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World's Biggest Roller Coaster
jplan34 writes "Cedar Point made the official announcement today that they are going to build the world's tallest coaster, set to open in 2000 at 310 feet tall with a 300 foot 80 degree 92 mph first hill. " Cedar Point
already has my 2 favorite coasters- the Magnum and the Gemini. Both are fab- I guess summers are that time when you want to think about being hyper accelerated and spun
after eating excessively greasy food. Mmm. Grease.
300 foot drop? 92 miles per hour?
I've got a peaceful queasy feeling... =)
In Michigan, you have Shivering Timbers, too! That's another reason.
I like Ohio, and I'm 1.5hr from Windsoe (gambling and 19 yo drinking age), 1.25hr from Cedar Point, 2hr from Sea World and 3hr from King's Island.
...plus I might get to have Jerry Springer as a senator...
I grew up here and make a trip or two just about
every year...
For a fun time try taking LSD and riding in the
very back seat of the Magnum.
They have so many excellent rides there. Try to
go on a weekday though if you don't want to
spend an hour or more in line per ride.
It's not that small - they can also remove some
of the more lame rides.
Plus they should be able to have the coasters go
out into the lake a little ways...
Mark
It's too bad because the Orient Express was my favorite ride at WOF.
Do you remember a few years ago? Some girl got killed in an accident while riding the Timber Wolf.
WOF is starting to scare me.
Ohio is a great place to live. I've driven through Detroit on my way to Windsor a few times and I can say I sure as heck wouldn't want to live anywhere NEAR that city, much less the entire state. Thank god for nice peaceful NE Ohio. :-)
Actually, though the Magnum is just over 200 feet tall, the vertical drop is just under 200 feet (195 I think), so the Millenium will be MORE THAN 100 feet taller, not to mention better in every possible other way (including color!)
Also, I've heard over the past couple years that the Magnum will be torn down (actually moved somewhere else in the country) because it's sinking... Last time I rode it, it seemed unusually rough (almost as bad as the back seat of the Mean Streak), is there any truth to that rumor?
ohio rules.. your just mad because OSU kicks and michigan state sucks...heh anyway ceder point is pretty cool-- I generally go there every 2 years or so.. Magnum sucks tho. long live the raptor and mantis.
Uh get to the point or something
I was just thinking "Geez.. do I go home and play Simcity 3000 or do I go home and play Rollercoaster Tycoon.. hmmm." :-)
If you go to Kennywood's web site, you'll see that its top speed was 80MPH.
I grew up in Michigan and attended UM, so your post can't go unchallenged. But seriously, I think both Michigan and Ohio are great now that I've moved away.
/. standards). I definitely want to take my daughter there someday.
Cedar Point is great. Does the Blue Streak still exist? It was my favorite as a kid. I remember when they opened the Jumbo Jet and the Gemini (yeah, I know, I'm an old geezer by
From what I understand, Michigan is also the home of Slashdot!
King's Island is MUCH better than Cedar Point. Wooden Coasters that last 3+minutes are way cooler than any steel she-ite.
plus, PKI will open the new SON OF BEAST in 2000
Mmmm.... Looping WOODEN Coaster
It's not the speed, its the bank that gives you the g's.
45 degrees = 1.5 g
60 degress = 2.0 g
80 degress = 3.x g
no, they meant that at that time its corrected speed of 80 mph was the fastest. They have nothing on the site about its true top speed which doesn't really qualify because it was an 'accident'. I recall that it did go over 90 mph, but what it was exactly is never agreed on.
No, Alpengeist, in Busch Gardens VA has (or had) the most inversions on an inverted rollercoaster. It breaks several records and is definately much bigger and better than the Raptor.
Agreed, Coasters suck. I lost all interest in coasters when I went on my first ski trip. Then I got into kart racing. Skydiving. Wind surfing.
It isnt any fun unless it is interactive. It is more fun if it is real.
Bungee jumping sucks too.
They are too smooth. I want to get my guts ripped out by a coaster. The Magnum is just one big hill, that's it. Wood all the way!!!
Wood is definately fun.
It adds some excitement when you're being bumped and thrown about, the track and cars are creaking and groaning around you, a single car at a time actually jumps off the track for a split second at the top of a hill, and you know that the safety bar is really just for show.
Of course, I have never been one of the REALLY big rollercoasters (I've never travelled anywhere that has one). Still, even if I had, I bet I'd still appreciate wood for what it is...
