How a HUSS Top Spin works

Today’s video is a classic! How a Top Spin works. These are awesome machines still made By German manufacturer HUSS.
Check out what HUSS has to offer your park (no im not paid)
www.hussrides....

[@definingimage]

My favorite ride! I had the honor of working on the only Giant Top Spin ever made!

[@pokemonfanwsbgalt8574]

Damn must have been a nightmare

[@definingimage]

@@pokemonfanwsbgalt8574 I was a mechanic, not an operator, it wasn’t bad really!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@definingimage nice! Homing issues?

[@definingimage]

@@ryantheridemechanic mostly skew faults and lots of welds cracking. Mostly the gussets in the motor house. We eventually stopped loading the third row to avoid excess wear on the machine

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@definingimage yikes.

[@janmcguire5268]

I only understand about a tenth of what you are talking about, and yet I am absolutely riveted and hang on every word! It fascinates me. If I could go behind the scenes with a mechanic or an operator at an amusement park, I would be thrilled. It might not make much sense, but it’s true.

[@vanessawalkiewicz4257]

hi! if youre ever in the uk, merlin theme parks host vip packages called “behind the scenes” that take you through a big walkthrough of the ride selected! as a rides attendant i still havent seen like 30% of what they show during those tours, defo worth checking out

[@vicenteperezac]

Thank you for this video! I really love the Top Spin, it's a flat ride that I have been obsessed from when I was a kid. To me, at least, it is the most versatile flat ride in history, because there are tons of different speed levels and combinations of flips and maneuvers that the ride can do relying on gravity and randomness. I found this video to be fascinating (even though I'm not a mechanic) and managed to understand the complexity if this flat ride and how difficult it is to maintain. In my home park, Fantasilandia (Chile), the Top Spin is one of the most beloved flat rides since it opened in 2004 (it was originally built in Germany, 1991, and later purchased by the park), and I would say that is oddly the most documented Top Spin in KZbin. I don't know why but there's almost like a cult towards the Top Spin among the Chilean amusement park fans, we just love that ride in particular and you can find lots of videos of it from 2006 onwards. Usually ran at program 6 and now in a similar variation but there's also a tradition on the park that the last ride of the day is made on manual and not automatic, so the lucky ones get a longer ride. I remember it used to soak people on the first ten years it operated in the park, and then they stopped because of complaints and also because the water may potentially harm the restrain system of the gondola. All of this is odd because it's actually one of the worst-running Top Spins in the world, despite numerous refurbishments, if you look up "Fantasilandia Top Spin 2024" you will see that the gondola can barely make a flip on it's own, so they use the breaks mid-flip which is strange. You see that the park has tried lots of things to keep the ride alive because they know how much people love it, like they refurbished the gondola taking off the headlights to save running costs, changed all the other lights from bulbs to LEDs, dismantled the supporting arms from the towers to inspect them, etc. However, every season the ride is getting worse and worse and it's sad to see such a good ride come to it's end. I really hope HUSS could make an improved version of the classic Top Spin and that parks could start buying new ones.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

the water real destroys the ride for sure. if the brakes are not working correctly then the topspin will not execute. its a very good looking ride!

[@kram2]

Oh ffs. Stop what everything I’m doing to find out how a top spin works 😂

[@hazza5999]

😂😂

[@BlueZirnitra]

And probably be put off for life because he hates flats.

[@CritterCrossingFam]

I have been wanting to ride one of these for so long. This video just made me want to drive somewhere to find one before summer is over. Thanks Ryan!!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@CritterCrossingFam they are fun

[@CritterCrossingFam]

@@ryantheridemechanicI have been sad since they closed The Crypt at Kings Island before I got to ride it.

[@RY30DM]

@@CritterCrossingFamGegua Lane in OH had one as well as Kennywood, which isn’t too far away back in the day. They’re slowly disappearing. Great Adventure still has theirs. I believe Six Flags New England ripped out their Top Spin 2, as well as Six Flags Great America took out their Top Spin 2 too. Six Flags Fiesta Texas had one and that’s gone. Dorney took theirs out a while back. Geez, these things are becoming really rare.

[@CritterCrossingFam]

@@RY30DM it’s a huge shame! Once I looked at the list of still functioning Top Spins, I was pretty shocked. I went to Geauga Lake as a kid (I’m from NE Ohio), but I don’t remember riding it if I did. My dad was more of a Big Dipper guy 😌 it’s disheartening! The older I get the more I love flat rides too.

