The Spider’s Bite Fairground Ride

The sinking my fangs into the making of the new Spider’s Bite model started soon after the first South East London Meccano Club meeting of 2026 in January.

I had saved the large round canopy component with eight arms from my 2025 Momentum model which otherwise was now totally dismantled, and I set about building a new structure around it.

This started with a new base and a tower to support what would be the heavy rotating structure.

I really needed this model to feel distinctly different to the so many built in the past few years and that was the main focus.

As the model grew and slowly took shape it started to take a spider like semblance. I was mindful of trying to ensure the diameter of the structure did not exceed 3’ so that it would easily fit in my car, but I was pushing for how I could achieve extending that to 4’ or perhaps even 5’. That meant getting inventive with the construction process to overcome the transport limitations.

The ride’s passenger supporting arms were set at the full 3’ diameter but the trick was in the way the passenger cars were going to be designed and attached to hang freely, so they would only extend outwards when the model was operational. That didn’t have the result of achieving the full expansion in diameter I was looking for, so then I came up with the concept of having an extension on each arm which just like a spider’s leg could almost retract by folding them upwards.

Once this new diameter potential of the ride spin was realised, I had to then make all the alterations to the structure around it to accommodate its new rotating footprint. Similarly the canopy itself needed further modifications before I could achieve the precise position to mount it onto its supporting tower, from where it was a real moment when it finally showed itself rotating unimpeded and freely.

There were of course certain challenges each step of the way but the biggest challenge of all was in finding a motor and gearing system to be fitted to successfully engage a pinion to the large toothed circular double plates seating on top of many flanged wheels to drive its rotation.

The main entranceway part of the model was constructed as a separate add-on to the mechanical structure, again to be able to maximise the size of the overall model but not be hindered by the dimensions of my car boot, and this added another hint of overall satisfaction with what I feel had been achieved.

I like the idea that the ride is like a coiled up spider ready to strike, and how it expands into something much bigger and deadly, and with it resembling the form of a spider it is a welcome addition to a series that includes two of my early models, 2006’s The Spider Rider and 2009’s Arachnophobia.

The Spider’s Bite — sinking its fangs into its web caught riders and spins them to terrifying new heights!