Flying Circus

We previously showed a date for this game of May 1961. The new date is per Gottlieb documentation. This is the first pinball machine by any manufacturer to have five captive balls positioned to function similar to a Newton's Cradle toy where the ball in play hits the lower end of the column of captive balls and only the ball at the upper end of the column is propelled in response. The manufacturer's flyer introduced this feature as "Booster Ball" although it was called "Boost-A-Ball" on the only other Gottlieb game to have it, Gottlieb's 1962 'Sunset'. It was given various other names on subsequent games from other manufacturers. Designer Wayne Neyens was inspired to create this playfield device after seeing the large Newton's Cradle exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.