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very nice video. A very complex ride indeed. Thanks for posting and have a nice day too.

[@SvenDonut]

Topspins are really fun to ride! From a maintenance perspective its quite the challange, but ours got upgraded not to long ago and rides really well (it can do 2 cycles of 4 topspins back to back).

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@SvenDonut glad it got the upgrade and not torn out!

[@ArtBarn591]

Once in a while Slewing rings are the damming part on trackhoe excavators, pretty big job to R&R but a lot easier to trouble shoot & condemn than this ride. Since the weight teeters and it becomes obvious when your running it. Lots of times the slewing ring on excavators only gets shots of grease when the machine is in the forward or rear facing position and the motion when operating is partial turn and back so the fresh grease doesn’t get all around the roller(ball) path ultimately leading to a wear from dry failure. Furthermore to ensure fully lubed slewing rings, the lube needs to be put in incrementally for two full rotations in the same direction followed by some more rotations in the same direction to ensure all balls are coated. Lots of people running excavators miss that detail. Great video as usual! Thanks for the spinal tap reference!!! LOL ! 11>10

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@ArtBarn591 yea those are tough sometimes. On a monthly we tried to grease the rings while rotating in manual mode to get fresh grease everywhere. Other manufacturers went for installing grease ports every 90° on the ring to help with static care.

[@anderfrank1]

I remember the first time I saw one of these (Texas Twister at Geauga Lake), it was one of the craziest rides I had ever seen and lots of fun to watch people's reactions.

[@daa589]

Yup lol

[@riichte9208]

Great in depth video as always !

[@thatsfrahnkensteen]

Miss King Chaos at SFGA. What a great ride! Replaced by the ill-fated Larson Loop Mardi Gras Hangover, which was just taken out after last year.

[@TheFringes.]

I'm still surprised that MGH was removed so soon. I mean, it wasn't a "good" ride per se but the lighting looked great and it was the biggest of it's kind. Was it a reliability issue or a low ridership issue or something?

[@thatsfrahnkensteen]

@TheFringes. reliability, it hardly ran last year before they pulled the plug on it. Not sure what ultimately will take the space.

[@mbproductions7114]

Very interesting! I build rides out of Lego and I recently made a topspin. Its cool to see the problems I face when designing it they also had in real life.

[@juanacho]

Ryan has a unique ability to use his hands to explain incredibly complex physics movements! 🤖

[@dindog22]

he used to drive a race car. all racers use their hands to describe if the car is tight or loose or whatever else is going on

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@dindog22 good point

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@juanacho I’m too cheap to learn animation haha!

[@TheFringes.]

That's how you know someone truly understands what they're talking about. They can envision the mechanisms and how the parts react and feel

[@BlueZirnitra]

Nothing about his understanding of physics is "incredibly complex". High school physics at best.

[@MagnusTheGreat]

I miss both Voodoo and Firefall. I even have an old POV of Voodoo on my old videos channel. Firefall had a lake in feont of it where they leak oil on the water and light it mid cyxle. So cool!

[@dwaynerobinson7629]

Got close. Several yrs ago, the closest amusement park to us got one. Went there for the company get away. My friend and I boarded. It broke down after half a rotation. I was HAPPY. I'm not afraid of the ride, I was SHOVED down into the restraint by the ride employee who completely ignored my telling him it was TOO tight. I've ridden enough of these things to know if your body CAN'T shift slightly with the momentum, you're hurt. Disappointed that we didn't get to experience it, happy to NOT hurt my back. Haven't been back, unsure if they even have it still.

[@TrueLies23]

I get irrationally nervous when I see an old Huss nameplate on a ride. Heck, even something newer like maxair. But now, now I want to ride that swinging giant Frisbee war machine 😂

[@johnphillips3475]

2 minor points: 1: you had the pronunciation of Huss right first time - it is pronounced exactly as it is spelt. If had an umlaut on the u, then it would be more like your second pronunciation. 2: The idea of adding water fountains came from the original travelling model. Unlike the park model, it needed water ballast to keep it steady. The showmen decided to use this to enhance the ride, Huss liked the idea, and started offering it as an option on all future Top Spins

[@StevePDale]

Such an interesting video! Thanks for sharing

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@StevePDale your welcome

[@Stagnant_Gravy]

Hey Ryan, I’m not sure if you heard about this or not, but a photo went viral over a redundant support being held by cinder blocks on Racer at Kennywood. It’s almost a century old. According to multiple people, including a former carpenter for the park, it had been that way for decades. But just now does a photo get taken and gets some attention. A surprising about of people are favoring the park in this case, but it would be cool to see a video covering it for those in doubt.