Still, 300 feet. Yeow!
455ci. There's no replacement for displacement.
yeah. its true.. but i heard they are selling it to a japanese theme park.
I go to U of M too. The out of state tuition is too high, and all Michigan drivers are high on crack. It's a great school though. The fatal flaw with Michigan is that the state's shaped very much like a mitten.
Guest 495: Just thinking about Milennium Force makes me sick
Guest 887: Milennium Force is really good value
:)
That's not a flaw, that's an advanage. That way when someone at U of M from out of state asks you where you're from you can hold up your hand and point.
'm sure there's some REASON they say you're in Alaska, but it's not part of the ride anymore.
This ride USED to be a tobogan ride, so that is probably where the alaska comment probably came from.
Of course, at the time the ride was not enclosed, nor did it have any of the "theme" elements it has now.
However, it was just as lame then as it is now...
I live in Columbus also and I believe it ranks as one of the most internet connected cities in US. A large portion of the people in the internet is from Columbus, Ohio.
What's your quarter, pathetic mustang man?
Mine's 11.386
Yeah, but does it run Linux?
This ain't no Rice Rocket, friend. The Japanese custom market may have a lot of poseurs, but the real thing matches the best America or Europe can produce. Only the conceited "if it isn't 8 cylinders t's craaaaaaaap" kiddies will tell you otherwise.
p g
http://www.minnamracing.com/PICS/RX7/RXy-Dyno.j
You get out much, eh? Can't blame you, you probably drive an american car. Too bad.
t ml
http://importdrag.com/raceresults/raceresults.h
Read it and weep, sucker.
BTW: If the link doesn't work, try clicking on "results" under http://importdrag.com/
He said Honda Civi CRX... That's a little car. You must be thinkning Honda CBR which could be beat by a 400. If you looking for the best off the shelf you'd best look to Suzuki. The GSX 1100 or GSF1200 or the new 1300 (can't remember the name, more of a sport bike not as good for off the line stuff but hella' fast 180mph +). Heard of 1/4 miles 10.6 to 10.8 from stock.
Or your going to spend big bucks and still be street, drop 120 grand plus. I've seen mustangs that have been built with little of the original left so you could call em handbuilt. Stock cars that kick would be the Euro types for 100 grand plus. If you don't have that cash go for the bike as you'll beat anything other than a better bike off the line. And 0 to 100. You can go more than 100 but not for long on surface streets. And at 140+ things come up on the highway too fast so I don't see what the 180 - 190 will get you but dead.
No quarter, hmmm. Why am I not surprised. You probably can't keep your 70 camaro running long enough to make it to the track. LOL.
But what if you live in the U.P.?
Heh...one of the best reason's of living in Sandusky Ohio...Cedar Point is a 2 minute drive away. I should be beat for saying this, but if you ride those rides enough...they just don't excite me anymore. I can't wait for this baby!
Cameron
cameron@penguinpowered.com
Ahhh, who wants to live in the states when you can live here in New Zealand ;)
Especially since I can get cable net access now, and that Southern Cross multi-Gbit cable isn't too far away now... Nice weather too.
The Viper at Magic Mountain is pretty cool, but the Riddlers Revenge is deffinately my favourite there.. It's not exactly the scariest coaster around but its just so smoooooooooooooooooooth and fun :). The Viper would be cooler if it didnt brake before the boomerang thingy, would be much more fun flying through that at warp speed..
;)
Also, damn you American pricks for having all them coasters , here in Australia i think we have like 10 in the whole country and all of them suck
And to think back in my day all we had were Triumph Bonnevilles and Honda 305's. How things change....
The original ride was called avalanche run. Cedar point got cheap and decided to enclose it and call it a new ride.
The new ride is called disaster transport from the name [dis]patch m[aster] transport. It's supposed to be a stupid airline or something that's all fucked up and that's why that dumb puppet used to act like it was out of control. But you do get safely to alaska.
CLEAVELAND BROWNS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA NOT ANY FUCKING MORE EH?
YOU HOSERS WONT BE GETTING A FOOTBALL TEAM ANYTIME SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Check out Coasterhost for some good info on Millenium Force. Also has links to another really cool coaster for next year called Project: Stealth.
The mean streak is one evil ride alright...
big, wooden, fast, and a really really long ride.
