compare and contrast flyers

Vekoma's have had a ton of issues. I mean heck, Stealth got delayed for a year. Plus Batwing & X-flight both had issues getting all the trains to run properly as well as getting the seats to tilt back on the way up the lift hill so they had to tilt the seats in the station, which killed its capacity. (How's that for a run on sentence?)

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0-60mph+ in 2.5

Stealth was delayed for a year?? I do remember them starting construction extremely early in the season so they could test and workout the bugs (haha what a great job they did too! ;)).

X-Flight and Batwing were both reclining on their lifts early in the year, but it stopped almost as soon as it started. What ever happened with that anyway??

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Corey
"I make it a rule never to get involved with possessed people. Well, it's more of a guideline than a rule." - Dr. Pete Venkman/Bill Murray

Not tilting on the lift-hill does not count as a malfunctioning. It was a bèta-system, the chances of it working where about 30%, but Six Flags insisted.

Seeing that it didn't always work (as Vekoma predicted), Six Flags decided to no longer tilt on the lift-hill.

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Dutch Coastin' :: European coasters, thrills and theming!

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MagnumForce said:

BTW I can't wait to get out to your neck of the woods to ride your new flyer.

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Just drop me an email and let me know when you are heading up here. You going to CBuzzCon?

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--George H
---Superman the ride...coming to a SF park near you soon...

I don't know about X-Flight but Batwing was reclining it's trains on the lift for a good part of the 2002 season compared to not reclining on the lift in 2001 at all.

As usual the topic has become more of a versus topic on which company can produce a better version of the ride which if I'm not mistaken is a violation of the TOS here & besides give Vekoma a bit of a break hrere,the only real bad ride they ever engineered was the SLC.

Their flyers,invertigo's & super invertigo's are relatively comfortable but their SLC's are downright terrible.

This is not a "favorite" topic, it's compare and contrast, as the title suggests. For one of the biggest TOS violators, you sure get your knickers in a twist about the TOS.

Secondly, the SLC can be, and is in some cases, a fine ride. It's all in the maintenance.

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http://www.rockandrollconfidential.com

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BATWING FAN SFA said:

As usual the topic has become more of a versus topic on which company can produce a better version of the ride which if I'm not mistaken is a violation of the TOS here & besides give Vekoma a bit of a break hrere,the only real bad ride they ever engineered was the SLC.

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I've got to disagree on this too. In order to compare, you have to discuss what you like and don't like about each. Grey area, maybe, but certainly not a "favorites" topic.

I thought Vekoma was getting off pretty easy on this one. There's some positive comments about the Dutchman coasters if you read through the thread.

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www.coasterimage.com

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*** This post was edited by Lord Gonchar on 12/20/2002. ***

Mark "Dubya" and LG: thank you for defending my "honor." I had some concern that this might be perceived as a violation of the TOS, but I was careful in my wording and I certainly think the discussion has been engaging and well beyond simple "favorites."

This is not favorites at all. I have not heard anyone bash either ride and we all seem to agree that neither is perfect.

Anyway I will be at CBuzzCon George. Should be fun.

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Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!
Yes Virginia, I am Santa Claus!
I AM WITTY!

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MagnumForce said:

Excpet for the Pretzel the Vekoma layout far exceeds the B and M layout. I would dare say that The Vekomas do have more flying time then the B and M's. Or so it seems.

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For S:UF, that's certainly true. Air, however, excels at actually capturing that "Flying" experience. After my first lap on SUF, I actually found myself preferring Air over any of the other flyers I've ridden (X-Flight, Batwing, Air, and SUF in that order of first ride). The intenseness of the pretzel loop eventually won me over on SUF, but for a "flying" coaster, Air succeeds.

I also find the B&M trains more comfortable. Even when stuck in the brake run, I find the hanging position on the B&Ms far more comfortable than the "reclining so far you're slightly downwards and all your blood is rushing to your head" position on the Vekoma's.

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--Oat Boy
My page

Chiming in from the West Coast. Would love to do a B&M Flyer, but will have to wait until SFMW or SFMM decides to put one in. I can answer part of the extra credit question though: Stealth vs X:

Trying to compare Stealth to X is a no brainer, X is by far and away one of the most intense and most powerful mind blowing thrill rides I've ever been on. Stealth was fun the first few times, but now with the rattling and roughness, hardly worth riding anymore. X is a non-stop sensory overload with not a second to catch your breath, and smooth as glass. Stealth starts out good, but quickly looses steam half way through the ride. Although technically not a flyer, the outside seats on X effectively accomplish the sensation of rocketing through the sky much more convincingly than anything else I've been on. I'd be very surprised if even B&M could top that.