Allison Wilson

Roller Coaster History: Final Project

Research: Name: Fahrenheit Park: Hershey Park Year Opened: 2008 Type: Steel – Sit Down Manufacturer: AG

Height: 121 ft. Drop: unknown Length: 2700 ft. Speed: 58 mph Inversions: 6 (Norwegian Loop, Cobra Roll, Double Corkscrew) Max Vertical Angle: 97 degrees Duration: 1:25 Number of Trains: 3 Cars per Train: 3 Riders per Car: 4 (2 rows of 2)

The ride starts off with an intimidating lift hill at about 90 degrees and a subsequent drop at an intense angle of 97 degrees. It fits many elements into a somewhat constrained space, making it difficult to anticipate what the order of elements is until one is actually riding. It appears to have a possible maximalist sequence with the intense drop, Norwegian loop, cobra roll, and corkscrews gradually lessening in intensity until the turns and small hill bring the train back to the station. This is a ride that I’ve ridden myself and felt was worth the extremely long wait. I may incorporate the idea of a Norwegian loop (or just the dive loop part of the Norwegian) coming after the first hill into my ride.

Name: Bizarro Park: Six Flags New England Year Opened: 2000 Type: Steel – Sit Down Manufacturer: Intamin AG

Height: 208 ft. () Drop: unknown Length: 5400 ft. Speed: 77 mph Inversions: 0 Max Vertical Angle: unknown Duration: 2:35 Number of Trains: 2 Cars per Train: 9 Riders per Car: 4 (2 rows of 2)

Bizarro is a top ranked roller coaster mostly consisting of hills of different sizes combined with banked turns. The hills are mostly straight, providing with places for the next banking to change direction and continue through wide turns. Although it’s not one that I’ve ridden myself, I have seen the positive reviews from many others. The multiple hills give a variety of exciting airtime. I plan to include wide banked turns in my own ride, possibly using the hills to change the banks in a similar way.

Name: Intimidator 305 Park: Kings Dominion Year Opened: 2010 Type: Steel – Sit Down Manufacturer: Intamin AG

Height: 305 ft. (gigacoaster) Drop: 300 ft. Length: 5100 ft. Speed: 90 mph Inversions: 0 Max Vertical Angle: 85 degrees Duration: 3:00 Number of Trains: 2 Cars per Train: 8 Riders per Car: 4 (2 rows of 2)

Intimidator 305 is another high-ranking roller coaster in polls. Its lift hill is steep but not as steep as that of Fahrenheit. It also includes multiple hills, using them to drop into banked turns that quickly switch banking and overall direction. It’s another that I haven’t ridden but have seen positive reviews of. The quick changes in direction/banking and the multiple hills for airtime appear to be liked elements. I may include quick changes in direction in my banked turns as well as banked turns directly after drops.

Name: Maverick Park: Cedar Point Year Opened: 2007 Type: Steel – Sit Down Manufacturer: Intamin AG

Height: 105 ft. Drop: 100 ft. Length: 4450 ft. Speed: 70 mph Inversions: 2 (Twisted Horseshoe Roll) Max Vertical Angle: 95 Degrees) Duration: 2:30 Number of Trains: 6 Cars per Train: 3 Riders per Car: 4 (2 rows of 2)

Maverick stays at a lower height than the other roller coasters I’ve researched, but it is still considered to be a generally good coaster. Its lift hill moves much quicker than others with a rather steep drop. Its banked turns switch quickly and can come after smaller hills, getting some height of their own. The ride also includes corkscrews in its design, which I may include as interlocking in my own.

Name: Park: Cedar Point Year Opened: 2000 Type: Steel – Sit Down Manufacturer: Intamin AG

Height: 310 ft. (gigacoaster) Drop: 300 ft. Length: 6595 ft. Speed: 93 mph Inversions: 0 Max Vertical Angle: 80 degrees Duration: 2:20 Number of Trains: 3 Cars per Train: 9 Riders per Car: 4 (2 rows of 2)

Millennium Force is the more popular of the two coasters from Cedar Point that I’ve looked at, and it’s often higher on rankings. The lift hill is a steeper one followed by a steep drop as well. The hills of multiple sizes provide airtime and break up the wide banked turns. The turns come at various heights and appear to change more gradually than the other coasters. It’s another that I don’t recall riding, but I intend to include banked turns in my ride that may come at different heights like the ones here.