It will beat the crap out of you indeed.
It also typically has nice short lines so
you can get right back on!
I can only imagine it has structural
problems because of what it is.
The alternative to limited government is unlimited government.
Maybe, but the weather sucks (unless of course you like gray skies all year round).
Let's try not to let fact interfere with our speculation here, OK?
Yeah...slightly darker or lighter depending on the time of day =)
Let's try not to let fact interfere with our speculation here, OK?
Nope, the Gemini's always been a steel track on a wooden structure -- at least it was in '78/79, when I first rode it...
The 80 degrees refers to the incline of the first drop, not to banking. If you are freely accelerating down an 80 degree incline, the force you are experiencing is somewhere between 0g and 1g (assuming we ignore the effects of air resistance, which would ultimately lead you to attain terminal velocity---the track is not long enough for that).
So the table would be:
0 degrees (level): 1.00 g
45 degrees: 0.71 g (~ sqrt(2)/2)
60 degrees: 0.50 g
80 degrees: 0.17 g
90 degrees: 0.00 g
Basically, the g's correspond to the cosine of the angle. Switch your calculator to degrees, punch in the degree of inclination and hit the COS button. That's the amount of force that you experience.
The 80 degree drop will feel nearly weightless.
Also, the force you will experience will be normal to the seat. As you enter the drop, the change in the direction and magnitude of the force you are experiencing will feel like you are being lifted off the track.
Of course, you will experience some serious g's greater than 1 at the bottom of the drop. That's a matter of gravity, the speed at which you are going and the curvature of the track.
The sheer length and steep angle of that drop is going to make this one scary rollercoaster.
Are you sure you aren't thinking of the kid falling from the Timber Wolf (also a coaster at WoF)?
The articles in the Star praised the kids remaining in the fallen car for being calm during the rescue...
Besides, how can screwing with the safety harness make the coaster cars fall off the track?
"Flame away, I wear asbestos underwear"
I imagine that the max speed a roller coaster will be allowed to travel will more or less depend on the max speed that people can manage to stay secured on the ride,
ie. if a person goes flying from their seat when this roller coaster hits a corner at 6 g's, then the roller coaster designers will make the next one only hit 5.9 g's.
yeah it's dumb, but so what.
Dammit, I have never been so proud to live in Ohio. Cedar Point definitely already rocks the block party, oh yes. And this coaster is just more gravy.
-- adr
I gotta take the kids. Too bad he's only five, and short for his age... he can't ride so many things.
---
Hand me that airplane glue and I'll tell you another story.
They said it is going to be right in the middle of the park.
--
Scott Miga
The whole reason for the tiered seating is to _not_ block the view of people.
--
Scott Miga
I don't know the exact height, but the brand new roller coaster @ Six Flags in Darien Lake called "Superman, Ride of steel" is huge. The biggest ride I have _ever_ seen.
--
Scott Miga
Well, the history of Darien Lake goes a long way back to when it was a small little park and there were some rides there. Since it has been bought by SixFlags, and just before that, they started getting more rides and I guess more is on the way. So in the future it should develop into a really big theme park. Now if they can make it so it dosen't take 20 minutes to walk to your car. :)
--
Scott Miga
Yah, I like Darien Lake even though it is 2 hours away, opposed to 4 1/2 to Cedar Point. Yah I heard about that accident as it was huge news around here(and obvisously where you live). On all the news stations and such. Wasen't there another accident on Superman also? I think I remember hearing something about another one, hrm.
--
Scott Miga
Well I don't think they are going to be building it already; I think they said sometime in the year 2000-2001+.
--
Scott Miga
According to Darian Lake's site, the hill is about 208 feet, and speeds are about 70mph.
Personally, I've been on everything at Cedar Point, and Superman is just as good as Magnum. Unfortunately, the rest of Darien Lake is leaving a little to be desired.
Unfortunately, a few years ago, Cedar Point put steel tracks in for Gemini, so now it's just a steel coaster with a wooden superstructure.
I am so pleased to see all these people defending our wonderful state. We have so much to offer, and there are a lot of clueless people out there.
I am thinking that our state should have a special "best place for rollercoasters" license plate or something. I am sure it would be a big seller.
With respect to clueless people, I think we can generally say that Ohio has clueless people just like any other state, but I like to think that there are proportionally fewer than some other less habitable states...
