Ferris wheel

A Ferris wheel (also known as an observation wheel or big wheel) is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars (sometimes referred to as gondolas or capsules) attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.

Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on the outside of the rim, and electric motors to independently rotate each car to keep it upright. These wheels are sometimes referred to as observation wheels, and their cars referred to as capsules, however these alternative names are also sometimes used for wheels with conventional gravity-oriented cars.

The original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The term Ferris wheel later came to be used generically for all such structures.

Since the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel, there have been eight subsequent world's tallest-ever Ferris wheels. The current record holder is the 165-metre (541 ft) Singapore Flyer, which opened to the public in March 2008.

Contents

Early history

Early pleasure wheels depicted in 17th century engravings, to the left by Adam Olearius, to the right a Turkish design, apparently for adults

"Pleasure wheels", whose passengers rode in chairs suspended from large wooden rings turned by strong men, may have originated in 17th century Bulgaria.[1][2]

The travels of Peter Mundy in Europe and Asia, 1608-1667 [3] describes and illustrates "severall Sorts of Swinginge used in their Publique rejoyceings att their Feast of Biram" on 17 May 1620 at Philippopolis in the Ottoman Balkans.[2] Among means "lesse dangerous and troublesome" was one:

“ ...like a Craine wheele att Customhowse Key and turned in that Manner, whereon Children sitt on little seats hunge round about in severall parts thereof, And though it turne right upp and downe, and that the Children are sometymes on the upper part of the wheele, and sometymes on the lower, yett they alwaies sitt upright. ”

Five years earlier, in 1615, Pietro Della Valle, a Roman traveller who sent letters from Constantinople, Persia, and India, attended a Ramadan festival in Constantinople. He describes the fireworks, floats, and great swings, then comments on riding the Great Wheel:[4]

“ I was delighted to find myself swept upwards and downwards at such speed. But the wheel turned round so rapidly that a Greek who was sitting near me couldn't bear it any longer, and shouted out "soni! soni!" (enough! enough!) ”

Similar wheels also appeared in England in the 17th century, and subsequently elsewhere around the world, including India, Romania, and Siberia.[2]

A Frenchman, Antonio Manguino, introduced the idea to America in 1848, when he constructed a wooden pleasure wheel to attract visitors to his start-up fair in Walton Spring, Georgia. Ferris wheels are now the most common type of carnival ride at state fairs in the USA.[1]

Somers' Wheel

In 1892, William Somers installed three fifty-foot wooden wheels at Asbury Park, New Jersey; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Coney Island, New York. The following year he was granted the first U.S. patent for a "Roundabout".[5][6] George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. rode on Somers' wheel in Atlantic City prior to designing his wheel for the World's Columbian Exposition. In 1893 Somers filed a lawsuit against Ferris for patent infringement, however Ferris and his lawyers successfully argued that the Ferris Wheel and its technology differed greatly from Somers' wheel, and the case was dismissed.[7]

The original Ferris Wheel

Main articles: Ferris Wheel and George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.

The original Ferris Wheel, sometimes also referred to as the Chicago Wheel,[8][9][10] opened to the public on June 21, 1893, at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Intended to rival the 324-metre (1,063 ft) Eiffel Tower, the centerpiece of the 1889 Paris Exposition, it was the Columbian Exposition's largest attraction, with a height of 80.4 metres (264 ft).

It was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, bridge-builder. He began his career in the railroad industry and then pursued an interest in bridge building. Ferris understood the growing need for structural steel and founded G.W.G. Ferris & Co. in Pittsburgh, a firm that tested and inspected metals for railroads and bridge builders.

The wheel rotated on a 71-ton, 45.5-foot axle comprising what was at that time the world's largest hollow forging, manufactured in Pittsburgh by the Bethlehem Iron Company and weighing 89,320 pounds, together with two 16-foot-diameter (4.9 m) cast-iron spiders weighing 53,031 pounds.[9]

There were 36 cars, each fitted with 40 revolving chairs and able to accommodate up to 60 people, giving a total capacity of 2,160.[8] The wheel carried some 38,000 passengers daily[1] and took 20 minutes to complete two revolutions, the first involving six stops to allow passengers to exit and enter and the second a nine-minute non-stop rotation, for which the ticket holder paid 50 cents.

