Here are some statistics for the world's biggest Giant Observation Wheels (ferris wheels is a term not really applicable any more): London Eye, the Great Dubai Wheel(to open 2010), the Singapore Flyer, the Beijing Great Observation Wheel(opened 2009), the Giant Orlando Wheel(opening 2010), the Giant Berlin wheel (opened 2009 and Star of Nanchang (opened 2006) are the biggest. Here are summary comparisons:
By Height:
1) Great Beijing Wheel - 208 metres (682 feet)
2) Great Berlin Wheel - 185 metres (606ft)
3) The Singapore Flyer - 165m (541ft)
4) Star of Nanchang - 160m (525ft)
5) London Eye - 135m (443ft)
6) Great Orlando Wheel - 122m (400ft)
By Capacity:
1) Great Beijing Wheel - 1,920 passengers
2) Great Berlin Wheel - 1,500 passengers
3) Great Orlando Wheel - 960 passengers
4) London Eye - 800 passengers
5) The Singapore Flyer - 784 passengers
6) Star of Nanchang - 480 passengers
London Eye
The height of the London Eye is 135m
There are 32 10-tonne capsules
You can see around 40KM (25 miles) from the top as far as Windsor Castle on a clear day
The London Eye welcomes an average of 3.5 million customers every year
The circumference of the wheel is 424m (1.392ft)
The spindle weighs 330 metric tonnes (716,000 pounds), the wheel and capsules total 2100 tonnes (4.41 million pounds weight)
The Great Dubai Wheel will be one of the major attractions at Dubailand. The 185m wheel will be taller than the London Eye. Visitors will be able to view distances up to 50 km from the comfort of one of 30 capsules.
Singapore Flyer
Capsule size: Each capsule is 4 metres x 7 metres – about the size of a city bus. There are 28 capsules. Each capsule can carry up to 28 passengers.
Speed it travels: 0.24m per second, or 0.76km/h.
Total capacity per revolution: 784 passengers.
Rotation: Each rotation is about 32 minutes.
View Radius: 45 kilometres.
For reference purposes, in Amazing Race Asia 1 ep. 11, teams had a task at the Etisalat - Eye of the Emirates (Shrajah, United Arab Emirates) has 450,000 annual riders in its 42 cabins. It is 60m high.
The Great Observation Wheel, Beijing Chaoyang Park wheel(628 ft)will surpass both the London Eye (443 ft) and Dubai's Great Wheel(607 ft).
Great Orlando Wheel will open in 2010. Its height is 400 feet (122 meters) above the earth. A 25-mile (40 km) viewing range is possible. There will be 24 of these fully enclosed, rotating air-conditioned, glass capsules affixed to the Wheel’s outer rim.
Measuring approximately 38 x 16 feet; each capsule will carry up to 40 passengers, for a total of 960. It moves so slowly (nine inches per second) that guests will enter and exit without the wheel having to stop during the 30 minute ride.
Great Berlin Wheel
175 Meters high (some sources say 185 m), 28 km view, 40 passengers/capsule, 30 minute ride, Capable of carrying 1,920 passengers in 48 capsules
the part in German - Kapselabmessung 4,70 Meter x 11,60 Meter (dimensions of capsule)
Geschwindigkeit 0.25 Meter pro Sekunde (rotation speed)
Umdrehungsdauer 30 Minuten (ride length in time)
Gewicht einer Kapsel 18 Tonnen (weight of each capsule)
160 metres (525 feet), carries up to 480 people in sixty enclosed climate-controlled gondolas for eight passengers.
Gewicht des Rades ca. 6.500 Tonnen (weight of entire structure 14.3 million pounds)
Star of Nanchang
160 metres (525 feet), carries up to 480 people in sixty enclosed climate-controlled gondolas for eight passengers.