Allison Wilson
Roller Coaster History: Final Project
Research:
Name: Fahrenheit
Park: Hershey Park
Year Opened: 2008
Type: Steel – Sit Down
Manufacturer: Intamin 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. (hypercoaster)
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: Millennium Force
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.