The day a Honda CRX with anything short of a rocket engine can do 0-92 in under 4 seconds is the same day my Pentium spontaneously changes into a Cray. Then again, maybe you meant meters per hour. Are you European?
Forgive my ignorance, but, let's see...
I went to a site that seems to be about drag racing foreign cars.
You pointed me to a list of race winners.
They were all foreign cars, or course. Some were CRXs.
What's your point?
i like only roller coaster in wood... there's a little in Montréal called "The Monster"
--
http://www.beroute.tzo.com
"Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
1- The lake freezes. Ice is not easy on structures. See the engineering that went into the bridge connecting the UP and LP in Michigan.
;).
2- They could take out Disaster Transport (like space mountain, but lamer) and Iron Dragon (a thrilling 45 mph in what appears to be a "yugo-of-the-future-circa 1987" without anyone complaining. Also the wildcat, which is redeemable only for it's sheer ghetto-value, but not enough to stand in the way of progress
However, It sounds like they're gonna take out the Matterhorn (?), the gondola ride. From the description [center of the island] it sounds most likely that it's gonna be the victim, but then again, I could be wrong.
It's bad living (relatively) near Cedar Point. It raises your expectations too high.
--I hate people when they're not polite -"Psycho Killer", Talking Heads
Firebirds, Camaros, and Mustangs are fine until you, well, want to take a turn... or stop.
Ah, who needs to stop, best to just mash that pedal to the floor and have an automatic shift for you in mindless splendor. And how often do you turn anyway?
If you want to experience REAL horsepower, get a 60s muscle car. The few surviving members of that era are pathetic oxymorons of performance, not as good as they once were at straight line, just as lousy on a road course.
Of course if you want to experience extreme G's, you should go race open-wheel cars on a closed road course. Nothing like pulling over a G... sideways...
Moof!
Razzmataz wrote:
-Windigo The Feral (NYAR!)
Yeah, too bad the Iron Dragon is incredibly lame. The idea was kinda neat, but the execution was bad. There weren't any big hills or turns, and what turns there were had the impact actually lessened by being under the track (it made the turns wider). I never got an adrenaline rush out of it, and I was 11 when I rode it. Now the raptor -- that's under-track done RIGHT.
:)
IMHO, of course.
The enemies of Democracy are
Columbus, Ohio, the only great place to live. Lots of jobs, cheap housing, and cheap electronics ;)
Bigbiff http://www.exxtreme-linux.org
I'd just like to let everyone know that Cedar Fair also runs Worlds of Fun here in Kansas City, and I was wondering if anyone had heard about the accident on the Orient Express Rollercoaster. I worked for Cedar Fair for 1 year, and They aren't the greatest company IMHO to be running the World's largest Coaster.
Ohio is a great place to live. I'm from Mount Vernon, Ohio - small farming community of 15,000 in the middle of nowhere. Only about an hour's drive from Columbus, also a great place to live. And Cedar Point is great - the most roller coasters in the world, the biggest, the fastest, the best - if you haven't been there, book yourself a trip to go see it.
However, I'm currently living near Boston, MA, on the north shore, where I attend school during the year. The disadvantages of this area include crazy drivers, whacked-out streets (cow-paths), high prices on *everything*, and a silly law that college students are eligible for jury duty, even if they're from out of state. Also, there are no really cool amusement parks of the likes of Cedar Point.
Advantages are: high-tech jobs abound, tons of historic and cultural stuff to do, BOSTON, commuter rail systems, BOSTON, the ocean & beaches, BOSTON, Newbury Comics, MIT, home of the free software foundation, Seiji Ozawa and the BSO, BOSTON, oh and did I mention that great town called BOSTON?
Ok.
But it still doesn't have CEDAR POINT. Plan? Transport CEDAR POINT to Connecticut, strike a deal with the Native American folk and transplant it next to Foxwoods, problem solved!
And they've got the Power Tower now which gives a bigger (and, IIRC, faster) drop than the Demon Drop. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm started when I was about to go on the ride, causing the park to close; so I can't give a real evaluation of the ride. But it *looks* pretty damn cool! And yes, the Magnum and Demon Drop rock too :)
Iron Dragon looks cool but is too tame, the Raptor is a more exciting ride, IMHO.
Overall, a great park.