Name: Storm Runner Park: Hershey Park Year Opened: 2004 Type: Steel – Sit Down Manufacturer: Intamin AG

Height: 150 ft. Drop: 180 ft. Length: 2600 ft. Speed: 75 mph Inversions: 3 (Flying Snake Dive, Cobra Loop, Heartline Roll) Max Vertical Angle: 90 Degrees Duration: 0:50 Number of Trains: 2 Cars per Train: 5 Riders per Car: 4 (2 rows of 2)

Storm Runner is another coaster that I’ve ridden myself and enjoyed, although I tend to be disappointed in its short length. It stays at a lower height with a drop greater than its tallest point. As a launch coaster, one of its elements is a top hat followed by loops and rolls. As the roll is one of my personal favorite parts, I may include a similar one in my ride.

Name: Loch Ness Monster Park: Busch Gardens Williamsburg Year Opened: 1978 Type: Steel – Sit Down Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics

Height: 130 ft. Drop: 114.2 ft. Length: 3240 ft. Speed: 60 mph Inversions: 2 (2 vertical loops) Max Vertical Angle: 55 degrees Duration: 2:10 Number of Trains: unknown Cars per Train: unknown Riders per Car: unknown

While this is another steel sit-down coaster, it’s by Arrow Dynamics instead of Intamin as the above coasters are. It’s then older and is not as popular, but it is another that I’ve personally ridden. It is the only existing coaster to have interlocking vertical loops, and it also has a helix element made more exciting by its placement in a tunnel. To better incorporate my ride into the space given, I may have it stay at its highest point through a turn to set up for the drop like Loch Ness Monster does.

Name: Phantom’s Revenge Park: Kennywood Year Opened: 1991 Type: Steel – Sit Down Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics

Height: 160 ft. Drop: 228 ft. Length: 3200 ft. Speed: 85 mph Inversions: 0 Max Vertical Angle: unknown Duration: 1:57 Number of Trains: unknown Cars per Train: unknown Riders per Car: unknown

Phantom’s Revenge is another Arrow Dynamics ride, though it is not as old as the previous coaster. After it’s long lift hill, its drop is angled to the point where the train is facing the opposite direction of the lift hill. It uses its location well by having the second drop as the largest, diving down the side of the landscape. The banked turns change in height and also appears to follow the landscape, and smaller hills are included throughout for airtime. While not as popular as others, it’s another I’ve ridden personally. I may include a similar angled drop as well as trying to use whatever parts of the landscape I can.

My Designed Coaster: (Visual turned in by hand)

Name: Tartan Turmoil Type: Steel, Sit-Down Manufacturer: Intamin AG Coloration: Silver/gray track, black or dark grey cars with Tartan decoration Inversions Included: Dive Loop, Zero-G Roll, and Interlocking Corkscrews Duration: estimated 2.30 Number of Trains: 2 Cars per Train: 5 Riders per Car: 4 (2 rows of 2)

Statistics, Calculations, and Estimations: (Final values listed here, actual calculations turned in)

Set Statistics: Height and Drop of First Hill: Height = 150 ft. Drop = 190 ft. Maximum Positive G-forces: 3.5 Maximum Negative G-forces: -1 Maximum Lateral G-forces: 0 Number of Trains: 2 Size of Trains: 5 cars per train, 4 riders per car

Calculations: Speed at Bottom of First Drop: 75.5 mph Radius of Bottom of One of Hills: 109 ft. Radius of One of Turns and Banking Required for 0 Lateral Forces: Radius = 75 ft. Banking = 12 degrees

Estimations: Capacity: 960 riders (This estimation is off due to the fact that the trains will not always be full, both may not be in use, there may be unexpected delays, etc.) Cost: $19 million (averaged costs of researched coasters) Length of Ride: 2.5 minutes,

Write Up: I started my roller coaster on the cut where there is room for the station and queue lines. A lift hill brings the ride above the Purnell Center to reach the maximum height. An angled drop puts the track in the right direction to make the drop down below the Pausch Bridge. As the land naturally is lower there, I chose to place the drop in this way. To get out of that area, the track continues into a dive loop, getting over the trees and turning before rising back up into a Zero-G roll for added effect. While staying above the pathways when needed, the ride makes a series of banked turns before being lifted above Hunt Library to get the needed height for the next drop. Another banked turn takes the ride into interlocking corkscrews over the tennis courts. The ride then seems higher than it is and changes the view while riders are moving through the corkscrews. The ride goes back to wider banked turns in a helix-like pattern before getting back to ground level at the Cut and entering the station. I tried to make a sequence of A-B, where A is more intense inversions and B is banked turns that spiral and change directions. This is an attempt to keep the ride exciting, but not too intense, while covering a wider portion of the campus. I included elements that I personally like or that came from coasters that are well received. I tried to include each element/inversion that I had talked about in my research. I also tried to use the landscape and create a nice sequence for the ride to be perceived as “good.” Some negative aspects may be that some of the angles and radii may not be realistic enough to be possible and enjoyable. The airtime in actually may not be desirable as well.