Mini Pirates Ship Family Rides
A pirate ship amusement park ride works as a pendulum. A galleon shaped gondola hangs from two oscillating arms carried by four columns, swinging from one side to the other until it reaches its highest point. At the top of each arc riders feel a short moment of weightlessness, repeated swing after swing. Gravity does most of the work, which is why the attraction draws so little power compared with the thrill it returns.
A pirate ship amusement park ride built for families
A full size galleon swings close to the vertical, which leaves younger children on the ground watching. The Mini Pirate Ship stops at 70 degrees, an angle that keeps the swing exciting while opening it to the whole family, from 130 cm upwards. The park gets the same silhouette on the midway, inside a machine that fits where a full size ship never would.
The Preston & Barbieri version seats 24 passengers, each held by an individual lap bar, reaching 36 km/h (22 mph) at the bottom of the arc. The structure stands around 8.7 metres (29 ft) on a footprint of 8.50 by 6.30 metres (28 by 21 ft), with a throughput of up to 480 riders an hour. The gondola, the sails and the entrance front are open to custom theming in the colours of the park.
The ride travels as well as it settles. Trailer mounted, self supporting or set on foundations, it serves as a pirate ship carnival ride on the road exactly as it serves a permanent site in a park or a family entertainment centre. Operators putting together a family midway often pair it with a merry go round ride for the smallest visitors, leaving the swinging pirate ship ride to the older children.