[@cwdefouw]

The only one I ever rode was the Giant Top Spin in the Tomb Raider ride at Kings Island, now defunct. Great video, learned something new. I never realized that the rotation of the gondola was all gravity driven. I always figured there was some giant motors on the longitudinal axis that were able to get it spinning. 😊

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@cwdefouw gravity only!

[@RY30DM]

I remember them saying they used train brakes to get it to stop because it was so large.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

I used to love the texas twister at Geauga Lake. Then tomb raider at KI was awesome too. Inside on a giant top spin.

[@RY30DM]

I just mentioned GL. I think it was called Texas Twister. Is that right?

[@Spike-sk7ql]

@@RY30DM yep. That ride was so much fun. I'm in agreement with Ryan, that whenever I go to a park with a top spin, it's a must ride.

[@jaypeterson8747]

Six flags new England had one and would tell people bordering the ride to fill the back seats first. You always get 3 flips sometimes 4 on the classic top spin cycle 😂

[@RY30DM]

That was a Top Spin 2, a portable model that was obviously never moved. Great America had the same model.

[@stonewallperformance]

When I operated Shake Rattle and Roll, I always tried to warn the male riders to prepare for the hydraulic t bar closing and every time you could hear the screams of pain when it would push lol

[@RY30DM]

Manual mode is fun at the carnivals. I rode Strates version back about 20 years ago I’m guessing and the guy had us flip around 20 times. I watched the skill of the European operators and it’s unreal how they can get it to flip so many times. I seem to remember some people trying to set a record for number of continuous flips. I’d be so dizzy! Around 20 years back or so, someone from England I assume because of Alton Towers Rides wrote these simple simulators of the major rides at the park, and one was for Ripsaw, their Top Spin. You could open and close the restraints, control the arms and the brake too. It was fun to pretend to control this as well as a Vekoma Mad House, Oblivion, Nemesis (I think) and maybe one other ride like the pirate ship. Does anyone else remember this? I believe it ran in the browser some how.and it was free.

[@kamsavart]

Sounds like you're describing Voodoo that was at S.F. Discovery Kingdom. That was a fun ride, indeed.

[@danariusm.4283]

I’m glad you made this video. In 2006 we had a fair that had a actual Huss topspin & a Rainbow. Could you do a Huss rainbow ride next?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@danariusm.4283 such a great ride!!!!

[@Havokki1]

Good idea! I'd love a video about Huss's Rainbow. Was one of my favorite rides at Linnanmäki fun park (Helsinki, Finland) until it's decommission in 2009. It was scary and loud ride but definitely thrilling one.

[@RY30DM]

Ryan, loved the content. It might explain why they removed the Suspended Top Spin from Kings Dominion. They probably didn’t want to sink anymore money into it. Maybe it wasn’t that popular either. I rode it for opening weekend, and it intimidated the heck out of people. There were more people watching then riding.due to all the pyro. I mean they loved the show and didn’t like the ride moments.. Last comment, I was an op on a Chance Chaos at Six Flags America. That ride was an absolute mess. We were constantly calling maintenance because it would become stuck up in the air due to it not wanting to tear itself part. The hydraulic arms seemed really thin to me. I suspect that was a big part of the problem. Did you ever work on one? They sold a lot-both park and portable-and after they removed the last one at Adventure Dome in Vegas recently, that was the last one.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@RY30DM I only worked (a lot) on the permeant version. Haven’t worked on a traveling version.

[@rollercoasterheaven2170]

Love these things

[@iangarland2096]

Great video!!!!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@iangarland2096 thank you

[@Deebofreebo]

I feel like these things are so hard to find now. I remember seeing one when I was eight and thinking it was the tallest most intimidating thing I’d ever seen. Took me a couple years to build up the courage to go on, and really kinda kicked off my thrill ride itch. Thanks for sharing. :)

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Deebofreebo your welcome. Agreed, they are very intimidating

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

It's because they are a pain to maintain and parks don't want to spend the money

[@RY30DM]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dvNot to mention Huss is not really the same company they were. Their reputation went into the toilet, especially after the mess that Dollywood went through with their Topple Tower. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a park put a ride manufacturer on blast the way they openly did.

[@lwkjr]

Always wonder how this thing worked. Great video.