Darien Lake rocks. One little story about the Superman ride (which I haven't had a chance to go on just yet. Though it's like a half hour drive from my house, so I really ought to go give it a try). There was a minor accident on the ride. Some guy got thrown from the ride and flew a short distance through the air. Superman indeed! What happened was that this 300+ lb. man rode the thing, and when the ride was almost over, and quickly slowing, the combination of his weight and abrupt slowing caused him to fly out of the safety restraints. He's okay, though. I don't remember if this was a manufacturing defect of the coaster, or if the guy's weight exceeded whatever specs the restraints had. But it that was when it first opened, and they've fixed whatever it was.
I'm sure whatever they run (probably a proprietary embedded OS, but who knows), there must be redundancy like you wouldn't believe. After all, we wouldn't want a computer crash to create a coaster crash.
Most 4's that start to put out REAl horsepower, are tweaked to within a inch of their life. A 2 liter engine with 400hp is nothing more than a very expensive hand grenade.
:)
The best sports car for the money is a TVR. There is not even a choice about this. The only problem is they're not available in the states.
And they're better looking than anything that GM, Ford or Dodge made in the 70's. Don't get me started on the cookie-cutter looks of Japanese cars (except the Dastun Fairlady, and the Toyota 2000 GT
www.tvr-eng.co.uk
Look them up and weep for joy. Then do the math. The Cerebra has four seats and a 0-60 in 3.9 seconds... stock. No blower, no NOS, nothing special.
Shaun Nelson - Bastard Operator (From Hell / For Hire)
But it'll be all ready for when the new millennium starts in 2001. Assuming they have electricity to run it with, *chuckle*
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
One more semester till I graduate, and then off to Christchurch :-)
*starts circulating his resume*
BTW, how hard is it to get a New Zealand drivers licence if I already have a US license?
Why educate when you can just redefine?
Think about it: we are billing people now for last-minute fixes to Y2K bugs. (I love charging for fixing my bugs. :-) Those people we are billing would be extremely pissed off if the millenium didn't start at the same time as Y2K. I figure: hey, throw 'em a bone! Therefore, the next millenium starts in about 5 months.
Oh, and maybe once next year gets settled in, then we can explain, "Oh no, the millenium begins in 2001. Now is the time to start budgeting for your millenium rollover mods." Hey, I bet a at least a few will fall for it.
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
I'm from KC -- if you read the articles the kids involved were deliberately disobeying practically
every single safety regulation (don't stand up,
make sure your seat bar is down and locked, etc, etc, etc)
Can't blame the company for stupid customers.
Probably not, until someone's head gets whacked off by a pidgeon at 300 mph or something...
9) You know it's cool when they use "newfangled" in the press release.
Hail to the Sun God! He is the Fun God! Ra! Ra! Ra!
...that no one can get this whole digits thing right.
a HUGE stand of book sin bookstores,
preparing you for the "millennium",
all a year off. (or 3, but i'm going with our current numbering system).
and now a misnamed roller coaster.
won't stop me from riding it, even for a second,
i just think SOMEONE needs to educate these people.
i guess you have to figure,
some of them know,
but know it wouldn't be accepted by the (m)asses,
and the money is all that matters.
*sigh*
-Tannin Kal
This brings back harsh memories. I was supposed to work there in the summer of '93 (I live in the UK). Except 2 days before my summer uni exams I fell through a garage roof. Broke my ankle and f***ed up my digestive system and ended up with a 6 month colostomy bag (don't ask). So, I never made it. You bastards - I thought I was over the experience .....
I couldn't agree more.
:-)
... A happy Michigander
My journal has hot
They're moving the Giant Wheel. Take it from a former CP employee (I still have the issue of BTL that I was on the front cover of to prove it! woo hoo!) there is LOTS of room around the Giant Wheel, particularly if they cut down a few trees.
Ooops, now I'm going to get flamed by environmentalists...
My journal has hot
While all the other coasters in Magic Mountain are fairly-good. (Nothing insanely awesome.) Viper and Superman: The Escape need mention here. Viper is possibly one of the best metal coasters I've seen. When it was built, it was the loopiest rollercoaster in the world. (Anyone know if it still is?)
And now for the part that y'all need to hear talkin' about a 300ft, 92mph coaster. While Superman: The Escape isn't exactly the longest ride, it is 415ft tall and does 0-100mph in 7 seconds. (Yay for electromagnetic acceleration!) Did you all hear that? 100mph and 415ft tall. Oh, and you get to experience about 6 or 7 seconds of weightlessness (a.k.a. free-fall) on the way back.
