Enterprise (Alton Towers)
| Enterprise | |
|---|---|
|
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| Status | In Production |
| First manufactured | 1972 |
| No. of installations | About 64 |
| Manufacturer | HUSS Park Attractions |
| G force | 3 |
| Vehicle type | Gondola |
| Vehicles | 20 |
| Riders per vehicle | 1-4 |
| Restraint Style | Cage |
The Enterprise is an amusement ride, manufactured primarily by HUSS Park Attractions and Anton Schwarzkopf beginning in 1972. The HUSS ride was an adaptation and improvement of a design produced earlier that year by Schwarzkopf, with an increased passenger capacity. Despite not owning the original incarnation of the ride, HUSS was issued the patent.
Although Schwarzkopf was the first to build the more standard Enterprise, the overall design was actually predated by another ride, the Passat, which first opened in 1964. This is only considered to a precursor, however, as the mechanism used to lift the arm up and down as well as the over all look of the ride is much different from a typical Enterprise.
The ride is named after USS Enterprise from the TV series Star Trek. The backdrop is decorated with space-themed art and a silhouette of the starship Enterprise.
Enterprises are manufactured by HUSS, Schwarzkopf, and Heinz Fähtz; all sharing the name Enterprise. Both trailer and park versions have been created and are in use.
In the ride, up to two people sit in one of 20 gondolas arranged in a circle, one in front of the other. The ride moves clockwise, dispelling a slight amount of centrifugal force. A hydraulically powered arm underneath the ride then raises and tilts the frame so that the ride is rotating at 87° from the horizontal, transforming the ride from a horizontal experience to a nearly vertical one.
On most Enterprise models, there are no safety restraints; the force applied to the riders is sufficient to keep them pinned in their seats. However, some models have been fitted with seat belts. Most parks and carnivals require riders to be at least 48 inches tall, though it is not uncommon to see restrictions as much as 54 inches or more. The transportable version of the ride racks onto two trailers, the first carrying the wheel, arm, and drive systems while the second is loaded with the gondolas, platforms, and any additional equipment. The first trailer also acts as the base of the ride while in operation.
Much like any other Enterprise type ride, the Passat has number of caged gondolas, in this case 12, that sit around a circular frame, which, in turn sits on the end of an arm. But what makes this ride different from an Enterprise is that the center of the frame, as well as the end of the arm, is fitted around an arc-shaped pillar, which is used to raise and lower the arm in order to tilt it from horizontal to vertical. The earliest known machine, Passat, was originally built by German show family Winter and started traveling it to funfairs 1964. Later machines were been built by Klaus and possibly Heinz Fähtz. Although the whereabouts of these rides are mostly unknown, there is one, known as Super Passat, which is currently believed to be in storage.
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