[@MattFowlerBTR]

With the faults and problems you described on yours, I now understand why both Rameses Revenge (CWoA) and Ripsaw (Alton) got removed. I was too much of a wuss as a young kid to ride Rameses and I think Ripsaw wasn't there the only times I've visited Alton Towers (so far). I have been on a much smaller travelling top-spin-like ride as an adult and now I'm very glad that the rumours point to Alton putting a new Top Spin in.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@MattFowlerBTR new one? Nice!

[@AAustinn9]

Would love to know more about the Huss Jump2 and why more parks don’t install this model.

[@dannyj.246]

I loved ripsaw at Alton towers And by the sounds of it ran on programme 4.

[@MitchLawSoundguy]

The UK needs more HUSS Top Spins, i rode the last classic model installed the day before it closed at chessington world of adventures (which i saw in your video ! ) and miss it so so much !, the Cycle got worse as the years went on, in the end it only had 1 cycle vs the many it started with, its rumored were getting a new one at alton towers soon but they havent confirmed yet

[@EwanMarshall]

Rameses Revenge was very early on permanent one, I think it may have been the first, It was for sure the first with fountains, the first top spin prototype is still operating the German fair circuit operated by Bausch and it was retrofitted with fountains.

[@RY30DM]

I don’t think you’re going to see anymore. Huss now has a terrible reputation versus when they were the kings of flat rides. Ever notice how many Zamperla Rides there are? They’re probably cheaper too: And they’ve had some extremely big sellers as of late-the Air Race, the Nebulaz family flat, and the Discovery pendulum family of rides. If you go back a decade or so, they sold a crapload of Disko’s. (they probably still do).

[@martingibbons2488]

Looks like Alton Towers is getting a new top spin

[@Amerigo3356]

My home park kennywood had one for 3 years. Part of a Hawaii themed section that is now an alien themed section lol. Enjoyed ridding it, definitely got ruff the older it got

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Amerigo3356 alien stuff was big in Huss rides

[@HistoricalAmusements]

The King Kahuna, It apparently had a lot of mechanical issues and was down a lot. Also in its final year of operation a women hurt her neck on it and sued and that was the last straw

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@HistoricalAmusements that will do it

[@Amerigo3356]

@@HistoricalAmusements I do remember the women getting hurt

[@RY30DM]

@@HistoricalAmusementsIt went off to sister park Lake Compounce, probably where the S&S Screaming Swing sits now.

[@PlanCoBySeb]

I Would LOVE to see a similar video of Mondail Top Scan please. My absolut favorite next to Topspinn

[@RY30DM]

So jealous. My closest one is at Carowinds in NC and I live in MD. I’m not driving 7-1/2 hours or so for a flat ride.

[@PlanCoBySeb]

@@RY30DM I’d gladly go together in a car, split the gas JUST for a flat ride 😂

[@simonwaller9426]

Last 2 years at chessington uk I got 7 spins...... I got 3 back to back rides but the last 7 spin was ridiculous. People got off they couldn't handle it ! It was old and was at rhe end of life..... they sent it off properly !

[@djhagrid]

Watching on my lunch break!

[@jacobliford]

Same.

[@LTCoasters]

you too, cool!

[@jacobliford]

@@LTCoasters nothing like some good ride talk while eating lunch.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@djhagrid I know it’s over, maybe, but enjoy!

[@billchief397]

Riptide at valleyfair was fun. Now gone.

[@robbym3542]

The Crypt (Tomb raider firefall) at Kings Dominion was my favorite. I loved the ride and the theming. Sad to see they took it down.

[@RY30DM]

The buildings still there, and it’s probably more cost effective to leave it up than tear it down.

[@Helawutz]

Not sure where the Tank info comes from but as far as i know Huss used to be a manufacturer of Ship-Parts (silencers, exhaust gas purification systems, catalytic converters for marine engines and soot filters for diesel engines.).

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Helawutz I just heard that. Couldn’t confirm it but I’m guessing it was one of the companies or revisions of the company that happened at one point.

[@Helawutz]

@@ryantheridemechanic I see. i mean its a company from 1919 (as HEINRICH WILHELM HUSS & Co KG Maschinenfabrik) so possible they had to produce war stuff as well. Side note: There was a small (Top Spin 2) and a big (Top Spin 1) version of the regular Top Spin. I dont know if you forgot to mention it or if it just wasnt important enough. :D

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Helawutz so I wanted to stick with what I was familiar with. There’s so many variations of every ride I like to drill into what I know first then I decide if I want to take a left turn on hypothetical.