Yum. I think I'll go chow some fried lard and head over.
-Robby
Curiosity?!? My ass! He stole shit! -T. Carpenter
Hmm. . . .say, a 85 degree drop, from 10 miles up. . . .
Give us a century or two. Build a "Beanstalk"-type Space elevator structure, Surface to Geosynchronous Orbit, with a balancing mass out beyond GeoSynch. . . And use THAT, in an evacuated tube, as the biggest drop for a roller-coaster in the Solar System. .
For the Kiddie Coaster. . .
(speaking as former USAF Aviator)
The muscle and leg flexes, also known as the "M-1" manuever, start being useful at around 3G's. Much beyond 5G's, anti-acceleration garments, better known as "fast pants", automatically inflate to cut off circulation to the legs and lower abdomen.
Reclining also helps: the lower the vertical distance between the brain and the heart, the higher G-resistance a given person has. Physical strength also helps: fighter pilots and WSO's are encouraged to pump iron, and encouraged NOT to run: an ectomorphic body shape/type also handles G's better than a tall, thin endomorphic type. .
Given all that, I wouldn't want to put a coaster out there with more than a sustained 2.5-3G's for any period, and bursts not more than 4.5G's: more and you risk injuring people who just aren't in shape for it. . .
That page was Slashdotted pretty quick.
How will I ever live through another trip to Cedar Point? There's the Raptor, possibly the most thrilling rollercoaster ever invented, the Mantis, which nearly made me black out, the Magnum, which is so much fun to ride on a windy day, and of course the (two) greatest wooden rollercoaster(s) ever built, the Gemini.
Let's not forget how huge the Power Tower seems now, at only *cough* 240 feet tall.
Do rollercoasters make use of computers for safety/administraion/maintenance? If so, the Millenium Force should be running Linux, or some derivative of it. I can't imagine being on the coaster when a M$ product decides to crash.
Josh
How long until we see this thing modelled in Rollercoaster Tycoon :-)
The Steel Phantom at Kennywood in Pittsburgh, PA initially had a speed of ~92 mph when the ride first opened. After complaints of sore necks, the speed was attenuated several miles an hour slower.
.
The link seems to be broken, so to put this
in perspective: Cedar Point had the tallest and
fastest roller coaster in the world when the
Magnum was built ten years ago. It has a vertical
drop of just over 200 feet. So this adds another
*100* feet of vertical drop.
I just can't imagine where they are going to put
this enormous roller coaster on that small
island...
LL
"If you are falling, dive." -Joseph Campbell
That's King's Island outside Cincinnati OH.
Since we are on the subjects of rollercoasters, I'd thought I'd point out the true rollercoaster of the world, Kennywood. Located in Pittsburgh, Kennywood boasts _two_ of the top five roller coasters in the world, voted on by the National Roller Coaster Enthusiasts. They have the #1 Roller Coaster in the world, the Thunderbolt, which is a classic wooden rollercoaster unlike any other. They also have the #4 rollercoaster, The Steel Phantom, which held the Guiness records for tallest rollercoaster and fastest rollercoaster.
Cedar Point may be bigger and have a larger budget, but if you are looking for a true rollercoaster thrill, stop by in Pittsburgh and check out Kennywood.
God my sides hurt from laughing at the mental image of some dork dropping a blower into a little sh*tbox Honda CRX. Reminds me of the lard-ass jerk who works in my building with a Mitsu Eclipse that thinks he is Mario F-ing Andretti with his little pip-squeak 4-banger rice-propelled POS.
Get a Mustang or a Firebird that has some real displacement if you want to feel some acceleration torque (and not have all the girls laugh at you as you peel out of the parking lot at Denny's at 2am!)
:-p
I would think the G forces would be more of a limiting factor? This thing drops 300 feet at an 80 degree angle (I assume this is where the 92mph top speed is reached), how many G's are exerted on the riders when that thing bottoms out?
:-) ). A fighter pilot can supposedly stand 9G in a sustained turn, but they have to do special breathing and leg muscle flexes to keep from blacking out.
