Brakes on top of Kingda Ka?!?

In this picture, http://gainsider.com/scripts/pictures/popup.php?albumID=190&imageID=382
It is easy to see metal brake fins on top of the tower. I don't know if this has been discussed before, but I never remember seeing these on top of TTD before.

Could these be used to lower the overall speed of the ride coming into the final brakes? Reduce the negative-g's felt by riders in the back rows of the train? Provide a more prolonged view of the park while at the top?

The great thing about Magnetic brakes is that the amount they slow down the train is directly proportional to how fast the fins pass. Which also means static magnetic brakes alone cannot stop a moving train. I'm interested to see if the brakes will even be noticable to the average rider. I am assuming they are in place to act as a fail-safe if the train launches too fast for some reason.

*** Edited 4/14/2005 1:03:06 AM UTC by Fun***

Fun has it correct, at least according to what I've heard. I've heard that Kingda Ka will launch all trains with the same amount of force. The brakes are just there to slow the lighter that would inherently be launched at a faster speed than a heaver train with the same fore applied. It's like the trim brake on Superman at SFDL or SFA, you hardly notice it at all unless you are in an empty train.

False and False.

Magnetic brake's force is actually closer to a surge function. At some point the force will actually decrease as speed increases.

The Launch system is variable. The important input that determins step up or down needed is the time after launch till tower clear. If this pressure setting maxes out, the ride will run into problems with slow speeds or rollbacks. Since the ride doesn't have any active reading on the current train, large weight changes from train to train can have a significant effect.

I have heard that Kk actually launches at a constant speed each time .Over launches.

The break at the top does not change since it is magnetic.

There arew no wires going to it. The fin for it is on the last car of each train .

The brakes on top slow down the car so it does not go too fast down . Remember there is a hill at the bottome. You dont want to go to fast .

Also if the speed that the train is launched varies those brakes will not stop the train equally since they are not controlled.

Are we sure they are brakes and not magnets to help the train clear the hill incase the launch speed isn't great enough?

Those BRAKES are up there to add an element to the ride, you're going to hang up there longer right before you come back down. It has nothing to do with your speed, so don't even think that's why they are there. And the launch system can vary how much force it uses, to think that it just fires an empty train the same as a fully loaded train just doesn't physicaly add up. Plus there are magnets for the BRAKES on every car of the train, not just the last one.

Based on what I read in the construction log on the SF website, I concur with WickedMatt.

i have hit 125 on ttd and i felt the extra speed over the tophat. Got airtime for the first time on it!

Perhaps the brakes at the top are there to slow the train so the strong lateral jolt of the twist is easier on the passengers? That seems to be the thought of a few people I talked with last weekend. Rideman? Care to comment?

-Sean

lol Sean.... out of all the post I just read yours is the ONLY that makes sence. I mean come on.... there are only a few people who really know and taht would be the park and designeres.

SO here is an idea... let waite untill it gets open and then someone ask the park!

I bet they'll be willing to comment

I'll see you all there... after my ride ;)

The speed guns are calibrated at the factory. When the cops test radar guns with tuning forks they do that to ensure that the unit is accurate, not to calibrate it.

In any case, even if the TTD speed gun had an error factor, it would still show the same speed for each train if the train's speed was actually the same. The train speed does vary, and the speed gun reflects this.

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Pete said:
The speed guns are calibrated at the factory. When the cops test radar guns with tuning forks they do that to ensure that the unit is accurate, not to calibrate it.

In any case, even if the TTD speed gun had an error factor, it would still show the same speed for each train if the train's speed was actually the same. The train speed does vary, and the speed gun reflects this.

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Unlike on Test Track, where you are ALWAYS going 64.8 mph. :)

WickedMatt... just wanna see how good your memory is. :)

Who's ride?

Coasterman Mike

It's a ride, I don't care where it is or who runs it, if that is what you're tyring to get at. I work at CP, big whoop.

On PointBuzz I recall reading on how TTD reads how fast the train rolls over the top of the tower and changes the speed with that in mind. I'd say the radar on TTD is pretty acurate, why wouldn't it be?

Just for future reference, a break is what happens you go to lunch at work or breaking a bone. BRAKES are what slow you down on a roller coaster, get it right people, it's not that hard.

"Break" is what Kingda Ka is going to on opening day. :)

No, it's what peoples' bones will do when they're flung from teh trains.

Test Track is not always at 64.8 mph, lol. I've been on it... well over a 100 times (and it never broke down on me! a guy I know rode it 30 times and it broke down on him the 30 times!) and I've seen 64.6, 64.7, 64.8, 64.9 and once... 65.0.

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ThePhantomLives said:
Once again, 1.5 mph over or under will cause an RTL, plain and simple. Theres no way around it...

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Once again, if you don't even bother to explain what 'RTL' is, most people reading that won't know what you're trying to say.