The Cyclone Fairground Ride
Built by Santiago Plicio in September 2014
Upon dismantling my previous Rock ‘n’ Rolla model, as is becoming almost customary, I decided to keep its rotating unit in the hope of modifying it to incorporate it into something new. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was hoping to achieve but I decided the base and the tower of that model would give me a large part of the core of a new model idea.
As always I was thinking once again on another variation of a fairground ride and with this I then started building the passenger car for its riders. I settled for the shape of a long rocket-like boat as the first part of the redesign and when that facelift idea failed to take off due to the width of the existing original tower, I realised I would have to start a completely new model instead.
Using a circular shaped piece of plywood that I had once previously used as the base and runway in an older flight and take-off themed model at least gave me something old to introduce into my newer model and here the above passenger car idea grew further into a new idea of constructing along rotating arm with a counterweight at one end and the riding passengers at the other.
A type of pyramid shaped base was built in the centre to house the motor and gear that would drive a rotating large geared roller bearing part 167 with the attachment to hold the rotating arm and vehicle. The main obstacle to overcome here was designing and adjusting to achieve just the right height as this was crucial to the success of the angle and separation of the vehicle from the passenger mounting point.
A completed circular perimeter framework was design to enclose the ride with just a front entrance in the shape of a circular arch way and two kiosks at each end.
The height of the walls was kept low at 12½ inches so the passenger car could easily lift off to a high angle at speed, however after some trials I decided to build a more elaborate structure all round and increased the height and angle in a roof like structure. To achieve this though I had to restrict the angle of lift from the vehicle to avoid it colliding with the new circular shape roof.
Due to the challenges posed by transportation to exhibit the model, and as the arm structure of the model is very heavy, I designed it to be detachable from the base and this way the whole model can be tilted sideways to get through a doorway and to be able to take to the car.
The model was finished off with low voltage lights, some access steps and odd aesthetic embellishments which were all completed in August 2014.
The ride’s main thrill appeal is that of a high speed cyclonic flight version of a kind of ‘Wall of Death’ ride.
Thrill seeking adrenaline junkies at the fair are getting harder to please. But it’s good to remember that before all hell breaks out and for those out chasing a storm, getting whipped up by a cyclone is not something your body is going to quickly forget.
Come ride nature’s own version of the Wall of death — ‘The Cyclone’.