I have no real information about what current coasters dish out, but I would guess its in the 2-3 G range, no? I've felt 4.5 G's when in a friend's private plane, I can pretty much guess that most thrill-seeking coaster riders would be satisfied with that G Load (read, not ready for much more
So, the sensations that thrill a rider are the weightless drop (300 feet has to be one *hell* of a rush, I like the last car the best!), and then the G forces as you bottom out, turn and loop. I would guess that you wouldn't have to build a coaster too much higher than 300 feet before you start getting speeds and G loads that are going to be too much for the average coaster rider to enjoy.
>Actually, I'm surprised I haven't been moderated down as flamebait yet...
That's because all the moderators used up all their points on the bad Kennedy jokes in the Katz thread. =)
The Summer of 2001 will also bring us (no kidding, I warn you) "Son of the Beast," as in Son of (say it all together now) the "Biggest, Baddest, Longest, Fastest Roller Coaster in the world."
Not only is it allegedly the highest hill and steepest downfall ever, it is also the first time a wooden coaster will go upside-down ....
I usually hit both parks (Cedar Point @ Sandusky, OH, and Kings' Island near Cincinnati, OH) every Summer, but have not yet made it to Cedar Point. AAA Members get tickets to each for only $18.
Kings' Island's new Coaster this year "Face/Off" (as in the Travolta/Cage film, and NO, I do not understand the tie-in) -- hangs you beneath the track while you stand up (kinda) and goes upside down twice, and then over the entire track backwards again. My wife and I waited in line for nearly two hours for a 48-second ride, and yet it was worth it: you have absolutely no sense of direction (partly because your eye-view is rather limited), and then you stop, hang, then go backwards ....
"He who questions training trains himself at asking questions." - The Sphinx, Mystery Men (1999)
http://www.pki.com/Rides_Attractions/ActionZone/Ac tionZoneHome.html#FaceOff
"He who questions training trains himself at asking questions." - The Sphinx, Mystery Men (1999)
When it first opened, there were no brakes at it went through one of the final loops, so when they finally came into the station at the end, the shock of the sudden stop as it pulled into the station gave a few people whiplash. That is why you now hear a massive screech of the brakes as they go through one of the final loops. It slows it down enough that there is not quite so much deceleration as it pulls into the station.
For a while there were rumors that on a hot, humid day when the grease on the track would melt and get really slippery (or "slippy" in Pittsburghese), the top speed of the coaster approached 110 mph.
It's been several years since I've been to Duquesne, or even PA, so I don't remember all of the details, but I'm pretty sure this is all accurate, can anyone confirm?
Only if Fabio rides the damn thing.....
Well, as one person puts it: If you don't like Columbus weather, wait an hour and it will change. Good or bad, it WILL change.
We don't have a Hash Bash, but we do have a Hemp Fest. When I went once, they tried to sell me "cookies" as a fund raiser.... Hmmm.....
Cool... yeah roller coasters.
I wonder if there will ever be a limit as to how tall a roller coaster will be made, and as to how fast they'll make the drops (or simply, if they'll begin to designate maximum speeds for the rides).
Insert mind here.
> ALl you pansies who think that is exciting.
Heh.. Who are you kidding? Motorcycles sucks. Come
Skydiving in NJ on Saturday.. You don't know
what a rush is..
(and yes I love roller coasters, just hate trolls:)
malice95
What is a Riceboy?
Stupid little kids who put big exhaust pipes on their Hondas and think they instantly have 50 more horses because the chopshop owner who sold it to them said so. Kids who are proud of their car sounding like a bumblebee. Pimply little runts who think that putting a fake VTEC sticker or "Type-R" badge on their car gives it more horsepower. Punks who only go to "Battle of the Imports" races because deep down inside they know their doors would get blown off by domestic muscle cars. 'Nuff said.
> Can't blame the company for stupid customers.
And the American Legal System is what? A nightmare I had after 14 Taco's and the too many rides on a rollercoster? (See I'm not off topic!)
If you read the article more carefully you'll note that they're using an elevator CABLE, not an entire elevator :)
Right now most coasters just hook into a chain which drags you up... but its noisy and jerky.
Doug
Venn ist das nurnstuck git und Slotermeyer? Ya! Beigerhund das oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!
They went with this probably because people are chicken - the clackety-clack of the chain, the slight jerking back and forth, the slow lift...
They want to get you up there and down before you even know what happenned. I think the lift portion is half the fun - though I can see problems:
1. People screaming "Let me off!!!" as the ride near the top...
2. Rollercoaster junkies like me falling asleep due to long lift times...
3. Lines that take a year to get through because of the wait for the lift...
So I guess this whole thing with the cable system isn't too bad.
