A Paratrooper also known as an "Umbrella Ride" is a type of fairground ride based on cars suspended below a wheel which rotates at an oblique angle. The cars are free to rock sideways and swing out under centrifugal force and the wheel rotates. Invariably, the cars on a paratrooper have an umbrella or other shaped canopy above the riders. In contrast to modern thrill rides, the Paratrooper is a ride suitable for almost all ages (except for infants and very small children).
Older Paratroopers have a rotating wheel which is permanently raised, which has the disadvantage that riders can only embark, two at a time, as each car is brought to hang vertically at the lowest point of the wheel. Most of these were made by either Bennett, Watkins, or Hrubetz. The German manufacturer Heintz-Fahtze also made larger models under the "Twister" name. Most of these rides require the rider to be at least 36 inches tall with an adult and over 48 inches tall to ride alone.
More modern Paratroopers use a pneumatic lifting piston to raise the ride to its riding angle before spinning the cars. In its lowered position, all the cars hang vertically near the ground and can be loaded simultaneously. The above manufacturers also made these types. The height requirement remains pretty much the same.
Force 10 Ride
The Force 10 is a ride made by Tivoli Enterprises that has many things in common with the Paratrooper. Although it lacks umbrellas on top of its cars, it has some of the same motion of the Paratrooper. It is one of the more modern rides that come down to the ground, and all the cars can be loaded at the same time.
Just like the umbrella ride/Paratrooper, it will start to tilt 40 degrees, but the difference is that it will go extremely fast when doing this. Also, the ride will also move to the 180 degree mark (like it's flat) during its cycle, and then go back to about the 40 degree mark.
The ride has overhead metal bars in the cars. The problem with this ride is that it is really intense, and Tivoli Enterprises doesn't even sell it through the American representatives Amtech International.[citation needed] The minimum rider height requirement is 48 inches (122 cm) and taller.
Incidents
On July 31, 1979, at the privately owned Belmont Park (Montreal, Canada) two children were injured when one car separated from the Paratrooper ride and landed on the concrete base of a lamp post. The ride was dismantled shortly afterward and its fate is unknown.
References
- All the Fun of the Fair description of the Paratrooper.
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