[@Helawutz]

@@ryantheridemechanic Ah i see. Thats makes sense. :)

[@ringetje]

The fountains were always fun. If you had a operator that really knew how the whole ride was balanced with the fountain package and the operator reallly loves his (or her ofcourse) job they knew exactly where to stop the gondola so that the riders were upside down and then they used the fountains so that a whole row of riders would get their heads soaked.😅 Always a big attention grabber and a crowd pleaser.

[@Colaholiker]

Fairground models often had a manual control switch for the pumps to make the fountains go higher. Fun to look at, but when you think of how some idiots spit in there or what happens when people get sick while riding, it can be pretty gross. 🤣

[@crashcoaster3852]

I'm here because Alton Towers is about to build one of these!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@crashcoaster3852 a new topspin, or a relocated model?

[@crashcoaster3852]

@@ryantheridemechanic Brand new suspended top spin, it's looking like it will be a smaller model though based on the size of the structure it will be on. Will be placed over the pathway with a tunnel underneath.

[@pomonabill220]

Just stumbled on your channel and I REALLY like how you explain how the ride actually works, and the mechanics involved! This is one thing I have always wanted to know, and hearing your detailed explanation is great! Thank you! One thing about the top spin... what size motors are used to rotate the arms? I realize they are variable speed, but what is the horsepower rating? Are the newer rides 3 phase AC motors? Thanks!

[@matb9027]

The ride cycle you explain is exactly the same as what Ripsaw at Alton Towers did. Sadly it was removed some years back, but the park is getting another this autumn/fall

[@HumanStateOfEmergency]

Did you work on Voodoo in SFDK? I askbecause you used video of that specific TopSpin and the location description in the park. I always loved all of the sounds the ride made but I must admit I hated the programmed cycle it ran. I don't recall ever seeing the fountains running. One of the last times I rode Voodoo before before it went into SBNO I experienced what you demonstrated in the video of Tolocan but not as aggressive. It felt more like a side to side wobble. I remember wondering if the rides foundation was compromised 😂 but cool to actually know what it was. I've looked for a video of it running with all of the lights on but no success and I can't recall them ever running it with the spotlights over the headrests and lower side of the Gandola on.

[@Helawutz]

How many comments on a video help btw? haha Now that im done watching the whole video. Great Video! If you want a awesome Top Spin round. come to germany on a fair. we start at 4 spins. :D

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Helawutz nice!

[@Helawutz]

@@ryantheridemechanic i can't quite recall anymore but i thing my max-count was 6 or 7. :D

[@nickw3159]

The most loopings a topspin has made that I have seen was 13

[@sharkheadism]

Really good video this week. WoF had one near the exit to Timber Wolf. The season I went there it was down way more than it was up. I'm glad I got to ride one, but it's just way too intense for me. Didn't hurl though. They pulled it out a few years after that. These rides seem to all end the same way yours did: they're finicky in the first place then there's some big component that goes out that has to be fabricated... weeks turn to months, park usually decides to get rid of it. They seem expensive to operate imo. I don't know of any new installations at major parks. WoF got rid of an old Chance Rotor about the same time, you missed out on that experience, I don't know if any of those are around anywhere in the US now. On these rides, was there an encoder for the system to know what position the gondola was in relative to the arm? Did the drive motors have brakes on them to hold the arms?

[@motherofdragons7048]

cracking video! random question, dont suppose you'd know what the gear ratio between the motor and the slewing ring is? trying to make a lego one that functions mechanically as close to the real thing as possible :)

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@motherofdragons7048 I do not. But I’m guessing 20:1 (ish)

[@porcelainthunder2213]

I had heard the fountain package was originally meant to rinse all the sick off of the gondola. 😂 cut down on the sawdust budget.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@porcelainthunder2213 haha!!

[@sharkheadism]

@@ryantheridemechanic I wonder what they did if someone blew chunks into the water below... Doesn't seem like they'd drain it for that, maybe shut the ride down and just shock it and reopen later on. Do you have any idea?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@sharkheadism the water systems should have a large strainer and filter system. Plus water chemistry should maintain at least 1ppm free chlorine. That will keep it clean.

[@Colaholiker]

@@ryantheridemechanic Let me tell you, on traveling models, they don't have what they should have. They only have the inlet grille on the pump. Yuck.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Colaholiker eww

[@WraptorRangler]

FireFall my beloved (never rode it or had a chance to work on it 😔)

[@ClothoidLooper]

I was hoping you would have some words about Huss’s Giant Top Spin model, of which only one was ever made, Tomb Raider at Kings Island. The gondola had 3 rows of seats and could seat a whopping 77 riders in one cycle. The ride was a freaking monster. I can’t imagine the stress the mechanics of the ride went through. That ride was down for maintenance so often lol.

