Ronald Bussink
Encyclopedia
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Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars 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...
s and similar structures. Previously known as Nauta Bussink, the company was renamed when it moved its offices from the Netherlands to Switzerland.
Based in Appenzell Innerrhoden
Appenzell Innerrhoden
Appenzell Innerrhoden is the smallest canton of Switzerland by population and the second smallest by area, Basel-City having less area.-Foundation:...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Ronald Bussink entered the amusement industry market in 1985 and has designed, manufactured, and delivered more than 60 giant Ferris wheels in the last 15 years, including the world's tallest transportable wheel, the 66 metres (216.5 ft) tall series R66 wheel operated by World Carnival
World Carnival
World Carnival is a transportable amusement park. Between 1995 and 2007 it visited China , Dubai , Hong Kong , Malaysia, Oman, Singapore , South Korea, and Thailand.-Ferris wheel:...
.
Ferris wheels
Contemporary models include:R40
Available as either a fixed or transportable model. 30 passenger cars, each able to carry 8 people.
R50
Available as either a fixed or transportable model. 36 passenger cars, each able to carry 8 people.
R60
The 60 metres (196.9 ft) tall Bussink R60 transportable wheel uses abbr=off 40000 of water ballast to provide a stable base. It weighs 365 tonnes (402.3 ST), 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.
Bussink R60 wheels have operated in Australia (Brisbane
Wheel of Brisbane
The Wheel of Brisbane is a tall transportable Ferris wheel installation erected as part of the 20th anniversary of World Expo 88 and the 150th anniversary of the State of Queensland 1859–2009 celebrations....
), Canada (Niagara Falls), France (Paris
Roue de Paris
The Roue de Paris is a tall Ferris wheel, originally installed on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, France, for the 2000 millennium celebrations...
), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur & Malacca
Eye on Malaysia
Eye on Malaysia was a transportable Ferris wheel installation in Malaysia. It began operating in Kuala Lumpur in 2007, was then moved to Malacca in 2008, and operated there until 2010....
), UK (Belfast
Belfast Wheel
The Belfast Wheel was a tall transportable Ferris wheel installation in the centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the grounds on the east side of Belfast City Hall.-History:...
, Birmingham
Wheel of Birmingham
The Wheel of Birmingham or Birmingham Wheel was a series of transportable Ferris wheel installations at Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. These have been landmarks in central Birmingham, visible from many parts of the City...
, Manchester
Wheel of Manchester
The Wheel of Manchester is a transportable Ferris wheel installation at Exchange Square, Manchester, England.The first wheel was first installed in 2004...
, Sheffield
Wheel of Sheffield
The Wheel of Sheffield was a tall transportable Ferris wheel installation on Fargate, by the Town Hall, in Sheffield, England.It was opened on 20 July 2009, and was intended to remain until January 2010. However, planning permission was sought for a further year of operation, and permission was...
), USA (Myrtle Beach
SkyWheel (Myrtle Beach)
SkyWheel is a Ferris wheel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which opened May 20, 2011.It is the tallest Ferris wheel in the United States east of the Mississippi River.-Design:...
), and elsewhere.
One of the most famous and well-travelled Bussink R60 wheels is the Roue de Paris
Roue de Paris
The Roue de Paris is a tall Ferris wheel, originally installed on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, France, for the 2000 millennium celebrations...
, originally installed on the Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.- History :...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for the 2000 millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
celebrations. Roue de Paris left France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 2002 and in 2003-2004 operated in Birmingham
Wheel of Birmingham
The Wheel of Birmingham or Birmingham Wheel was a series of transportable Ferris wheel installations at Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. These have been landmarks in central Birmingham, visible from many parts of the City...
and Manchester
Wheel of Manchester
The Wheel of Manchester is a transportable Ferris wheel installation at Exchange Square, Manchester, England.The first wheel was first installed in 2004...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 2005 it visited first Geleen
Geleen
Geleen is a city in the southern part of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. With 33,960 inhabitants, it is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. Geleen is situated along the river Geleenbeek, a right tributary to the river Meuse. The town centre is situated at about 60 m above sea...
then Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, before returning to England to operate at Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
. In 2006 it was erected at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar
Suan Lum Night Bazaar
Suan Lum Night Bazaar was a market in Bangkok's Pathum Wan district, at the intersection of Rama IV and Wireless/Sathorn Roads, opposite Lumphini Park at the Bangkok Metro's Lumphini Station. Located on land owned by the Crown Property Bureau. It opened in 2001, and had closed by early 2011.The...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and by 2008 had made its way to Antwerp, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
R66
The 66 metres (216.5 ft) R66 has 42 cars. Operated by World Carnival
World Carnival
World Carnival is a transportable amusement park. Between 1995 and 2007 it visited China , Dubai , Hong Kong , Malaysia, Oman, Singapore , South Korea, and Thailand.-Ferris wheel:...
, it is the world's tallest transportable Ferris wheel.
R80
Fixed wheel with either 6 or 8 support legs, and optional self-rotating capsules. 56 passenger cars, each able to carry 8 people.
See also
- Gold Reef CityGold Reef CityGold Reef City is a large amusement park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Located on an old gold mine, the park is themed around the gold rush on the Witwatersrand. Park staff wear period costumes of the 1880s, and the buildings on the park are designed to mimic the same period...
- Top of the World (amusement ride)Top of the World (amusement ride)Top of the World is the name of a visitor attraction in Geiselwind, Germany.The 95 meter high gyro tower has the claim of being the tallest transportable amusement ride in the world. However, the tower hasn't been moved in recent years, and is now placed permanently in the amusement park...
- List of Ferris wheels