The Exposition ended in October 1893, and the wheel closed in April 1894 and was dismantled and stored until the following year. It was then rebuilt on Chicago's North Side, near Lincoln Park, next to an exclusive neighborhood. This prompted William D. Boyce, then a local resident, to file a Circuit Court action against the owners of the wheel to have it removed, but without success. It operated there from October 1895 until 1903, when it was again dismantled, then transported by rail to St. Louis for the 1904 World's Fair and finally destroyed by controlled demolition using dynamite on May 11, 1906.[11]

Antique Ferris wheels

Wiener Riesenrad, Vienna, built in 1897, originally had 30 passenger cabins but was rebuilt with 15 cabins following a fire in 1944

The Wiener Riesenrad (German for "Viennese Giant Wheel") is a surviving example of nineteenth century Ferris wheels. Erected in 1897 in the Wurstelprater section of Prater public park in the Leopoldstadt district of Vienna, Austria, to celebrate Emperor Franz Josef I's Golden Jubilee, it has a height of 64.75 metres (212 ft)[12] and originally had 30 passenger cars. A demolition permit for the Riesenrad was issued in 1916, but due to a lack to funds with which to carry out the destruction, it survived.[13]

Following the demolition of the 100-metre (328 ft) Grande Roue de Paris in 1920,[8] the Riesenrad became the world's tallest extant Ferris wheel. In 1944 it burnt down, but was rebuilt the following year[13] with 15 passenger cars, and remained the world's tallest extant wheel until its 97th year, when the 85-metre (279 ft) Technocosmos was constructed for Expo '85, at Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.

Still in operation today, it is one of Vienna's most popular tourist attractions, and over the years has featured in numerous films (including Madame Solange d`Atalide (1914),[13] Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), The Third Man (1949), The Living Daylights (1987), Before Sunrise (1995)) and novels.

World's tallest Ferris wheels

Chronology of world's tallest-ever wheels

Timeline


Name
 		 Height
   m (ft)  		 Completed
 		 Country
 		 Location
 		 Coordinates
 		 Remarks
 
Singapore Flyer [22]
165 (541)
2008
  Singapore Marina Centre, Downtown Core World's tallest 2008-current
Star of Nanchang [22]
160 (525)
2006
  China Nanchang, Jiangxi World's tallest 2006-2008
London Eye [22]
135 (443)
2000
  UK South Bank, Lambeth, London World's tallest 2000-2006
Suzhou Ferris Wheel [22][23]
120 (394)
2009
  China Suzhou, Jiangsu
The Southern Star [22]
120 (394)
2008
  Australia Waterfront City, Melbourne Closed January 2009 for repairs
Tianjin Eye [22]
120 (394)
2008
  China Chihai Bridge, Tianjin Tallest built over a bridge
Changsha Ferris Wheel [22]
120 (394)
2004
  China Changsha, Hunan
Zhengzhou Ferris Wheel [22][24]
120 (394)
2003
  China Century Amusement Park, Henan
Sky Dream Fukuoka [22][25]
120 (394)
2002
  Japan Evergreen Marinoa, Fukuoka, Kyūshū Closed September 2009
Diamond and Flower Ferris Wheel
117 (384)
2001
  Japan Kasai Rinkai Park, Tokyo, Honshū
Star of Lake Tai 
115 (377)
2008
  China Lake Tai, Wuxi, Jiangsu Picture
Daikanransha [21]
115 (377)
1999
  Japan Palette Town, Odaiba, Honshū World's tallest 1999-2000
Cosmo Clock 21 (2nd installation)
112.5 (369)
1999
  Japan Minato Mirai 21, Yokohama, Honshū
Tempozan Ferris Wheel [18]
112.5 (369)
1997
  Japan Osaka, Honshū World's tallest 1997-1999
Harbin Ferris Wheel [26]
110 (361)
2003
  China Harbin, Heilongjiang Picture
Shanghai Ferris Wheel [27][28]
108 (354)
2002
  China Jinjiang Action Park, Shanghai Picture
Cosmo Clock 21 (1st installation)
107.5 (353)
1989
  Japan Minato Mirai 21, Yokohama, Honshū
?
 World's tallest 1989-1997
Space Eye [29]
100 (328)
?
  Japan Space World, Kitakyūshū, Kyūshū Picture
Grande Roue de Paris [8]
100 (328)
1900
  France Champ de Mars, Paris World's tallest 1900-1920
Great Wheel [14] 094
94 (308)
1895
  UK Earls Court, London World's tallest 1895-1900
Aurora Wheel [30] 090
90 (295)
?
  Japan Nagashima Spa Land, Mie, Honshū Picture
Eurowheel [31] 090
90 (295)
1999
  Italy Mirabilandia, Ravenna Tallest extant in Europe 1999
Sky Wheel [32] 088
88 (289)
?
  Taiwan Janfusun Fancyworld, Gukeng
Technostar
Technocosmos [8]		 085
85 (279)
 1985
?
1985
  Japan Expoland, Osaka, Honshū (?-2009)
Expo '85, Tsukuba, Honshū (1985-?)
World's tallest extant 1985-1989Technocosmos renamed/relocated
World's tallest extant 1985-1989
The original Ferris Wheel 080.40
80.4 (264)
1893
  USA Chicago (1893-1903); St.Louis (1904-06)  Ferris Wheel coordinates World's tallest 1893-1894