[@EwanMarshall]

Was originally built with 4 rows but they stopped using the 4th row in the first year as it was causing too much stress on the ride itself.

[@RY30DM]

I remember they said it used train brakes to stop the gondola.

[@Delfiinit]

This might be a weird question but why do many Huss rides sound the way they do? They're almost melodic and won't turn overly dissonant even when plenty of power is being applied. They might get loud but still not unpleasant. It's something I remember from my childhood, as we made yearly visits to a park with some older Huss rides: Break Dance, Rainbow and Top Spin. While plenty of rides make similar sounds, I feel like only a Huss sounds like a Huss. Or is that just nostalgia?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Delfiinit not 100% sure but I would attribute that to the drive systems being overbuilt. Very strong for what they need to do. I think them being overbuilt I think makes them sound better than a clone ride from a different company

[@Delfiinit]

@@ryantheridemechanic Thanks for the reply. I work with music and audio and I'm generally fascinated by many sounds and interested in what causes them. If you ever feel like making a video about these kind of drive systems and how they work, I'll be watching.

[@philliphouston8171]

Topspin that spins the gondola up and down until the gravity flips it upside down is similar to the Fabbri Booster Ride.

[@RailManSD]

Syncronous motors would have easily single-handedly solved all of those drive issues. DC motors are TERRIBLE for syncing mechanically due to such unpredictable variations in torque/speed output charachteristics, due to brush/commutator wear (one of many reasons brushed DC is obsolete technology). That interconnecting driveshaft design was a sad attempt to 'force' sync of the arms. A single motor design with counter-rotating directly-meshed gears is about your best bet with synced motion with old brushed DC tech, & even then I'm supprised so many of those still out there running (I'm thinking like a Fabri Kamikaze or similar). Thanks for the vid, this may be my favorote one of yours! I find this kind of electro-mechanical technical detail of drive tuning, & it's real-world consequences/ride performance result, most interesting! Throw her in "program zero" & run her up! 😂

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@RailManSD thank you glad you enjoyed it. I also have to remember a lot of these were built in the 70s and then the technology really was not improved the later revisions.

[@Bogarttherideop]

I really want to ride a top spin. The one you worked on may or may not be the one I never got to ride. If it were still around I would love to ride it. Sadly it’s gone but I still do want to find a one that is in operation.

[@RY30DM]

Great Adventure if you live on the East Coast of America.

[@TheParkPlanet]

where do you get your pictures from? i always find it so hard to find photos of roller coaster tech

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@TheParkPlanet I get them from all over the place. I have lots from my own collection over the years. Subscribers also send me photos from their collections. A lot of times I will use photos from the manufacturers themselves. But when you know what the parts are out side of the ride. They are all over the place.

[@LTCoasters]

I'm still very new to taking nerd shots and videos, but I take as much of my own as I can. Once you know what you are looking for or where it should be(thanks, Ryan, all those videos helped), you can usually get the shots. Patience and even luck can get a lot, too. Oh, and take an opportunity if it comes. Have fun!

[@coastercube838]

I went to great adventure pretty much just for twister cause they look good and it’s the last one in the us. It was closed that day…… still haven’t been on one

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@coastercube838 too bad

[@CarlExplores]

Another video. Must watch NOW!!!!

[@MrMakoFL]

Would love to see one about the Super Loop on Top/Windshear with the articulating arms

[@RY30DM]

They had one or something similar at the York Fair probably 20 or more years ago. It belonged to Reithoffer. Unfortunately, they had it broken apart for maintenance. I never saw it again at one of their shows, and they had an Orange and Blue Unit with different rides. At least I got to ride their Huss Flipper and Technical Park inverting pendulum ride they call Stinger.

[@MrMakoFL]

@@RY30DM yup the Flip ‘N’ Out. The 2nd Soriani and Moser Super Loop on Top here in the U.S. then Mighty Bluegrass Shows got their Windshear one year later.

[@burntjuggalas]

Would the crypt/tomb raider at Kings Island (rip) be considered a top spin? It seems like it operated the same way just indoors.

[@Colaholiker]

Absolutely. It was one, and even made by Huss.

[@Carter-nl2]

Sadly I never got to ride one, they had one at Darien lake but I was always to short and when I was tall enough it was sbno for 5 years before they took it down

[@Carter-nl2]

Hopefully I can get on the one at Canadas wonderland

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Carter-nl2 they are fun if you ever get the chance to ride one.

