Condor (ride)

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For other uses, see condor (disambiguation).

A Condor in Operation at Six Flags Great America.

The Condor is the trade name of an amusement ride sold by HUSS of Bremen, Germany. It was debuted at the 1984 New Orleans World's Fair, under the name "Cyclo Tower".

The Condor has 28 steel-framed gondolas, each equipped with a painted fiberglass shell - frequently to resemble the seats to be an actual bird. The seats hold one or two people seated in each, one sitting behind the other if they decide to ride double. It can accommodate approximately 1,700 riders per hour. The automatic doors on the ride are operated by pneumatic air pressure, and are manually opened/closed during necessary points at the beginning/end of the ride cycle. The ride uses a cable and counterweight system within the tower to assist with the raising and lowering of the rotating assembly.

There is a DC induction motor located at the end of each arm responsible for rotating the gondolas, as well as three more on the middle lifting structure used for rotation of the entire assembly and travelling the tower. To start the ride, most Condors use a three button start system - with three buttons required to be hit at the same time to start the cycle. (The operator in the booth uses his/her thumbs on the two buttons located on the panel, while an attendant in a location around the perimeter must be holding that one as well.)

Operators of the ride have option to operate the ride at different speeds and rotation configurations (forward and reverse), with the potential for unique computerized programs on each ride. These unique motions can also be controlled manually. Most Condor installations are park models. One exception is one of the only traveling models left in the world, Blume & Wollenschlaeger's "Ikarus-Der-Mythos." Ikarus is one of the fastest Condors operating today, and features different and unique ride programs and the reverse rotation at the end of the cycle.

The Condor offers a scenic view combined with an exciting ride cycle, making it one of the most distinctive amusement experiences in the industry. Most recently, in 2007, Huss discontinued the manufacturing of new installations of the ride.

[edit] Condor's Locations

There are several Huss Condor locations throughout the world, including one at Marineland in Niagara Falls, La Ronde in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Six Flags); Morey's Piers, Wildwood, NJ; Hersheypark, Six Flags Great America, Hershey, PA; and The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom in Queensbury, New York.