As far as the jumps in height being small between new coasters - I wish they were larger - I would happily go on a 600 foot tall coaster right now...
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
People in the U.P. never counted anyhow... Should have given them to Wisconsin long ago.
If that roller-coaster has a remote administration software installed (a.k.a NetBus), it will be fun!
.sigs are useless; it doesn't protect you from imposters.
I'll second that. I was at Cedar Point a few weeks ago. The Raptor was by far my favorite ride. And the lineups weren't so bad, either. Took only about a half hour or so to get on! Much better than the 1.5 - 2 hour lineups up here at Canada's Wonderland.
Actually, I'm surprised I haven't been moderated down as flamebait yet...
And MSU *does* suck; the only reason to go there is if you enjoy getting in drunken riots and having tear gas shot at you. (lets see if I can get two posts in a row moderated down as flamebait) I know people from MSU who consider bruises from tear gas canisters to be status symbols...
OSU is a pretty decent school, but the U of M (where I go) is in-state tuition and the hockey games are more fun to watch. (okay, not the real reasons for my choice) Plus, OSU doesn't have such wonders as the Hash Bash and the Naked Mile.
Ah, one of the best reasons to live in Michigan...(yeah, I know it's not in Michigan, but who wants to live in Ohio, anyways?)
ive ridden the magnum and been to cedar point twice while visiting family in ohio...
:). they also had the first ever under the track roller coaster called the iron dragon.
that park is the best! the magnum is awesome and devil drop rocks too
Sensei
Sensei
Linuxnewbie.org home of the NHF's
i havent been back in years but yes the iron dragon was and is lame :) except that hi g spiral at the end...the demon drop was the $hit.
:) but i remember the gemini was a good ride as well.
i dont know of the newer rides (its been about 10 years since ive been back
im in florida and busch gardens has two rides--the kumba and another under the track ride that is intense. the kumba is one of the best rides ive ever been on hands down.
i consider myself a roller coaster enthusiast. six flags over georgia is a great park too if you get a chance check it out.
Sensei
Sensei
Linuxnewbie.org home of the NHF's
Is anyone else having trouble imagining an elevator large enough to take an entire roller coaster train up 300 feet?
And I think the tiered seating will block the view of the front row of the car behind you.
Cedar Point, by the way, is the best friggin' roller coaster park in the world. Just get up and GO. Well, without further ado...
...and catching it on the way down!
1) The Magnum is the best roller coaster ever made. PERIOD.
2) Why sit in the comfort of your own homes when you can get up and wait in line for hours on end?
3) It's in Ohio. I mean, how cool is that?!?!?!?! No explanation necessary, I should think.
4) The music the new rides play on speakers while you're waiting on line really sucks^H^H^H^H^H rocks.
5) There's NOTHING like puking upside down.
6)
7) RimRod's been there.
8) It's a mass gathering of white trash from around the country.
-
I heard that Fabio tests them for being able to move and react while pulling G's..
Honk.
--- Join my team at www.dcypher.net $10,000 to the winning computer #147 "Homebuilt Computer Users"
----
Wind and temp at my house
Hey, Windows users, there is no such thing as "forward" slash, there is only slash and backslash.
(from a former biology major)
:) An endomorph is not the tall thin type, that's an ectomorph. An endomorph is more of your "heavier, big boned" type. And just for another useless bit of info, most people are mesomorphs which is the body type between the two.
"an ectomorphic body shape/type also handles G's better than a tall, thin endomorphic type. . "
That part of the sentence is a contradiction. I'm assuming you accidently switched the two.
I love deadlines. I like the "whoosh" sound they make as they fly by. -- Douglas Adams
To see how this compares, and what other rockin' coasters Cedar Point has, go here:
http://roller.coaster.net/tops.asp
Of course, they don't have a listing for the Raptor, which I believe has the most inversions in the world (6), and is simply the best coaster in existence.
I've heard that the Ohio Department Of Agriculture is the governmental body that inspects and certifies rollercoasters as safe.
Amusing, eh?
Ungh
Cedar Point is the best park I've ever been too!
Cant wait to visit back in michigan and take a small trip!
HA! They're BACK! Playing the Steelers in the Hall of Fame game. So there :-P