[@RY30DM]

Funny story. We had all the parts sitting next to Joker’s Jinx at Six Flags America year one that became DL’s . I had a friend who said that yes it was intended for SFA, but they changed their minds and sent it up North instead.

[@Carter-nl2]

@@RY30DM yah now the parts are sitting next to the concert venue in a field

[@michaezell4607]

Can you do a video on the internal design and operations of the zamperla roto shake?

[@RY30DM]

That’s an interesting one. We had one at Six Flags America. The ride was a mess to keep operational. I didn’t find the ride that exciting, except for when it did the stall at the top before it changed directions. It would flip over and you’re starting straight at the ground and you’re really high up at that point. I heard the one at The Mall of America got ripped out a few years back.

[@DJWezzyK]

The traveling models loop more, because the operator can choose the speed of the arms. Most of the HUSS traveling topspin models are using brakes used on aircrafts. I do not know if the park model has the same ones. That is a very interesting question now that I think of it.

[@Colaholiker]

I don't think Huss ever built tanks (while I agree that their rides are built like tanks, I had the joy of setting some of them up and taking them apart at various fairs. But honestly, thats a trait they share with other German manufacturers as well - both Schwarzkopf and Mack made rides are this way too.). They started out as a supplier to the maritime industry, and I even recall seeing a Huss plaque on the exhaust funnel of a ship once. There's also the Top Spin 2, which is a smaller, more agile version of the ride, and they also made a small number (I am only aware of one) of giant top spins, which were (as the name suggests) bigger than the original. However, I don't think the Top Spin 1 traveling model is too different from the ones you find in parks when you ignore the trailer + water ballast vs. concrete footers difference. The history of the Top Spin being a fairground ride is also part of why they come with such a lighting package. The park versions are even quite stripped down compared to what you would see at the fair. (Just search for a Top Spin called Colorado Rafting, in my opinion that was the most visually impressive one we had in Germany) I remember the Typact drives from the Break Dancers I worked on. All analog wizardry to control the DC drives. Adjusting them was a royal pain in the back, they had way too many potentiometers to screw up. And their behavior changed with temperature. Yikes. Did you ever have one of the Thyristors in them blow up? Not fun at all, I tell you that. On the Break Dancer of course, there were no two motors trying to move the same thing, so adjustment on a Top Spin must be even harder, with all four motors trying to move the same assembly. A late friend of mine used to operate a Top Spin, and with a skilled operator, it is crazy how many flips you can get out of them. Compared to that, the automatic cycle is really tame. 😂

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Colaholiker we had a stockpile of Tupac repair parts in the control room. Typically needed the SCR’s replaced (or thuristors depending on how you looked at it.) I had it down quick, pul the front cover, the firing board, remove the bus bars, new heat sync compound, replace the SCRs x6, put it all back together.

[@Colaholiker]

@@ryantheridemechanic For us, they usually caused collateral damage on one of the PCBs, usually one or to traces that went up in smoke. So when one of them blew up, it usually was no quick repair. Maybe the Top Spin has units that have more headroom between their maximum power and the motor size, so they don't fail as catastrophically.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Colaholiker funny how the same rides have such different personalities and problems.

[@Colaholiker]

@@ryantheridemechanic after all, it's just the same manufacturer, I have never worked on a Top Spin. The majority of my Huss experience is with various Break Dancers - and even though they used the same type of DC drive equipment, it's not the exact same parts used. After all, the number of motors and their sizes are way different. But I can see similarities. On the controls side, the Break Dancer is way simpler. No PLC, no restraint monitoring, nothing stopping you from starting the ride while you are loading. The only monitoring it has is overspeed (and for a good while a lot of them here in Germany didn't even have this working right.. 😇)

[@simonbuhre9920]

Didn't you guys used an oscilloscope to tune the current controller? Don't know how else you would know how much you need to tweak the discontinous current compensation/ feedforward and PI. Speed control must have been tuned only on the master, correct me, but aren't these drives running in a master slave config to split torque equally on all motors?

[@philliphouston8171]

If the Topspin starts flexing from the center of the arm, the n it will start acting like the Windshear ride instead of Topspin.

[@nwjt]

Hi neighbor! What park(s) did you used to work at?

