Why is the Hulk unique?

Why do you think that no other park has copied Hulk's incredible launched lift hill? Do you think Universal owns the rights for X # of years, or do you think it's too expensive to operate for most parks (I know that the system requires a lot of energy)?

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"Wait! Can't we discuss this?"

It's very very expensive!

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Steel- 1.Millennuim Force
Wood- 1.The Beast
"We're not worthy, We're not worthy!"

To me the lift system is a one trick pony, at least the way they present it. While it certainly is a neat feeling to be shot out of the "tube" like that, half of the thrill from it is the suprise... you're going up the "normal" lift hill, then suddenly BAM!!!! you get shot out at 40 or so MPH.

Next time you ride it, you expect it... half of the "fun" was gone.

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I promise I won't go off on a rant about those @#$%^&*! Toboggan's again.

It doesn't appear to be a very practical way to launch a coaster train. It's just a bunch of little wheels that speed up and propel the train forward. It seems like it would eat up a ton of power in the process. There are more cost-effecient ways to launch a coaster train.

That "bunch of little wheels" draws power from turbines that store electricity and drain in two seconds or so. On one of the TV shows an engineer explained that trying to draw that kind of power that quickly would otherwise brown-out Orlando every minute or so.

If you haven't seen it, electricity is converted to mechanical energy in the turbines, then converted back after it's "charged" and drained to the wheel motors.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

It's also because that's the way Universal decided to launch B&M trains. Rumor (and this may have been confirmed on one of the shows) has it that B&M refused to modify the train design for a launch mechanism, so Universal's design group found the easiest way possible to launch it - use a wheel drive on the bottom brake fin. Takes a ton of power and mechanical effort, so it won't be duplicated anytime soon. Fun thing is the launch speed can be adjusted for a more intense launch, they're not going to do it of course - but it would be neat if one day it got "cranked up a notch".

Have Fun!

George
Home Park: Islands of Adventure

The first time i rode it, it was scarier, but not less fun after that.

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RCman4

I seem to recall one of the engineers for Hulk saying on a television program that the wheel drive was selected over LIM because there were problems with several LIM coasters at the time and they felt that that low risk route was to use the wheel drive.

well i would still like to see more coasters with a launch like this. i dont see why b&m are soo picky in what they will not do. that is why i love intiman i mean they do so many differnt things its just cool to see. well i hope to see b&m experiment a little more in the futre

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MAY 5TH