Future wheels

Current proposals

Incomplete, delayed, or cancelled proposals

Wheels for which no completion date has been announced, or whose original completion date has already passed:

The Shanghai Star, initially planned as a 200-metre (656 ft) tall wheel to be built by 2005, was revised to 170 metres (558 ft), with a completion date set in 2007, but then cancelled in 2006 due to "political incorrectness".[62] An earlier proposal for a 250-metre (820 ft) structure, the Shanghai Kiss, with capsules ascending and descending a pair of towers which met at their peaks instead of a wheel, was deemed too expensive at £100m.[63]

Rus-3000, a 170-metre (558 ft) wheel planned to open in 2004[64] in Moscow,[65] has since been reported cancelled.[66] Subsequently, an approximately 180-metre (591 ft)[67] wheel was considered for Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure,[68][69] and a 150-metre (492 ft) wheel proposed for location near Sparrow Hills.[70]

Observation wheels

The Singapore Flyer, world's tallest Ferris wheel since 2008, has 28 air-conditioned passenger capsules, each able to carry 28 people [71]
The London Eye's 32 ovoidal air-conditioned passenger capsules each weigh 10 tonnes (11 short tons) and can carry 25 people [72]

Observation wheel is an alternative name for Ferris wheel.[73][74] In 1892, when the incorporation papers for the Ferris Wheel Company (constructors of the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel) were filed, the purpose of the company was stated as: [construction and operation of] "...wheels of the Ferris or other types for the purpose of observation or amusement".[8]

Some Ferris wheels are marketed as observation wheels, any distinction between the two names being at the discretion of the operator, however the wheels whose operators reject the term Ferris wheel are often those having most in common with the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel, especially in terms of scale and being an iconic landmark for a city or event.

Wheels with passenger cars mounted external to the rim and independently rotated by electric motors, as opposed to wheels with cars suspended from the rim and kept upright by gravity, are those most commonly referred to as observation wheels, and their cars are often referred to as capsules. However, these alternative names are also sometimes used for wheels with conventional gravity-oriented cars.

There are currently only three major Ferris wheels with motorised capsules.