[@bassjasinski]

I need to find one of these to ride if one exists

[@jaypeterson8747]

Think six flags great adventure has one

[@xabieroyo]

@@jaypeterson8747 yes, the last one in USA

[@MrMakoFL]

So the only traveling Top Spin 1 here in the U.S. used (4) Typact drives being replaced with the (2) drives. The other issue is the ride is overweight and requires a special permit to travel. I think that’s the same for traveling Top Spin 2. That’s only here in the U.S. though.

[@RY30DM]

Okay, that explains why Strates had one. They used to travel by train to their locations (I believe that has changed).

[@MrMakoFL]

@@RY30DM they’re back on train but those things caused Strates to stop touring with it.

[@RY30DM]

@@MrMakoFL Oh cool. I don’t know if they come near Maryland anymore. That was the Montgomery County Fair where I saw them.

[@bearclaw5115]

@@RY30DM This was their last year travelling by train unfortunately. Not sure what it means for the transport of their larger rides.

[@danielward4868]

I would have ridden rameses revenge but there was a powercut just as I got to the ride

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@danielward4868 that’s too bad.

[@295g295]

20:44 - If a ride looks like a Top-Spin, are all of them made by *Huss*, or is there another manufacturer?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@295g295 there are clones out there. Not sure exactly what ones are Huss or other.

[@Colaholiker]

The clones usually look quite different or can operate in different modes. Like they don't have that center drive shaft, have motors to flip the gondola or can rotate the arms independently. There is no clone ride that looks so close to a Huss Top Spin that you could get them confused with the original.

[@atmosphericfunfairs1371]

I don't get why you are putting hydraulic pressure into the cylinders to close them and then putting more hydraulic pressure in to open them too? Surely to open would mean reversing the flow and pumping the fluid out of the cylinders?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@atmosphericfunfairs1371 yes they are duel acting so when you put fluid on both sides you can regulate the flow up and down preventing the restraint from impacting the rider.

[@4everpee]

Their bigest flaws is gondola movement that put alot of stress and fatigue in every components.

[@brianperkins6121]

The top spin at serengti park in germany , they managed 107 flips in one ride cycle im told on manual , I am suprised anyone was able to walk off the ride , "107 flips on top spin" example on youtube., I am sure Huss was not impressed.. You will probbly never see something like that here due to all the liabilty issues ..

[@chfilms1]

you cant beat a good manual cycle on a top spin ive had 29 flips in a row on a traveling top spin

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@chfilms1 they had those drives adjusted 💯 spot on then!

[@chfilms1]

Yes I think the one we have in the UK is driven with hydraulics rather than motors the gondola also spins closer to the center of gravity making it flip more easily it was made by the British company northern amusements

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@chfilms1 ah got it.

[@EwanMarshall]

@@ryantheridemechanic Top Spin 2 model (28 seat travelling model, fits on one trailer instead of 2) seems to be able to be tuned to do that easier, also needs a good operator manually working when to accelerate and decelerate the arms. They've managed hundreds of flips in a row on one of those, Lucka running the fair circuit in Switzerland have theirs tuned for it.

[@nightisright1873]

Why are these rides getting harder & harder to find

[@RY30DM]

I think it’s because of the company. They’re not the same as they were (they only offer like four rides now). Their reputation took a big hit when Dollywood had all the issues with their Topple Tower, and they called the company out to the public. They couldn’t get any satisfaction in fixing the dumb thing.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Ride mechanics must hate working on Huss rides. Basically the Mercedes/BMW of flat rides

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv Huss rides aren’t that hard to work on. Tough to get parts some times but the actual service is generally good.

[@jackschissler255]

I seen a few of these where they malfunction half way through their cycle where they stop at the top or leave them stuck upside down. I’ve also seen when they flip, you can see the entire electronics under the seats, the ones with the water features/fountains, Don’t the water interfere with the electronics under the seats?

[@EwanMarshall]

there is a panel that goes on the bottom of the gondola there, some mechanics at some parks, if they have been having a lot of issues have left it off and told the operators to not get the bottom wet. The automatic cycles don't usually have water going onto the bottom either.

[@BlueZirnitra]

Hoose? Try Huss mate.

[@joshuabishop5527]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3acdJaAltyGZq8si=QLVgZZXlLazC9EqH a good example of how operators manually operate the fountains 😂

[@koasterkiwi]

topspn video of it doing 100+ flips kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3-8qoeIh9-grqMsi=2lPCF9nAzh0wiNSo

[@ryantheridemechanic]

how did they not just barf all over the place??!?!? Thanks for sharing.

[@RY30DM]

That’s impressive, but I remember even more in one video. Oh well, it’s probably lost to time.