Rainbow[1] is an amusement park ride created by HUSS Maschinenfabrik of Bremen, Germany (now HUSS Park Attractions of Budapest, Hungary). The Rainbow was manufactured from 1982 to 2000 and is often confused with its cousins Ali Baba and 1001 Nachts plus other similar models. The HUSS Rainbow has developed a vast fan base due to its large stature, smooth ride, bright lights, iconic motor noise and amazing air-time ride experience.
There were 42 units produced which were seen towering atop midways all over the world. The more popular "traveling model" was created, plus several permanently installed "park models". Some units were converted to the opposite model later in their existence. It is believed that two units were converted from its older brother Ranger (ride), which uses the same trailer and main support structure as the Rainbow, except the Ranger flips riders upside-down, where the Rainbow leaves riders upright during the entire rotation.
There was a major accident in Liseberg, Sweden during the 2008 season that forced the shutdown and inspection of all HUSS Rainbows in service. The accident was caused by a potentially unmaintained driveshaft that holds the gondola upright. HUSS ordered the replacement of the driveshafts on all remaining rainbows at a cost of about US$40,000 per unit. Some rides were upgraded but many were scrapped completely or sold for parts. There are about a dozen HUSS Rainbows still operating today.
The popularity of the classic ride has led to its own Facebook page, and related Facebook groups, with several websites and forums dedicated to HUSS rides.
Design
The Rainbow was developed in the early 1980s using the mechanics of the Ranger also built by HUSS, and adding a pivot to the end of the arm so the 33 foot gondola always stays upright anywhere in its orbit. It holds 36 passengers in three rows, with 2 persons per seat, for an overall capacity of about 720 riders per hour. An electronically controlled hairpin shaped handle moves into place to keep riders in a seated position; however most of the time you were floating somewhere between the seat and the lap bar. Later owners were required to upgrade with seat-belts for added safety.
The gondola features two statues (typically Hawaiian girls) atop the front railing of the gondola. Underneath is an illuminated cloud that can be seen from the ground. The most popular design features cloud shapes on the side of the gondola that had eyes and a smiley face painted on them. The upper end of the main arm displays a stationary cloud sign with chasing lights that spell "Rainbow" in cursive writing. This hid the two counterweights and added a higher class look. The traditional version has a blue and gold double V-stripe on the main support, but some models had varying colours throughout their lifespan. The overall colours changed from ride to ride, and there were some custom units created with different themes and configurations. Many units were refurbished with modern looks and lighting.
The Rainbow came packaged on three (sometimes possibly four) over-sized trailers or installed as park models. It took a crew of four, about six hours to set up and four hours to tear down. A crane is used to erect the main shaft. When installed, the ride weighs 65 tons, and has a footprint of 20 metres (66 ft) x 17 metres (56 ft). When standing still it is 20 metres (66 ft) tall, but had a flight height of 26.5 metres (87 ft) and was driven by four, 150 kW hydraulic motors.
Operation
The ride is run manually with a joystick, although some models were programmed and ran from push-buttons.
It can move in either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction with the ability to stop or reverse at any point in its orbit. It was very customary to stop the ride in its up-most position and wait a while, then reverse directions without warning.
The Rainbow was equipped with hairpin shaped lap bars that raise and lower electronically from the main control booth. Most models have a foot pedal to ensure the operator is present.
In about 2000, HUSS required that all Rainbows were to be fitted with seat-belts, which caused many parks to sell their old Rainbows for Ali Baba type models which feature the more modern Over-The-Shoulder restraints, much faster set-up times, and a faster ride with a smaller footprint; but definitely not nearly as a thrilling ride overall. These models are thrilling in a different way and should not be confused with the original HUSS Rainbow.
Some owners equipped their rides with cameras so the operator could see what the riders were doing while in motion, as a deterrent for guests who would slide from under the bars or stand up while the ride was in motion.