The 165 m (541 ft) Singapore Flyer has cylindrical externally-mounted motorised capsules and is described as an observation wheel by its operators,[75] but credited as "world's largest Ferris wheel" by the media.[76][77]

The 135 m (443 ft) London Eye, typically described as a "giant Ferris wheel" by the media,[78][79] has ovoidal externally-mounted motorised capsules and is the "world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel"[80] according to its operators, who claim: "The London Eye is often mistakenly called a Ferris wheel. This is not the case: first, the passenger capsules are completely enclosed and are climate controlled; secondly, the capsules are positioned on the outside of the wheel structure and are fully motorised; and third, the entire structure is supported by an A-frame on one side only."[80] However, the operators of the Singapore Flyer claim their wheel is the "world's largest observation wheel"[81] despite it not being supported by an A-frame on one side only.

The 120 m (394 ft) Southern Star (which opened 20 December 2008, then closed the following month, and is currently dismantled for major repairs) has ovoidal externally-mounted motorised capsules and is described by its operators as "the only observation wheel in the southern hemisphere",[82] but also as a Ferris wheel by the media.[83][84]

A fourth wheel, the proposed 167.6 m (550 ft) High Roller, announced in August 2011 and scheduled for completion on the Las Vegas Strip in late 2013,[33] is to feature externally-mounted motorised spherical capsules,[36] and is described as both a Ferris wheel and an observation wheel by the media.[33][35][36][85]

Transportable wheels

Transportable Ferris wheels are designed to be operated at multiple locations, as opposed to fixed wheels which are usually intended for permanent installation. Small transportable designs may be permanently mounted on trailers, and can be moved intact. Larger transportable wheels are designed to be repeatedly dismantled and rebuilt, some using water ballast instead of the permanent foundations of their fixed counterparts.

Fixed wheels are also sometimes dismantled and relocated. Larger examples include the original Ferris Wheel, which operated at two sites in Chicago, Illinois, and a third in St. Louis, Missouri; Technocosmos/Technostar, which moved to Expoland, Osaka, after Expo '85, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, for which it was built, ended; and Cosmo Clock 21, which added 5 metres (16 ft) onto its original 107.5-metre (353 ft) height when erected for the second time at Minato Mirai 21, Yokohama, in 1999.

The world's tallest transportable wheel today is a 66-metre (217 ft) tall Ronald Bussink series R66 design operated by World Carnival.[86]

One of the most famous transportable wheels is the 60-metre (197 ft) tall Roue de Paris, originally installed on the Place de la Concorde in Paris for the 2000 millennium celebrations. Roue de Paris left France in 2002 and in 2003–04 operated in Birmingham and Manchester, England. In 2005 it visited first Geleen then Amsterdam, Netherlands, before returning to England to operate at Gateshead. In 2006 it was erected at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar in Bangkok, Thailand, and by 2008 had made its way to Antwerp, Belgium.[87]

Roue de Paris is a Ronald Bussink series R60 design using 40,000 litres (8,800 imperial gallons; 11,000 US gallons) of water ballast to provide a stable base. The R60 weighs 365 tonnes (402 short tons), and can be erected in 72 hours and dismantled in 60 hours by a specialist team. Transport requires seven 20-foot container lorries, ten open trailer lorries, and one closed trailer lorry. Its 42 passenger cars can be loaded either 3 or 6 at a time, and each car can carry 8 people.[88] Bussink R60 wheels have operated in Australia (Brisbane), Canada (Niagara Falls), France (Paris), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur & Malacca), UK (Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield), USA (Myrtle Beach), and elsewhere.

Other notable transportable wheels include the 60-metre (197 ft) Steiger Ferris Wheel, which was the world's tallest transportable wheel when it began operating in 1980.[89] It has 42 passenger cars,[90] and weighs 450 tons.[91] On October 11, 2010, it collapsed at the Kramermarkt in Oldenburg, Germany, during deconstruction.[92]

Notable transportable Ferris wheel installations:

