It’s opening weekend at Canada’s Wonderland. Check out the science behind Skyhawk, in all its interactive, barrel-rolling, head-spinning glory:

Ready for takeoff

The Skyhawk hoists up to 24 would-be pilots skyward, cranking them 41 metres off the ground with the help of a counterweight that bobs up and down inside the central tower. Twelve radial arms, or “sweeps,” fan out from the top of that steel spine. These branches each boast a claw clutching two seats, pods that dangle like winged grapes above the concrete foundation below. Then, takeoff!

The Right Stuff

An electric motor sets in motion a gear which grinds in sync with the tower gearing, making the top of the latticed monolith revolve like the CN Tower’s 360 Restaurant. Ideally, neither induces vomiting. The seats, each secured by a pneumatic cylinder, reach up to 11 revolutions per minute at the sweeps’ outer edges as they whip round and round.

Knights of the sky

Riders can rotate their harnessed seat 360 degrees, again and again. The record so far is 59 “inversions,” but 100 rotations may well be possible, says Adam Sandy, head of business development for Ride Entertainment. (“I got 41 flips and was quickly bested.”) The company teamed up with German roller-coaster manufacturer Gerstlauer Amusement Rides, the dream employer of mechanical engineering geeks everywhere.

Doggy bag, please

Mechanical restrictions limit the seats’ max rotation speed, though a rider’s weight and the weather factor in as well. “If you have a good wind, it can really get going,” Sandy says. As for nausea: “There’s definitely that possibility, I’ll be honest. If they want to go crazy and they’re not able to handle it, you definitely could get a puke factory.” Hopefully none tarnishes the wings, adorned with RCAF-like insignia.

Ace mechanics

This ride is the fourth of its kind by Gerstlauer, and the first in North America. Its height matches that of another “Sky Roller” in Liseberg, Sweden, which also launched this year. Popular for their interactivity, low energy demands, and minimal space requirements — unlike roller-coasters — this breed of “flat ride” debuted in 2008 at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, says Sandy. “It’s getting the guests directly involved in their own experience.”