Some models were later fitted with a flat aluminum panel instead of the clouds for easier inspection of the two driveshafts underneath the riders' seats.
Accidents
Rainbow at Liseberg collapsed
● On July 15, 2008,[2] 30 people[3] were injured when a Rainbow collapsed at Liseberg theme park in Sweden. The ride was dismantled on July 17, 2008. Investigators then confirmed on July 19, 2008, that they had discovered a faulty drive shaft during their inspection. They believed that one of the axles designed to hold the passenger carriage horizontal had failed, causing the gondola to jam on an angle as the arm continued to rotate. HUSS ordered the temporary closure of all Rainbows during their investigation period, afterwards HUSS ordered the replacement of the driveshafts on all remaining rainbows in service.
● On June 9, 2006, a 2-year-old boy broke his arms and legs after falling at least 25 feet (7.6 m) from the "Over the Rainbow" ride at Dixie Landin’ in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was seated next to his 3½-year-old sister but about 8 feet (2.4 m) from his mother at the time; his mother says she was told that the other adjacent seat was out of order.[4]
● On May 26, 2002, a 28-year-old man fell to his death from the Rainbow at Elitch Gardens, when he was standing up on the ride after unlocking his safety restraint. According to the park, the man was part of a group of mentally-challenged individuals on an outing to the park.[5]
Appearances
Serial #
History
Photos
41301
Dragon Temple
This is the first Rainbow ever built. In 1982, HUSS used the frame and supports from a Ranger ride, and added a pivot and a platform gondola to keep passengers right side up during the full rotation. It began as a trailer mounted model and was converted to a park model. It is still in operation today.
Originally having blue seats, a rainbow stripped arm, 3-colour V-stripes (pink/blue/gold) on the support (which was the standard livery on the Ranger), a bone as the counterweight sign with a tribal mask in the middle, along with two tribal masks on the gondola fence. The ride was built without any lights.
It was built for Showman Charles Dehner and toured Germany until it was sold to Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, Germany where it lived for 17 years before moving to Sommerland Syd Park, Denmark in 2012; which closed a year later due to bankruptcy. It was sold to Legendia Park in 2014, and is currently operating. It was renamed as "Dragon Temple" and themed with red-brown seats, a yellow arm with brown supports and no sunface. It has flat metal dragon signs on the fence posts and on the counterweight sign.
Trailer mounted model with orange seats, a white textured arm, and an amazing light show! Named "Nuvola" it was the first of 2 Rainbows at Gardaland in Italy. It was pictured having white angels on the gondola instead of Hawaiian girls. It was originally seen with a red trailer. The ride was removed from Antibesland for the 2024 season and was sold to a showman in Spain. It is currently believed to be in storage, awaiting repairs.
Trailer mounted model with a white arm with green outline and blue seats. It currently can only be found once a year at Fête Des Tuileries and is thought to be one of the best traveling Rainbow's.
1983: Built
Unknown-present: The Fleur Family (France)[16][17] Currently Operating
Rainbow ride no. 13
41312
Kentucky Kingdom Rainbow
This was a park model that had a white arm with pink/blue sides on the main arm. Was removed from service as a precaution, after the accident in Sweden. It was probably sold for parts.
Trailer mounted model with beige seats, white arm with pink vertical stripes, and blue/pink V-stripes on the main support. It was taken out of service by Conklin after the 1998 season, and appears to have been listed with Moser for sale. It is believed to have been bought by an owner in Mexico and its current status is unknown.
Park Model converted to trailer mounted, with white arm, orange seats, and a square "homemade" counterweight sign (after a transport accident damaged the original Rainbow sign). The backdrop mainly used originated on a HUSS Ranger. In 2008 the Rainbow was taken out of service and stored in their winter headquarters until 2013, where it was refurbished with LED lighting, a new backdrop, paint-job and an upper arm mural. The square Rainbow sign still remains. The refurbished ride was unveiled in January 2014 at the South Florida Fair in the USA and is currently listed as 'Sold' on usedrides.com, but its current status is unknown.