Name
 		 Height
   m (ft)  		 Years
 		 Country
 		 Location
 		 Coordinates
 
Belfast Wheel
60 (197)
2007-2010
  UK Belfast
Brighton Wheel
see article
2011-2016
  UK Brighton
Eye on Malaysia
60 or 62 m
2007-2008
2008-2010
  Malaysia
 Malaysia		 Kuala Lumpur
Malacca
Royal Windsor Wheel
60 m in 2011
various
  UK Windsor, Berkshire
Wheel of Birmingham
60 (197)
various
  UK Birmingham
Wheel of Brisbane
60 (197)
2008-2012
  Australia Brisbane
Wheel of Dublin
53 or 60 m
2010-2011
  Ireland North Wall, Dublin
Wheel of Manchester
60 (197)
various
  UK Exchange Square, Manchester
Wheel of Sheffield
60 (197)
2009-2010
  UK Sheffield
Yorkshire Wheel
see article
various
  UK York
multiple locations - see article

Double and triple wheels

Swiss manufacturer Intamin produced a series of rides comprising a vertical column supporting multiple horizontal arms, with each arm supporting a Ferris wheel. Custom designed for the Marriott Corporation, each ride had three main components: the wheels with their passenger cars; a set of supporting arms; and a single central supporting column. Each wheel rotated about the end of its own supporting arm. The arms in turn would either pivot or rotate together as a single unit about the top of the supporting column. The axis about which the rotating arms turned was offset from vertical, so that as the arms rotated, each arm and its corresponding wheel was raised and lowered. This allowed one wheel to be horizontal at ground level, and brought to a standstill for simultaneous loading and unloading of all its passenger cars, while the other wheel(s) continued to rotate vertically at considerable height.

The first such ride was Astrowheel, which had two arms and wheels with 8 passenger cars each, and operated at the former Six Flags Astroworld, Houston, Texas, from 1968 until 1980.[97]

Similar wheels included Giant Wheel (Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania), Zodiac (Kings Island, Mason, Ohio), and Galaxy (Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California). All were Intamin designs; all are now defunct.

Sky Whirl was the world's first triple Ferris wheel, debuting at both Marriott's Great America parks (now Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, and California's Great America, Santa Clara) in 1976. Also known as a triple Ferris wheel,[98] Triple Giant Wheel,[99] or Triple Tree Wheel, it was 33 metres (108 ft) in height.[100] The Santa Clara ride, renamed Triple Wheel in post-Marriott years, closed on 1 September 1997. The Gurnee ride closed in 2000.[101]

Eccentric wheels

Eccentric wheels (sometimes called sliding wheels[102] or coaster wheels[103]) differ from conventional Ferris wheels in that some or all of the passenger cars are not fixed directly to the rim of the wheel, but instead slide on rails between the hub and the rim as the wheel rotates.

The two most famous eccentric wheels are Mickey's Fun Wheel (previously Sun Wheel), at Disney California Adventure Park, USA, and Wonder Wheel, at Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, Coney Island. USA.

Mickey's Fun Wheel is 48.8 metres (160 ft) tall[102] and has 24 fully enclosed passenger cars, each able to carry 6 passengers. 16 of the cars slide inward and outward as the wheel rotates, the remainder are fixed to the rim. There are separate boarding queues for sliding and fixed cars, so that passengers may choose between the two.[95] Inspired by Coney Island's 1920 Wonder Wheel, it was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and Intamin, completed in 2001 as the Sun Wheel, and later refurbished and reopened in 2009 as Mickey's Fun Wheel.[102]

Wonder Wheel was built in 1920, is 45.7 metres (150 ft) tall, and can carry 144 people.[104]

Major designers, manufacturers, & operators

Allan Herschell Company (merged with Chance Morgan in 1970) [105]

