Patent ID: 8375863

Claim:
An amusement ride installation, comprising: at least one passenger carrier adapted for supporting one or more passengers, an amusement ride guide structure supporting and guiding the at least one passenger carrier, a launch system adapted to accelerate the at least one passenger carrier from a starting position, said launch system comprising: a launch guide structure extending between the starting position and the amusement ride guide structure, supporting and guiding the at least one passenger carrier, which launch guide structure has a curvature, a launch arm connected to a launch arm support, rotatable about a rotation axis in a rotation surface, an engagement device, at least part of which is associated with the launch arm, configured to provide a temporary connection between the launch arm and the at least one passenger carrier during the launch, which disengages at a disengagement position, and a launch drive configured to provide the launch arm with an angular velocity, wherein the radial distance between the engagement device and the launch arm support is variable such that portions of the launch guide structure have a deviating radius, and wherein the engagement device is provided at the radial outer end of a rotatable launch arm, said launch arm being telescopic so as to extend in the radial outward direction.