Flying Turns Update

about a few days / week ago my mom wrote a email to knoebels about the flying turns... this is what is said and what we got in response:

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 7:17 PM
To: Bobby Klock
Subject:

I am interested and knowing when the flying turns will be done..............do you think It will be done before august 21,2007
thanks,
response:
Greetings from Knoebels,
There has been no date set for completion. They are hoping before the summer is over.

we hope its done before august 21st cuz that is when we are going!

I heard that the first test runs of car chassis only didn't track as hoped. Supposedly they made some adjustments and now they are running through the trough as desired. Anyone know more on this?

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Mister Monorail said:
I heard that the first test runs of car chassis only didn't track as hoped. Supposedly they made some adjustments and now they are running through the trough as desired. Anyone know more on this?

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Well, we managed to prove once again that Mr. Bartlett and/or Mr. Miller knew what they were doing.

For the initial test runs, we left a bunch of things off the chassis which made the trek. Most obviously was the lack of upper body (which was on-hand but in the process of receiving a seat mock-up); but far less obvious was a little device that had been present on the Bartlett cars which keeps the caster wheel from spinning around, doing a 180 and facing backwards. Perhaps with the additional weight of an upper body and a rider present, all wheels would stay in contact with the trough and have no inclination to spin completely about. Regardless, during several initial tests, we got a caster or two headed backwards, and that made for extremely squirrely behavior from the chassis.

The solution was to mimic the solution already present on the sample Bartlett car we have on hand, and add a device which prohibits the wheel from being able to spin backwards. Thus constrained, none of the wheels are able to vote for going the wrong way down the track, or some clumsy compromise therewith.

Thanks again for all your interest.

John

KG

Very interesting. Thanks for the update John. :)

^^ Now if you would share that knowledge with Weis markets, maybe they could fix a few of their shopping carts prone to the same kind of squirrelly behavior. :)

Another question, is testing being done during operating hours, or before the park opens? I'm sure it would attract more of a crowd than the construction has.

Thanks kindly for the input Mr. Fetterman. I've very happy to hear that the fine tuning seems to be heading us towards a fantastic Knoebel's Flying Turns!

On another note, for those of you that visit the park regularly, the station appears to have somewhat of an airplane wing shape to it. Is that my imagination? Pretty cool idea if so. Gotta love those airport runway/taxi lights too, very creative!

Hmmm, looking at the webcam again I think I'm seeing things. Looks like the "wing-shape" is just an optical illusion because of the webcam's lens in the lower left corner. Looks nice, no matter what the station shape turns out to be.

I've "heard" that the station will resemble a hangar.

Some people thought it was the roof they were seeing when in fact it is the floor of the station. The floor is almost complete with just about everything else to do in it. I did notice they have "run-way lights" on all three lifts and what appears to be the engine for lift two in place. Word on the street is testing for the lifts will come Aug. 1st.

They changed the que-line for the Looper, which means it opens up the area where the exit and entrance will be for the turns. The only other thing I noticed is part of the breaks are set up, but def. not all of the breaks.

I do have photos, but since the site I had photos on has closed, I can't bring them to you. This is the 2nd time in a few months this has happened and I am getting a lil sick of reuploading 2,900 photos.

Anyhow, there we go...
Dalado

If you look back to the plan that's shown on the Knoebels site, and was linked here way back near the beginning of the thread, you'll see that the station is to be curved.

Yeah, the station jogs to the left a little and is on a downgrade. I was referring to the remarks that people thought the roof of the station was done when in fact its just the floor.

We will try this a 3rd time -->
http://dalado.smugmug.com/gallery/3182941

Larry D. *** Edited 7/25/2007 1:14:40 AM UTC by The Lado***

Was to Knoebels yesterday to see the Mahoney Brothers and to take some 8th Birthday rides on the Twister, so I thought I'd stop by to see the progress on FT. The track appears complete, except for the segment connecting the 1st helix to the 2nd lift.

An exit ramp has been constructed from the station down adjacent to the looper. The trough rings that used to form an archway at the ride entrance have mysteriously been removed. The lights on the lift hills really make the FT look impressive at night. The 'wooden laundry basket' type car still sits on the break run. The chain guiders have been placed on the lifts.

I was impressed with the number of park guests taking an interest in the construction and progress. Still no guess as to opening date but I would predict no earlier than early September. Next time I swing over, I'll be sure to take my camera and get some pics!

-TwisTeR

I <3 the Mahoney Brothers. Hmmm, sounds like a friday or Saturday visit is vewwy possible. ;)

Id love to be there Friday, but Monday is when In head to Hershey for a few days so I won't have much in the way of money...

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RatherGoodBear said:
I <3 the Mahoney Brothers.

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They're there through Sunday. Each night at 8:30 is their all Beatles show. Saturday at 6 they are doing an all Elvis show. Get to their shows early, cause all 4 I've been to this week there was standing room only!!!

Today on the webcam it looks like they're working on the station brakes and also under the crest of the 2nd lift. Word is that the lift mechanics, whoever they are, will be there any time now, and also the final train chassis design has been OK'd for construction.

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T-W-I-S-T-E-R said:
Was to Knoebels yesterday to see the Mahoney Brothers and to take some 8th Birthday rides on the Twister

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You are very articulate for an 8 year old.

i don't know how credible this is, but last Sunday when I was there I asked a ride op on Looper about an opening date for the FT. I was told that they are shooting for PPP, but if there was any delays...even just a day or 2 it would be pushed back to 2008. She said they are on a very very tight schedule with no room for delays between now and PPP to get it open.

Like I said, I don't know if its truth, or just an employee feeding me a line of BS, so take it for what it's worth!

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matt. said:

You are very articulate for an 8 year old.

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I'm not 8... I'm 18. Twister (the ride, not me ;)) was 8 years old on Tuesday as it opened July 24, 1999. I meant that it was Twister's (the ride) 8th birthday. Sorry for the confusion!

-TwistEr (the person :))

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Gary B said:
Like I said, I don't know if its truth, or just an employee feeding me a line of BS, so take it for what it's worth!

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A line of BS. my friend. The ride ops. know just as much as you do unless they have talked to someone working on the project. And anyone working on the project would tell you they are doing everything possible to open it this year. They may be still putting the shingles on the roof when its running, but if it can open, it will.

D.