Developed and manufactured in Austria in 1996, the Slingshot (also known as Bungee Rocket) uses kinetic energy to catapult 2 human bodies 60 metres into the sky in seconds.
The ride consists of a 2-person capsule anchored to the ground, suspended between two lengths of bungy chord. The cords are armed with up to 40 tonnes of kinetic energy along the two 50+ metre supports on either side of the capsule via elasticity of the cord or steel cables attached to a spring box.
The capsule tilts back, and the riders find themselves in a reclined position, nervously gazing up into the sky. The operators begins to count backwards (if you’re lucky) 10…9…8…7…LAUNCH! The capsule and its two human occupants rocket into the sky, reaching a height of 57 metres (20 percent higher than the supports) in around 2 seconds, exposing riders to 5 - 6 G’s as they reach a speed of over 150 kilometres per hour. In seconds, the capsule reaches the apex of its trajectory then ‘GROUND RUSH’ as it is pulled towards earth. The cycle repeats itself again as the cords fight gravity; the capsule tipping and tumbling as it completes its 10 bounce cycle before it is locked back into the loading position (usually by an electro-magnet)
Most Bungy Rockets will have a video camera and microphone mounted inside the capsule to show on-lookers the rider’s G-force distorted faces and fearful expressions, with an option to buy a souvenir video.
Australia has a travelling Funtime Sling Shot imported from Austria, standing at an impressive 65 metres and fitting onto a single trailer.
Due to low rider capacity (2 persons), fairgoers can expect to pay around four times more than a standard carnival ride, optional purchase of a souvenir t-shirt or DVD of the ride experience too.
Hi
I have a business in Tenerife http://www.greenbananaguide.com and one of my clients has just taken owner ship of a complex with a bungee rocket, we are trying to make contact with the company that installed it, the Bungee rocket is in Tenerife las americas on a complex called Pleasure Island.
hope you can help
Lee Jones
lee jones - May 14th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
This is a good ride, but for a better ride there is the Ejection Seat from Gravity Works that uses real bungee cords and the one from Technical Park is also better. The Three Funtime rides here in Central Florida are not intense at all. I’d like to see a real bungee slingshot ride back in the Orlando area.
Bruce - June 17th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Has anyone EVER been on the Gravitron ride!
ba-boss-bomb - July 2nd, 2009 at 6:48 am
Hey Dave, I did four in a row on the Slingshot in Daytona Beach. This is a pussycat ride. My aim is to do ten or more on the Slingshot rides where bungee cords are used, in turn they provide more action.
Bruce - July 3rd, 2009 at 8:43 am
If anybody that has connections to the Ejection Seat and or the Verticle Accelerator, both use bungee cords, I’m interested in going for record setting number of launches in a row on these great rides. These rides provide more action than Funtime’s Slingshot. My e-mail is bdbell1940@yahoo.com
Bruce - July 19th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
it is so sik
beau huggett - October 8th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Funtime’s Slingshot rides are just not sick, they are pathetic. All they do is go up and down, with no real action. You do not need a slow motion camera to see how they flip riders. Their flips ARE in slow motion. GET THE BUNGEE RIDES BACK!!!!
Bruce - January 24th, 2010 at 10:17 am
oh i loved it and the ones pictured above are the funtime ones! i looked on the board outside the ride and it said that the company was funtime
Joe - February 20th, 2010 at 11:16 am