1984: Built
1984: New Orleans (Louisiana World's Fair)
1985-1993: Greg Link
1993–Present: Wade Shows (Livonia, MIUSA) Current Status Unknown
[no media in Wikipedia Commons]
47718
Wonderland Texas Rainbow
White arm with gold/blue V-stripes and blue seats. This ride was last known to be operating, and is a popular piece among visitors to the park. It was observed in June 2024 that this ride was removed from the park's website and its future is unknown.
Proclaimed to be originally a park model with beige seats, Officially seen at Playland, Vancouver B.C. as trailer mounted with orange seats, white arm with flowers on it, and gold/blue V-stripes on the main support. It displayed the traditional two Hawaiian girls on the gondola and had a space themed backdrop. It was later fitted with gondola cameras by Playland as riders would often stand up or attempt to walk around the gondola. It currently is for sale, and has a wiggly bright coloured arrow pointing downwards on the main arm.
Trailer mounted, From 2000 to 2010 it was re-themed as "Millennium" where the rainbow and counterweight sign were removed. It was re-themed back to Rainbow by Klinkerfuß who gave it yellow seats with a light blue arm that had light strips down the edges and a yellow/orange squiggly arrow on the support. It has "Rainbow" signs on the fence posts.
It was only at Adventureland for 1 season before being replaced by the Chance Rides Falling Star. Magic Park Land painted the arm a darker blue, removed the light strips, and painted the supports white. It was last known to be using the beach backdrop and displayed the serial number plate (33871) from a HUSS Enterprise ride that was removed from the park.
It is believed that parts from the Heide Park Rainbow was used to refurbish this Rainbow in about 2010 by Klinkerfuß. It is still operating at Magic Park Land in France.
Unknown: Built
Unknown-1987: Unknown (USA)
1988-1990: Ahrend (Hanover, Germany)
1991-1992: Rüdiger (Austria)
1993-1997: van Besien (Belgium)
1998: Adventureland Iowa USA
1999-2006: Dehner (Munich, Germany)
2006-2007: Dehner storage
2008-2015: Klinkerfuß (Wiesbaden, Germany)[21]
2016–Present: Magic Park Land (Ensués-la-Redonne, France)[22][23] Currently Operating[24]
Millennium
48368
Myrtle Beach Rainbow
Park model with white arm and orange seats and a blue base/trailer. It was last believed to be for sale, and its current status is unknown.
This is a Park model which was originally had a solid while arm and supports, and beige seats. It was seen with solid white clouds on the gondola and the counterweight sign was painted solid white, and had the standard lighting package and standard sunface. Heide park eventually painted the sunface solid white, and removed all the lights from the ride. For the 2007/2008 season, Heide park removed the sunface altogether. The ride was sold to German showman Klinkerfuß who used it as spare parts for their touring rainbow which is still operating today.
1992: Built
1992-2008: Heide Park (Soltau, Germany)
2010: Klinkerfuß. Used for spare parts in their own Rainbow Scrapped.
[no media in Wikipedia Commons]
12
Strates Rainbow
Trailer mounted with caramel seats, white arm with red/blue V-stripes on the main support and a red trailer. It was bought new by Strates Shows in 1983 and sold at auction in 2009. It currently has a yellow trailer with solid white supports and is currently being refurbished but there are no immediate plans to finish the project.
Trailer mounted, Named "Over The Rainbow" with a white arm, yellow seats and a very bright and colourful backdrop. The gondola rainbow is dark colours. It is currently listed For Sale but remains featured on Dixie Landin's website.[26]
Beige seats with a Yellow arm and supports with a white sunface, The mounted backdrop was formerly mounted on Schäfer's "Enterprise" Ride located in the same park. The park closed in April 2022 and all the rides are Standing But Not Operating. The Rainbow is for sale and needs refurbishing.