  • Seattle Wheel (debuted 1962): 16 cars, 2 passengers per car [106]
  • Sky Wheel (debuted 1939; also manufactured by Chance Morgan): a double wheel, with the wheels rotating about opposite ends of a pair of parallel beams, and the beams rotating about their centres; 8 cars per wheel, 2 passengers per car [107]
Chance Morgan [108]
  • Astro Wheel (debuted 1967): 16 cars (8 facing one way, 8 the other), 2 passengers per car [109]
  • Century Wheel: 20 m (66 ft) tall, 15 cars, 4-6 passengers per car [108]
  • Giant Wheel: 27 m (89 ft) tall, 20 cars, 6-8 passengers per car [108]
  • Niagara SkyWheel: 53.3 m (175 ft) tall, 42 air-conditioned cars, 8 passengers per car [110]
Eli Bridge [111]
W.E. Sullivan, owner of Eli Bridge Company, a bridge building business in Illinois, rode the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel at the World's Columbian Exposition. Inspired by this, he collaborated with machinist James H. Clements and their first Big Eli wheel debuted in Central Park, Jacksonville, Illinois, on May 23, 1900. Contemporary models include:
  • Signature Series: 16 cars, 3 passengers per car; transportable
  • Eagle Series: 16 cars, 3 passengers per car; transportable
  • HY-5 Series: 12 cars, 3 passengers per car; transportable
  • Aristocrat Series: 16 cars, fixed site
  • Standard Series: 12 cars, fixed site
  • Lil' Wheel: 6 cars, 3 passengers per car; transportable and fixed site models

Great Wheel Corporation [112] (merged with World Tourist Attractions in 2009 to form Great City Attractions Ltd.) [113]

Intamin [114]

Ronald Bussink Professional Rides [115] (formerly Nauta Bussink)

  • R40: 40-metre (131 ft) tall fixed or transportable wheel, 30 cars, 8 passengers per car
  • R50: 50-metre (164 ft) tall fixed or transportable wheel, 36 cars, 8 passengers per car
  • R60: 60-metre (197 ft) tall transportable wheel, 42 cars, 8 passengers per car [88]
  • R66: 66-metre (217 ft) tall transportable wheel, 42 cars; world's tallest transportable wheel, operated by World Carnival [86]
  • R80: 80-metre (262 ft) tall fixed wheel, 56 cars, 8 passengers per car
Senyo Kogyo Co, Ltd.

See also


Four-car 30 m tall drive-in Ferris wheel at
Harbourfront, Toronto, Canada, in 2004 [117]

Ferris wheel constructed by the Swedish
contingent at the 21st World Scout Jamboree

Passenger-powered 2-seat Cyclecide wheel
at the 2007 Bumbershoot festival in Seattle


