Fastest launch possible?

With launches getting faster and faster, how much more intense can they get? I believe xcellerator is something like 0 to 80 in 1.4 seconds. Any science people here who know what the fastest launch in the least amount of time is possible? Will there ever be a ride with a launch that is just too intense?

Xcellerator is more like 2 seconds. I doubt we'll see anything stronger than Dodonpa: 0-107 in 1.8

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- Peabody

....just wondering about the business sense of a park that would be willing to spend that kind of money on a launch that is "too intense" for patrons to enjoy.....

Too intense? You're kidding, right?

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-Kyle Brylczyk
KoRn - Untouchables, June 11th, 2002

Dodonpa is about a 3 G average acceleration. I would make a wild guess that the peak acceleration is around 4 Gs. That's probably near the max that you want to use to avoid injuries to riders.

Coaster131, the GP to not all think like we do. Sure, we may want a more powerful launch, but I doubt they would go for much more than Dodonpa.

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- Peabody

If I'm not mistaken, rocekts launch at 9G. This is backwards though, because the astronauts are facing upwards. Of course, this is in the same direction that a coaster's launch is.

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AC?, RB?, MF?, DD?, PR? Who can keep track of it all?

HyperSonic XLC is 80 mph in 1.8 seconds

Xcelerator is 82 mph in 2.3 seconds

Superman The Escape is 100 mph in 6.7 seconds

Wicked Twister is 51 mph in 2.5 seconds

I think WT is 70 in 2.5, at least that is what they are advertising.

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

The acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s/s, or about 22 mph/s. That means that Dodonpa has about 2.4 Gs of acceleration since it has 53.5 mph/s. If riders can take about 5 Gs on their backs (ala Flying Dutchman loops) then we'll be able to get up to about 110 mph in one second safely. Now, that's not saying that it'll ever happen, but it might. Of course, I hold no responsibility for any miscalculations or complete crap in this post.

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Wicked Twister does not go 70 on it's first launch, just like on any impules, you go fast enought to just make it up the first tower about 1/3 of the way, then on the return trip you rocket to max. speed, or close to it

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Welcome one and all, y'all come have a ball!
Things a bear-y fine, ridin' on the old Knott's bear-y line!

FYI, I was only joking in my first message.

Anyways, Intamin 2nd Gen Impulse coasters only get to 40 mph on their first launch. It's the first backwards launch tha punches it to 70 mph. I'm not sure how fast WT goes on it's first launch, but I doubt it's any higher than 45 mph.

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-Kyle Brylczyk
KoRn - Untouchables, June 11th, 2002

From the CP website,

Using the revolutionary linear induction motor (LIM) propulsion system, Wicked Twister will blast riders out of its station reaching a top speed of 72 mph in a mere 2.5 seconds – propelling forward and backward and up and down a U-shaped track with spiraling 450-degree corkscrews atop each vertical 215-foot-tall tower. This twisted coaster will be launched out of the station five times – three forward and two backward!

But FYI I don't believe it either, but it is a lot more forceful launch then FOF. I wouldn't be surprised if it hit close to 60 on the first launch though.

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

I believe WT's first launch is around 50mph.

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Coaster Count: 20 soon to be 30!!!

Jules Verne once proposed that we could send men to the moon with a 200 ft. cannon with extremely fast acceleration. The only problem is that, while the calculations were fairly accurate, the machine would pull 20,000 G's. I really think we are only cracking the ice on this type of technology, but there IS a limit on the amount of G's the body can take!!!

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My two favorite coasters are named Superman.

Yeah, 20,000 Gs would be a little much:

I caught a program on Gs once on the discovrey channel. Back in the 40s and 50s they were doing lots of experiments without the aid of computers, so it was mostly guesswork. One scientist involved volunteered for countless tests. They thought 20 somtehing Gs would kill a person. He endured them. Against other's advice he eventually did a test that topped 40 Gs. They did it, and he survived, but needed a lot of work afterwords. The 40 Gs detached both of his retnas, collapsed both his lungs, plus much more. And that was just a very brief exposure to the force! (I wish I had taped that show. It was facinating)

Pretty crazy, huh?

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- Peabody

*** This post was edited by Peabody on 5/7/2002. ***

Following up on what Peabody has already stated, I also saw a program on TLC or Discovery on G-forces and test pilots. One was a deceleration test. A guy was faced with I believe a deceleration from 150 to 0 mph in less than 1 second. He survived, but his eye literally popped out of his head! Along with some other internal bleeding and such.

Also, they've measured over 200 G's from inside the cockpit of a race car when it hit the side wall. However, it occured in such a small fraction of time that it did not do too much damage to the occupant. The human body can take a lot of force, but just so long that it is not a constant.

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"Your love is like a roller coasta' baby baby..."
If love is like a rollercoaster, doesn't that mean you should be happy ALL of the time? ;)

Shawn Bailes
110 Drumline
http://www.ohiou.edu/marching110/drumline