Ronald Bussink

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Roue de Paris, a Bussink R60 transportable wheel, pictured at Geleen in the Netherlands in 2005 Roue De Paris (Geleen).jpg
Roue de Paris, a Bussink R60 transportable wheel, pictured at Geleen in the Netherlands in 2005
Wheel of Sheffield, a Bussink R60 Wheel Of Sheffield From Below.JPG
Wheel of Sheffield, a Bussink R60
Belfast Wheel, a Bussink R60 Belfast Wheel, March 2010.JPG
Belfast Wheel, a Bussink R60
Wheel of Brisbane, a Bussink R60 WheelofBrisbane9.JPG
Wheel of Brisbane, a Bussink R60
Eye on Malaysia, a Bussink R60 20060105EyeOnMsia.jpg
Eye on Malaysia, a Bussink R60

Ronald A. Bussink [1] has been a leading designer of giant Ferris wheels and similar structures for over 25 years. [2] Bussink entered the amusement industry market in 1985 [3] and designed, manufactured, and delivered more than 60 giant observation wheels between 1990 and 2005. [4]

Contents

The Bussink company was previously known as Nauta Bussink prior to moving its offices from the Netherlands to Appenzell Innerrhoden, Switzerland. [5] [6] It was then known as Ronald Bussink Professional Rides, a registered trademark of Ronald Bussink Aktiengesellschaft, [4] which was subsequently renamed Professional Rides Aktiengesellschaft, RoBu Privat Equity AG and then RoBu AG. [7]

In 2008, following the sale of Bussink's Wheels of Excellence range to Vekoma, Bussink created a new company, Bussink Landmarks, to concentrate on the supply of observation wheels of 100 metres (328 ft) and greater in height. [8]

Wheels of Excellence

The Wheels of Excellence range included the following models:

R40
Available as either a fixed or transportable model. 15 or 30 passenger cars, each able to carry 8 people.
R50
Available as either a fixed or transportable model. 18 or 36 passenger cars, each able to carry 8 people.
R60
Available as either a fixed or transportable model. 21 or 42 passenger cars, each able to carry 8 people.
Bussink R60 wheels have operated in Australia (Brisbane), Canada (Niagara Falls), France (Paris), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur & Malacca), UK (Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield), US (Atlanta, Myrtle Beach) and elsewhere.
One of the most famous and well-travelled Bussink R60 wheels is the 60-metre (197 ft) [9] [10] 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 2003-2004 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. [11] Roue de Paris uses 40,000 litres (8,800 imperial gallons) of water ballast to provide a stable base. It 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 be loaded either 3 or 6 at a time, and each car can carry 8 people. [9]
R80
Fixed wheel with either 6 or 8 support legs, and optional self-rotating capsules. 56 passenger cars, each able to carry 8 people.

In 2008, the Wheels of Excellence range of giant wheels was acquired by Vekoma Rides Manufacturing. Vekoma created a new division, Dutch Wheels BV, to market giant wheels as stand alone attractions. [8] As of 2012, Wheels of Excellence variants listed by Dutch Wheels BV were the R40, R50, and R60 models. [12]

Bussink Landmarks

Following the sale of the Wheels of Excellence range, Bussink founded a new company, Bussink Landmarks, to concentrate on the supply of giant observation wheels of 100 metres (328 ft) and greater in height. [8]

Bussink Design

Bussink also founded, [13] and is CEO of, [1] Bussink Design. He designed the R80XL, [1] which is manufactured and sold under licence from Bussink Design GmbH by Maurer German Wheels [14] and Chance American Wheels. [15] The R80XL is available in fixed (SV) and transportable (SP) versions, [16] both approximately 78 metres (256 ft) tall. [17] [18] The R80XL SP is the world's tallest transportable observation wheel. [1] [16]

Evolution

See also

Related Research Articles

Ferris wheel Amusement ride

A Ferris wheel is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, they are kept upright, usually by gravity. Some of the largest modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on the outside of the rim, with 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 used for wheels with conventional gravity-oriented cars.

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, also called 4x4 or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case providing an additional output drive shaft and, in many instances, additional gear ranges.