References

  1. ^ a b c Still turning – Jacksonville built the world's first portable Ferris Wheel
  2. ^ a b c Eyes in the sky
  3. ^ The travels of Peter Mundy in Europe and Asia, 1608-1667
  4. ^ Wilfrid Blount, Pietro's pilgrimage: a journey to India and back at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Volume 1
  5. ^ explorepahistory.com
  6. ^ a b U.S. Patents for Ferris Wheels
  7. ^ Cahan, Richard (2002). A court that shaped America : Chicago's federal district court from Abe Lincoln to Abbie Hoffman ([Online-Ausg.] ed.). Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press. pp. 45. ISBN 0810119811. http://books.google.com/books?id=ALsW1pAD4A0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Ferris wheels - an illustrated history, Norman D. Anderson
  9. ^ a b Hyde Park Historical Society: Chicago's Great Ferris Wheel of 1893, Patrick Meehan
  10. ^ The Kensington Canal, railways and related developments - British History Online
  11. ^ George Ferris
  12. ^ Wiener Riesenrad - technical data
  13. ^ a b c Wiener Riesenrad - history
  14. ^ a b Great Wheel, Earls Court - English Heritage Images
  15. ^ The Great Wheel, Earl's Court Exhibition Ground
  16. ^ The Ferris Wheel's London Rival - The New York Times
  17. ^ PhotoLondon: National Monuments Record - The Great Wheel, London
  18. ^ a b c d Senyo Kogyo Co, Ltd. - company profile
  19. ^ a b Senyo Kogyo Co, Ltd. - Cosmo Clock 21 (Japanese)
  20. ^ KIPPO NEWS Tuesday, June 24, 1997 (Japanese)
  21. ^ a b Palette Town Daikanransha website date page (Japanese)
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i World’s top 10 tallest Ferris wheels
  23. ^ The Ferris Wheel to Revolve Hopefully on May Day
  24. ^ Century pleasure garden Profile(Chinese)
  25. ^ Evergreen marinoa official website (Japanese)
  26. ^ China's Highest Ferris Wheel under Construction
  27. ^ The wheel deal: Amusement park offers lofty view
  28. ^ Shanghai Jinjiang Amusement Park Introduction
  29. ^ Space World attractions information
  30. ^ Nagashima Resort Guide Book
  31. ^ Mirabilandia - Vivi il Divertimento! Novità 2009 - ISpeed, il nuovo Roller Coaster!
  32. ^ 劍湖山世界 welcome to janfusun fancyworld
  33. ^ a b c Las Vegas plans to top London Eye with massive Ferris wheel
  34. ^ Jeddah Eye
  35. ^ a b c High stakes for dueling Vegas observation wheels
  36. ^ a b c Colorado's Leitner-Poma to build cabins for huge observation wheel in Las Vegas
  37. ^ a b Skyvue Las Vegas to Soar 500 Feet above Strip - For Immediate Release
  38. ^ Las Vegas developer breaks ground on 500-foot Ferris wheel project
  39. ^ Dueling mega-Ferris wheels in Vegas
  40. ^ moscowview.ru/moscowview.pdf
  41. ^ Moscow plans an observation wheel to beat Las Vegas 'High Roller' project
  42. ^ Moscow Hopes To Boost Tourism With a Giant Spokeless Ferris Wheel
  43. ^ Observation Wheel May Tower Over Moscow
  44. ^ a b AFP: Beijing begins construction of world's biggest wheel
  45. ^ a b Beijing Ferris wheel company in receivership
  46. ^ Yacoub, Sameer. "Baghdad plans to build giant Ferris wheel". Associated Press. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26425911. Retrieved 2008-08-28. 
  47. ^ Iraq Looking To Build Giant Observation Wheel In Baghdad To Promote Tourism
  48. ^ Iraq plans giant Ferris wheel, hopes to lure tourists to Baghdad
  49. ^ Obama ad attacks McCain for Baghdad Ferris wheel project being built on land leased by a Democratic Party donor
  50. ^ 2nd highest Ferris wheel in Arab region opened in Zawraa Park
  51. ^ a b Great Dubai Wheel Gets the Green Light
  52. ^ Voyager Entertainment International, Inc.
  53. ^ Voyager Las Vegas
  54. ^ BMA plans to build 'Bangkok Eye' on Chao Phya bank
  55. ^ a b c d Planned Great Wheel for I-Drive area of Orlando on hold - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
  56. ^ Developer to roll out plans for Great Orlando Wheel attraction
  57. ^ Manchester 'monster' wheel plans confirmed
  58. ^ Big wheel returns to city centre