This was a park model, which originally had blue seats and the traditional white arm and supports with flowers, and the traditional sunface, backdrop and lighting package. During the 1990s, the ride was painted pink, and the sunface was replaced by the Liseberg Park logo. In the early 2000s, the ride was painted blue and a painted picture of the sunface replaced the park logo. The seats may have been painted a lighter blue at some point and the statues on the gondola were removed.
This Rainbow was too badly damaged after the collapse in 2008 that it was scrapped soon after the investigation had ended.
1983: Built
1983-2008: Liseberg Theme Park 2009: Scrapped After 2008 Accident
Liseberg ride in 2006
16
O'Neil's Rainbow
Trailer mounted with beige seats and yellow/blue V-stripes. It features angels on the gondola, which OCS removed. It had a dark blue backdrop featuring clouds, stars and cherubs which OCS was not using., It has raised flowers on its upper arm arms. Possibly Push button controlled. main arm is painted two-tone shades of blue in 2006 by OCS Fun. The unit needs some repair and there are no immediate plans to finish it.
Trailer mounted with flowers down the arms and raised flowers on the upper arm, a classic rainbow gondola with gold seats and classic counterweight sign. It was said that the sunface pivoted so it was always pointed the right way. Last documented with a surf themed backdrop. Button operated. It was for sale in 1995 and its current status is unknown.
Trailer mounted with rainbow vertical stripes on arm, gold/blue V-stripes on support and blue seats. Had a custom rectangle counterweight sign until it was replaced after the 2003 season. It was pictured touring Serbia in 2024, and looking well maintained.
Converted from the parks Ranger Ride, this park model had a white arm with flower pattern on upper and lower arm. Gold seats. The ride was closed after the end of the 2007 season and was put into storage behind Desperado Plunge, then later scrapped in 2012. Replaced by Sasquatch in 2009. Its rumored that this unit started at La Ronde but some sources say not.
Rainbow in storage at Six Flags Great Escape before being scrapped in 2012.
20
Finland Rainbow
Originally, the arm was painted colours of the rainbow. At the turn of the millennium it was painted. After that it had white arm with gold/blue V-stripes on supports. Named Sateenkaari, previously known as Rainbow (1984–2003). In the summer of 2008, after the collapse of the Liseberg's Rainbow, Linnanmäki's Sateenkaari was suspected to be unsafe. The ride was closed in the middle of the season 2008. In the winter of 2008/2009, Sateenkaari underwent a thorough check, where it was found to be safe and it returned to use for the 2009 season. However, Sateenkaari needed major maintenance and it had to be closed again in September 2009, before the end of the season. At the end of 2009 the ride was dismantled and stored. Refurbishment of the ride was considered due to its great popularity, but in the end it ended up being scrapped. The sunface was saved and is on display at the park. It only had one owner.
Named Conestoga. Wild-West Themed. It uses the seats from a Huss Pirate Ride instead of the typical Rainbow gondola which face toward the center of the ride. The ride was not operational for 3 seasons about 1015 as the park was waiting on parts. It has been observed that this ride has not run for the 2024 season and is apparently waiting on parts and a skilled operator.
Solid white upper and lower arm with orange seats. This unit ran until it closed in 2008. It was then eventually removed, and officially scrapped in 2014.
White arm with flowers and white seats. Had blue/gold V-stripes on the support. Originally, it had a statue of a woman in a large red dress and a pole with flowers at both sides of the cage, which were later removed for unknown reasons.
The park Ordered a new ride named "Thrillennium" from Ronald Bussink for the 2000 season. They traded the Rainbow along with some other HUSS rides, a Vekoma Coaster and a small Monorail plus some money to construct this new ride. The ride was built by Nauta Bussink but was never delivered to the park due to a lawsuit regarding unexpected manufacturing costs, and demands from the manufacturer. The Rainbow was "given" to Nauta Bussink, and hasn't been heard from since.