Roue de Paris

The Roue de Paris is a 60-metre (200 ft) tall transportable Ferris wheel, originally installed on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, France, for the 2000 millennium celebrations. It left Paris in 2002 and has since then seen service at numerous other locations around the world.

Vekoma

Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is a Dutch amusement ride manufacturer. Vekoma is an abbreviation of Veld Koning Machinefabriek and was established in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld. They originally manufactured farm equipment and later made steel constructions for the coal mining industry in the 1950s, After the closure of Dutch mines in 1965, they manufactured steel pipes for the petrochemical industry. Since the 1970s, they have manufactured amusement rides. In 2018, Vekoma was acquired by Sansei Technologies, the parent company of American ride manufacturer S&S Sansei.

Flying roller coaster

A flying roller coaster is a type of roller coaster meant to simulate the sensations of flight by harnessing riders in a prone position during the duration of the ride. The roller coaster cars are suspended below the track, with riders secured such that their backs are parallel to the track.

R40, R-40, or similar, may refer to:

Suspended roller coaster

A suspended roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster in which the car hangs from the bottom of the rolling stock by a pivoting fulcrum or hinge assembly. This allows the car and riders to swing side to side as the train races along the track. Due to the swing designs, these roller coasters cannot invert riders.

Steiger Ferris Wheel

The Steiger Ferris Wheel is a 60-metre (200 ft) tall transportable Ferris wheel. It began operating in 1980, and at that time was the world's tallest transportable wheel, a record documented in the Guinness Book of Records. The world's tallest transportable wheel today is the 78-metre (256 ft) Bussink Design R80XL.

Evolution (ride)

Evolution is a large thrill ride manufactured by FarFabbri in Italy.

Chance Rides

Chance Rides Manufacturing is a roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. The company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufacturing facility are located in Wichita, Kansas.

Texas Star

Texas Star is a Ferris wheel at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, where it operates during the annual State Fair of Texas and is the most popular ride.

Niagara SkyWheel Ferris wheel near Niagara Falls, Canada

Niagara SkyWheel is a 175-foot (53.3 m) tall Ferris wheel in the middle of Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

R60 may refer to :

R50 may refer to :

R80 may refer to:

Giant wheel is an alternative name for a large Ferris wheel.

R80XL

The Bussink Design R80XL is a type of giant Ferris wheel. It was designed by Bussink Design founder and CEO Ronald Bussink, and is manufactured under licence from Bussink Design GmbH of Switzerland by Maurer German Wheels and Chance American Wheels.


The Atlantic Water World transportable Ferris wheel installation at Kalindi Kunj Park in the Okhla neighbourhood of Delhi, India, opened to the public in October 2014.

<i>Grande roue de Montréal</i> Ferris wheel in Montréal

La Grande roue de Montréal is a Ferris wheel built at the Old Port of Montreal for the festivities for the 375th anniversary of the city. Open to the public since 1 September 2017, it is the tallest Ferris wheel in Canada.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Huber, Rudolf (11 January 2013). "Das ist Münchens Riesen-Riesenrad". Abendzeitung (in German). Munich.
  2. ↑ Bussink Landmarks
  3. ↑ AALARA E-zine
  4. 1 2 Ronald Bussink Professional Rides - Giant wheels, Giant rides
  5. ↑ Ronald Bussink
  6. ↑ M&S News | North America > United States from AllBusiness.com
  7. ↑ Handelsregister des Kantons Appenzell Innerrhoden Internet-Auszug (in German)
  8. 1 2 3 Giant Wheels go Dutch - Vekoma takes over Bussink range
  9. 1 2 Roue de Paris - Technical Information
  10. ↑ Dutch Wheels - The History of Giant Wheels
  11. ↑ The History of 'La grande Roue de Paris'
  12. ↑ Dutch Wheels - our product range
  13. ↑ Bussink Design has installed the R80XL Giant Observation Wheel in Munich
  14. ↑ Bussink launches world's tallest transportable observation wheel Archived 2013-06-30 at Archive.today
  15. ↑ Chance Rides signs exclusive deal with Bussink Design
  16. 1 2 World's largest transportable wheel - Bussink Design sets new world record
  17. ↑ Technical Details - Transportable Version
  18. ↑ Technical Details - Stationary Version
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