  59. ^ Malacca to get bigger Ferris wheel
  60. ^ Opening delayed for Pepsi Globe Ferris wheel at Meadowlands Xanadu
  61. ^ Panel will advise Gov. Christie on four potential suitors in Xanadu redevelopment
  62. ^ Asia Times Online - China Business News - China's ill-conceived image projects
  63. ^ Developer spurns Alsop’s £100m Shanghai Kiss
  64. ^ World's Tallest Ferris Wheel Proposed In Moscow - Emporis.com
  65. ^ Project has Muscovites going 'round and 'round - csmonitor.com
  66. ^ Moscow Ferris Wheel, Moscow - Emporis.com
  67. ^ Moscow News - Local - Bringing back the big whee
  68. ^ Кризис закруглится в ЦПКиО - Мегаполис - GZT.ru
  69. ^ Lenta.ru - В России - Для Парка Горького выберут новое колесо обозрения
  70. ^ Чертово колесо - разберут в московском ЦПКиО - BN.ru газет
  71. ^ FAQs on Private Capsules - Singapore Flyer
  72. ^ London's Eye in the sky not just a Ferris wheel
  73. ^ MSN Encarta - Ferris Wheel
  74. ^ Inventor of the Week - George Ferris
  75. ^ We don't use the F-word
  76. ^ Singapore to open world's largest Ferris wheel - Reuters
  77. ^ Dozens trapped in world's largest ferris wheel as Singapore Flyer judders to a halt - Times Online
  78. ^ London: 10 Things to Do in 24 Hours - 3. The London Eye - TIME
  79. ^ Wheel deal: the London Eye turns 10 - Jonathan Glancey - Art and design - guardian.co.uk
  80. ^ a b Is it a Ferris wheel?
  81. ^ Home - Singapore Flyer
  82. ^ Welcome to the Southern Star
  83. ^ Work to spin Ferris wheel
  84. ^ Southern Star Observation Wheel profile
  85. ^ New Vegas attraction helps Grand Junction's economy
  86. ^ a b Deaths shut The Eye
  87. ^ The History of 'La grande Roue de Paris'
  88. ^ a b Technical Information
  89. ^ Anker, Jens (4 Nov 2004). "Schausteller verspricht Riesenrad am Container-Bahnhof [Fairground showman promises Ferris wheel at the Goods Station]" (in German). Welt Online. http://www.welt.de/print-welt/article350407/Schausteller_verspricht_Riesenrad_am_Container_Bahnhof.html. 
  90. ^ "Steiger Build-Up - Technical data". http://www.riesenrad.de/page.php?rubrik=2&page=0&lang=en. Retrieved 10 June 2010. 
  91. ^ Klessmann, Michael (30 August 2010). "Riesenrad in der Hafencity [Ferris Wheel Harbour Town's City Centre]" (in German). HafenCity News. http://www.hafencitynews.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1210&Itemid=57. Retrieved 3 March 2011. 
  92. ^ "Riesenrad-Unfall: Freimarkt bekommt Europa-Rad als Ersatz [Ferris wheel accident: Freimarkt gets Europe Wheel instead]" (in German). Kreiszeitung. 12 October 2010. http://www.kreiszeitung.de/freimarkt-bremen/2010/freimarkt-aktuell/unfall-steiger-riesenrad-abbau-oldenburg-957650.html. 
  93. ^ Ocean County NJ History, Seaside
  94. ^ Wonder Wheel History
  95. ^ a b Mickey's Fun Wheel - Disney's California Adventure
  96. ^ Yokohama Accommodation
  97. ^ SixFlagsHouston.com - Rides - Astrowheel
  98. ^ Need Six Flags Great America Tickets?
  99. ^ Theme Park Timelines
  100. ^ Zoning Board Minutes - 10-25-00
  101. ^ Sky Whirl at Marriott's Great America parks
  102. ^ a b c Mickey's Fun Wheel
  103. ^ Coaster wheel
  104. ^ The Wonder Wheel
  105. ^ Chance, Harold (2004). The Book of Chance. Wichita, Kansas: Wichita Press. pp. 31. ISBN 0-9649065-0-3. 
  106. ^ Allan Herschell Seattle Wheel
  107. ^ Skywheel (Manufactured by both Allan Herschell and Chance Rides)
  108. ^ a b c Chance Morgan
  109. ^ Chance Astro Wheel
  110. ^ One of a Kind ‘Giant Wheel’ Debuts in Niagara Falls, Canada
  111. ^ Eli Bridge Company :: Jacksonville, IL :: Ferris Wheels
  112. ^ The Great Wheel Corporation | Singapore Flyer | Great Wheel Beijing Orlando Berlin Dubai
  113. ^ World Tourist Attractions, Great Wheel Merge Ahead Of IPO
  114. ^ Intamin - Ride Trade - The Art of Thrill - Giant Wheels
  115. ^ Ronald Bussink Professional Rides
  116. ^ Senyo Kogyo Co, Ltd. - Diamond and Flower Ferris Wheel (Japanese)
  117. ^ canadianarchitect.com - Reinventing the Wheel