"Aztec" is a park model named currently operating in Iraq, With blue and red arm, yellow seats and a tribal thing in the center. In 1993 it had a rainbow arm and gold seats. It may have had a pink arm and pink seats after this, and the operator booth clouds were also pink at that time. It was last known to be operating in Iraq.
Unknown: Built
1992: Wingender (Mayen, Germany)[43]
1993-1994: Langenscheidt (Aurich, Germany)
2000-2008: Walibi Holland Renamed "Aztec"
2017–Present: Baghdad Island (Iraq) Currently Operating
[no media in Wikipedia Commons]
25
Jambore
Gardaland's second Rainbow. Cavallino Matto restored this unit and renamed it "Jambore" only for the 2009 season, then it was later sold to Luna Park in France. It was Standing But Not Operating for the 2020 season and was sold for parts a year later.
Unknown: Built
1993-2001: Gardaland (Italy)
2008/2009: Cavallino Matto (Italy)
2010-2021: Luna park Cap d'agde[44] (France) 2021 Scrapped and sold for parts
Jambore
26
La Carreta Desbocada
"La Carreta Desbocada" (The Runaway Cart/Crazy Wagon). Covered Wagon Theme. Formerly known as "Expedicion El ArcoIris". Rumoured to be used for spare parts or scrapped. This Could be the same unit that was at Hopi Hari.
Unknown: Built
1999-2011: Hopi Hari (Brazil)
2015: Removed Current Status Unknown
[no media in Wikipedia Commons]
28
Kuwait Magic Rainbow
Trailer mounted and has White supports with gold and blue V-stripes. It has a white arm with raised flowers on the upper arm and beige seats. The counterweight sign is lit in all red lights, but are no longer working. Was last seen without any rays on the sunface, but the gondola rainbow lights were still working. It is believed to still be operating in Kuwait.
A park model named "Trono de Pakal", which is almost identical to the Aztek Rainbow. It was last known to be in Spain, but since then its status is unknown.
Unknown: Built
Unknown-2006: Port Aventura (Spain) Current Status Unknown
[no media in Wikipedia Commons]
30
Netherlands Rainbow
This is a trailer-mounted unit. It has a white arm with flowers on it. Gold seats and blue/gold V-stripes. Its current status is unknown.
1983 or 1984: Built
1984?: de Vries & Ropers (Netherlands) Current Status Unknown
[no media in Wikipedia Commons]
31
Flying Over the Rainbow
This unit appears to be a park model called "Flying over the rainbow". A white arm, gold seats and mostly gold supports, with blue inside V-stripes. Its current status is unknown.
Unknown: Built
Nanhu Amusement Park (China) Removed - Current Status Unknown
[no media in Wikipedia Commons]
32
Dizzee World Rainbow
Trailer mounted, White arm had gold/blue V-stripes along with the main support, and gold seats. It was removed from the park for some time but then refurbished and reopened. It is possible that it was painted in dark colours with stripes at one time. It was removed from the Dizzee World's website before the 2024 season, and it appears to be removed from the park. Its current status is unknown.
Park model named "Aladdin". Magic carpet theme with colourful arm and support and no backdrop. Last to be known in Thailand and needing repair. Current status unknown.
1995: Built
Jerudong Playland Park (Brunei)
2007: Siam Park City (Thailand)
Last known to be waiting for a new leveling gear. Current Status Unknown
[no media in Wikipedia Commons]
34
Japan Rainbow
White arm with flowers, double counterweight sign, possibly blue seats. The park closed in 2007, and it is believed all the rides were left abandoned.
Unknown: Built
Glücks Königreich (Japan)[48][49]
Park was abandoned in 2007, all the rides were left there.[50] Standing But Not Operating
[no media in Wikipedia Commons]
42
Escape Rainbow
This is said to be the last unit that HUSS built, however some sources believe this to be incorrect. It has a Solid Red upper and lower arm and had yellow seats which were last seen to have been painted blue. It was last seen without any sunrays but the original sunface was installed. It is believed to still be operating in Indonesia.
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