The Enterprise was arguably the most ground-breaking ride ever for it’s time, setting a standard for a whole generation of amusement rides on its debut in 1972. The Schwarzkopf Enterprise had an overall look and engineering technology that was years ahead of its time.
The HUSS Enterprise is in actual fact a copy from Schwarzkopf who manufactured some 20 rides. In 1976, HUSS produced their own superior copy (larger capacity, with a hydraulic arm, not electro-mechanical) HUSS has now sold countless copies of the Enterprise worldwide.
The Enterprise consists of 20 gondolas, each fitting 2 people - one sitting behind the other. The ride then rotates clockwise gaining just enough speed to keep its riders perfectly in place with centrifugal force. The main arm then slowly lifts to 87° smoothly hurling the riders upside down. The ride may look repetitive and nauseating but the on-ride experience is MUCH different making for a very enjoyable, ultra-smooth ride.
Through very clever engineering there are no safety harnesses other than the grab-bars on the car walls, due to the centrifugal force making gravity and body weight are just about equal - this creates a feeling of weightlessness while also ensuring you stay on your seat.
A portable Enterprise fits on 2.5 trailers and weighs 40 tonnes, though nowadays most are park models.
As a result of Enterprise’s success, HUSS produced the larger capacity Sky Lab containing fifteen four-person gondolas. Some years later, HUSS released a stand-up variation, the UFO.
There are approximately 23 HUSS Enterprises in North America, at least 20 in Europe and 3 in Australia.
centrifugal force is not real!!!!!!! Your physics are incorrect.
drew - May 29th, 2009 at 6:40 am
This is a great ride. I see videos of this ride where people are riding single. Wade Shows, who appears at several fairs in Florida is the only organization that has the single rider restriction on it. Two people have to ride in one car. Rediculous. Complaints to Wade Shows info@wadeshows.com
Bruce - June 22nd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I love the Enterprise! so relaxing and smooth…I could it ride it all day. Bruce, I have also dealt with the two-rider restriciton with Wade Shows (State Fair of Oklahoma back in 2000). a 4′9 carnie thug got his back up when I refused to ride with a stranger. I got in his face and he backed down.
yukongreg - July 3rd, 2009 at 6:02 am
My favorite flat ride of all time. It definitely has to be the best flat ride ever. While so many flat rides have come and gone over the years at so many amusement parks, it seems the “Enterprise” always remains. It has never been removed from Six Flags Over Georgia, known there as The Wheelie. It has never been removed from Paramount’s Carowinds, formerly known as the Meteorite, but was updated to the name, The Scream Weaver. It’s still at Cedar Point, known as the Witch’s Wheel. I first saw The Enterprise at Coney Island in 1980 when I was around the age of eleven. I wanted to ride it, but wasn’t able to. I had always been a huge amusement park ride buff, and I was blown away by The Enterprise. Never in my mind did I imagine a ride like that could exist. I finally got to ride it for the first time at the World’s Fair in Knoxville, TN in 1982. The experience was even better than I thought it was going to be. I love the speed and power of the ride. I love the roaring noise it makes prior to lift off. And, of course, the spinning upside down—What could be better than that? I have noticed that some forms of the ride, depending on the park and possibly whether they are Schwarzkopf versions or Huss versions, don’t go to the full upside down position as others. And, with some versions, the gondolas don’t swing as freely as they do on other versions. It’s more of a steadier ride. I have to say that I do like the versions that swing more freely and reach the extent of being entirely upside down better than the steadier versions that don’t reach the complete upside down position. I may be wrong, but I think it might be the original Schwarzkopf version that swings more freely and goes completely upside down. Maybe I’m wrong here? Maybe it just depends on the ride attendant whether or not the ride does reach a complete upside down position and that has nothing to do with the manufacturer. But, I’m pretty sure the extent to which the gondolas swing has to be based on the manufacturer. For some reason, an amusement park just doesn’t feel complete without an “Enterprise”. Even with all the other great rides that they may have, there’s always something lacking without an “Enterprise”.
Adam - July 3rd, 2009 at 7:20 am