ugh, I'm getting queasy just TYPING.....I got outside, sat down, and the op asked me if I was alright.....(how DO say say nausea is German, lol)....

Gator that is exactly why the ride op must spin LOL

I got the same feeling friday night in the hanuted houses at cp. The spinny tunnel deals just did not work well for me, I almost fell off the bridge.

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All I need is 4.5 million bucks and a half a mile long sliver of land and maybe someone could build me my very own Shivering Timbers. ;)

That reminds me..lol. We went to a carnival in IL a while back. They ran the Starship 2000 for what seemed like an eternity. It ran for 8 minutes and man, I thought I was gonna heave when I got off. I used to love these rides but as I'm getting older I feel like I can't take the Roundup and the Gravitrons. love my coasters and alot of other flat rides though. I don't get sick on the flats that are outside, but put me inside like a Gravitron, and watch out. Actually the op on a Gravitron moves the same rate of speed and sits in a chair that is attached to the exact center of the ride so that he doesn't get thrown.

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Loyal fan of Nolimits.
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stoogemanmoe

Does anybody have a picture?

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Number 1 Batwing Fan!

Just to clarify - as there seemed to be some confusion over this and Rideman didn't comment - the control booth is part of the ride vehicle. They are physically one and the same. When the ride begins to rotate the ride op sitting in the center spins at the same RPM as the riders. The fact that the ride op appears to be spinning slowly while riders are spinning fast is merely an illusion due to the distance of the ride op and the riders from the center of rotation.

Its like when you spin a bicycle wheel. The hub looks to be spinning slower than the rubber tire, but its obviously all connected by spokes, so they both MUST be spinning at the same rate.

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Mamoosh - aka Trouble Boy!