Drops on Inverted Coasters

Over at CoasterForum, there is a thread concerning the drops on inverted roller coasters. Apparently, there aren't any full curcuit inverted coaster that have a straight drop right off of the lift hill - they all have curving drops. Someone gave this as an explanation why : Think about it people you can't take an invert up a hill then down a hill without some space inbetween. Either a flat spot at the top or a flat turn. If this isn't done you would compress the train and peoples legs would be crushed by the seat infront of them I dont know the mechanics of an inverted train, but it doesn't seem to me that they would be able to compress that much, or at all for that matter. Is this explanation correct and do inverted coaster trains "compress" throughtout the ride?

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Intelligence is a God given gift: Know how to use it.

They're full of it...Fire Dragon at IOA has an airtime hill, and that doesn't happen. Inverted drops are never very steep anyway so that wouldn't happen. I think that they curve before or during the drop because it makes the layout and ride more interesting...it's not like an out and back coaster.

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LocoBazooka--Sevendust, Nonpoint, Stereo Vent, Mushroomhead
Korn Tour (With no name)--Korn, Puddle of Mudd, Deadsy

They just don't have straight drops because it's not as thrilling

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(Former Signature replaced due to bad joke with accident) The Beast at night-Two peas in a pod?

Katun drops straight off the blocks.

heres a pic of Katun....

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery764.htm?Picture=6

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ROCK! www.FUZEROCKS.com

Been discussed:

http://coasterbuzz.com/forums/thread.asp?ForumID=11&TopicID=20587

Katun's drop is just like Raptor's and Top Gun's, they take a banked curve before droping. It's not a drop right off the lift like Steel Force or Superman:Ride of Steel.

Also, that's an ascent into the block breaks.

I think the Ninja Turtle dude has it right. A straight drop just isn't as fun or thrilling. You cant really see anything, and it just wouldn't be as fun. Also with a twisted drop B&M can make cooler more twisted layouts instead of just a simple out and back type idea.

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"This time I think ... I think it's ... it's going to work!" - Dr.Bruce Banner

I don't know if anyone knows the exact reason. I always thought it was because Inverted Coasters were supposed to simulate flight, like in a plane. So when it dives like it does, it simulates a dive that some planes do. Its true that the trains do compress. If you ride Raptor, as soon as you come out into the turn, when you hit the straight away right before the hill, the train compresses. But as for that being dangerous, whoever says that is wrong. The train must compress because there is a small drop right before the banked drop. I believe it is possible to do a straight drop, its just they haven't designed one with that feature yet.

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"The opposite of war isn't peace, its creation," Rent.

That would be kind of weird to me to see a straight drop on an inverted coaster. Although I do prefer straight drops on regular sit downs (Medusa West for example, and every hyper I've been on) to curving drops. It seems like a curving drop would be much better than a straight drop when it comes to inverts, it just goes better with what inverts are designed to deliver.

On a similar note, it's kind of rare to come across a steel looping coaster with a straight drop. Can anyone name the majority of them?

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"Time it makes you old, experience makes you wise, and it's only a fool who judges life by what he sees in other people's eyes"- Jason Cruz, Strung Out

Actually, that picture of Katun show the curving accent into the block brakes to the right, and the straight drop off the brakes to the left.

Coaster Steve. Most Arrow's have straight drops as long as the aren't their Mega loopers.

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Gas to get to PKI, $5.60. ACE card for walkback, $50.00. Meeting up with Beastnum1 and drinking 20 lemonjuice packets, priceless

Coaster Steve said:
"On a similar note, it's kind of rare to come across a steel looping coaster with a straight drop. Can anyone name the majority of them?"

Drachen Fire, Loch Ness Monster, Demon (PGA & SFGAm), Double Loop (SFWoA), most Arrow corkscrew/loopscrew coasters, Goudurix, Orient Express (WoF), most TOGO standups, Mantis, Chang, Vortex (PKI), Texas Tornado (Wonderland), Cyclone (Dreamland), Mindbender (SFoG), Shockwave (SFoT), Sooperdooperlooper, Revolution (SFMM), most Pinfari loopers, Looping Coaster (Funtown Pier), Big Loop (Heide Park), etc.

I'm sure I missed a bunch, but I don't necessarily think that straight drops on steel looping coasters are that rare.

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-Vater
Coaster Count: 104

...GA Scorcher...

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Are we talking about straight drops as in straight down or are we talking about straight drops as in straight up the lift hill and then straight down the other side (like MF, Magnum, and Mamba)?

I've always wondered that.

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-Sean

Straight drops, as in, they don't twist. Right after the lift hill, there is a drop which doesn't change direction, like Millennium Force or Magnum XL 200.

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Intelligence is a God given gift: Know how to use it.

Thank you Coastercrazy, that's what I mean by straight drops, where right after the lift there is a straight drop, no turns or twists into a drop, so Vater a lot of those on your list would have to be checked off, for example Mantis does a full 180 degree turn after the lift into the drop, sorry I didn't explain it that well. But now I think about it, there are probably quite a bit out there, like arrow's corkscrews, and several of Arrow's older coasters. Maybe I should refrase it and say how many steel multi-loopers have straight drops coming off of the lift that have been built within the past ten years?

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I honestly wouldn't consider inverts to be the type of coasters that need straight drops or bunny hops. Sure, it's possible, but what is the point? If I want an out and back airtime machine with a straight drop, then I don't think a B&M invert or an SLC is the best choice. I like the drops on inverts the way they are.

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My two favorite coasters are named Superman.
Nitro, Gemini, Laser, Ice, Thunder...The American Gladiators!

Great Bear's first big drop into the loop is straight and not curved.

I think curved drops are so riders can have a better view of what's ahead and the ground below. Just my opinion.

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-KoRn is the Millennium Force of ROCK-