Ferrari World announces new record breaking roller coaster

"Worlds Steepest Roller Coaster". I don't know what that means anymore.

I don't know how anyone can make that claim as there are already so many rides that go past 90. And at 51 degrees this would surely not qualify.
Unless the "starting hill" means the lift, in which case 51 would be pretty steep. But... Is that a world record breaking claim to fame? And aren't there vertical lifts? Sure there are.
These FW projects get announced, but details always seem sketchy or non existent.

No matter, I'm not planning a trip to Abu Dhabi any time soon. (I have an irrational fear of getting arrested there)

I assumed it was a 'lost in translation' sort of thing. Notice the wording "inclined at 51 degrees".

My wild guess is that it goes 51 degrees beyond vertical (under itself) - essentially what we'd market as a 141 degree drop.

^That is what I assumed as well. I almost posted "In before enthusiast comment about 51 degrees not being the steepest" or something along those lines yesterday, but decided against it.

Sorry, MAC. :)

Oh. Then that IS steep!

Unless you consider rides like Screaming Squirrel, or certain 4d coasters that double back on themselves. Is that a drop? Oh, never mind.

And once again, it'll never be of real concern to me.

"Starting hill" certainly made me think lifthill....might be the steepest non-vertical lift. ;~P

I think of 'starting hill' as the first drop. It's the hill that starts the ride.

RCMAC said:

No matter, I'm not planning a trip to Abu Dhabi any time soon. (I have an irrational fear of getting arrested there)

OK, I'll bite...why? I know they have a relatively strict code of conduct. But in talking to people who have been there, it is not that bad.

Oh I don't know. Wherever RCMAC goes, trouble follows, and I don't think I'd do well as a foreigner.
Accidentally insulting the emir, taking a photo where I'm not supposed to, violating some local custom, showing up with my sweater covered in poppy seeds from a bagel, wearing a sweater in the first place, I don't know. Like I said, it's an irrational fear.

Also being fabulous. You could get arrested for being fabulous.

Well, that kind of fabulous, yes.

Eck, sweaters are so 1996. Plus its 280 degrees there, so yes that act should warrant a flogging at the very least.

See? I got nooooo business...

It's getting to the point where breaking records does not make for good rides. It doesn't sound great being hurled against restraints at 141 degrees.

That's also not steep. Isn't 90 degrees as steep as you can go? Once a coaster starts curling under itself, it's actually getting less steep, just in an increasingly uncomfortable manner.

If you were climbing a hill, it would progressively get steeper until it became straight up and down. After that? Well...I think we need a new roller coaster term for these "beyond vertical" drops.

More Mavericky.

You said exactly what I was thinking. The word "steep" isn't really appropriate once you've gone past 90 degrees. You then start getting into the argument of when something counts as an inversion, like an inclined loop or overbanked turn.

Maybe I should have said, "In before typical enthusiast debate over technicalities and semantics."

Yes. Maybe you should have.

:)

OhioStater said:

More Mavericky.

Or Fahrenheit.