Drops on Inverted Coasters

Actually, Great Bear's drop into the vertical loop is curved. You can see it in this picture: http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery468.htm?Picture=2

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

I was just there Great Bears drop is curved. I have also noticed that it is very possible that if you have your legs straight out on a non compound curve on a B and M invert you can get your leg pusshed back. The run into the Station on Great bear is a great example of this as is the turn into the lift on raptor.

Any kind of curve would have this problem be it drop or not turn which is why either banking or twisting needs to be added.

I believe it is in part because you can get your legs crushed.

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The Beast and Night, They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

CoasterKrazy said:
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.

Then in that list, we would take out Revolution at Magic Mountain, Drachen Fire, ShockWave, Demon(s) and a few others.

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A CoasterForum Member
www.thrillnetwork.com/boards/index.php?referrerid=211

A straight drop on a inverted coaster just wouldn't be as fun. With the track above you, you could not see anything as much and the thrill would be minimal.

Okay, maybe it is curved a little, but not nearly as much as say Rapter, Talon, Batman, Dueling Dragons Fire and Ice, Montu, Top Gun, and any of the others that I have rode. Most of GB's curve is at the very top of the drop and isn't nearly a 180 degree change in direction like the others. When i recall the drop on this ride, my mind plays the image of a straight drop and not curved. I guess it's just the way you look at it.

We can agree to disagree.

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-KoRn is the Millennium Force of ROCK-

What about that bunny hop hill on Dueling Dragons Fire?

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#1 Steel-Nitro
#1 Wood-Shivering Timbers

It's all about the radius of the curve in question.

For an inverted coaster to take a downward curve, that curve needs to have a reasonably large radius. This is necessary, as was originally mentioned, to maintain a safe separation between the cars.

Fire Dragon has an airtime hill, yes, but the radius of that hill is very large. Similarly, the drop of Katun's block break seems equally large.

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery5.htm?Picture=1 shows that the inverted chassis is more than capable of navigating a straight dive (at the top of the lift) - but, my guess is that the tradeoffs you'd have to make between radii and speed make it impractical.

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~~~ Maddy ~~~