Flying Turns Update

I can't possibly imagine how it would take another two months unless they've been losing staff.

I would almost rather they wait until next year after they know they have everything right with the trains, and they can build all of them and spend the spring testing it out, then open it with the season, or even a bit later, running at full force. If they open it for Phunfest with one, or even two trains, 2000+ people will show up and half of them will get one ride, if that many, and everyone will leave pissed because they only got one Phoenix or Twister ride after an hour wait because there were too many people there trying to get on the Flying Turns.

Speaking of Twister's 8th birthday, I so very well remember Saturday, July 24, 1999 - I was there, it was one of the most incredible days of my life, but I remember they rushed to get Twister open because the Ultimate Preservation Conference was that weekend (I was told Dick K. threw the question out sometime around July 4, "when's ACE coming? yikes, let's get moving!"), and they didn't even have the ramps to the load side of the station done yet, they were completed about 7 PM after working on it all day while the crowds used a temp. staircase to the exit side, they were marched up 28 at a time to load the one train they had. The waits were horrendous. I mean, I'm glad it opened that day even under those circumstances, but I'd hate to see an even worse scenario at Phunfest with mobs wanting to get on the Flying Turns and they're just not ready for it. *** Edited 7/26/2007 9:45:31 PM UTC by Seahawk & the Wave***

Since Bartlett filed two different patents on the Flying Turns car, which one did Larson use? The first revision, or the second revision? I beleive on the 2nd revision there was a spring device that keeps the casters from spinning around, but still be able to swivel to a point. The first revision did not have that. Also, in the second revision saw a center road wheel and the capability to flex up and down. It appears that Larson did do something to that effect, in the shape of a leaf spring. I saw the picture of one of the test runs, without the seat mock up. It appears that the trailing chassis was trying to push the lead chassis, which showed them really close together and offset. The 2nd picture that shows the testing with a seating mock-up on the lead car, it seems to run more normally as one would expect. What kind of adjustments were made between the two pictures?

When it is ready for opening to the public, I definitely will be there to try it out! I forgot it was Twister's birthday recently! I was there on it's first public opening day. That would make Phoenix... 22 years old.. Will the Phoenix and Twister get some flowers from Flying Turns when it opens, like what Twister did for Phoenix when Twister first opened?

---

T-W-I-S-T-E-R said:
Sorry for the confusion!

---

It was a joke, no worries.

Posted on newsgroup Rec.roller-coaster by "Coastin Steve" who is on the construction crew:

Hey all

Sorry I have been as good w/ my Flying Turns updates and photo postings as I was when I first started my job back in Oct. Believe it or not, working 7 days a week, long hrs, and doing a ton of driving does tend to wear a guy out ;)

So, I'll start with track progress and then talk about the train some ;)

Some final detailing of the main section of the ride is going on as that was the area that train testing has been going on <G> (for a good bit longer than people think). Work is almost finshed on the brake run and lift hill #2 awaits the "outside contractor" to set the moter, sprockets and chain. (was surprised that "we" didn't do that, this job is a constant education ;))

Lift hill #1 and lift hill #3 are currently getting their steel parts (side fric lam, anti roll backs and chain trough) so they'll be ready for the lift contractor when they get here.

The John Fetterman designed helix is finished. (aside from the less important inclosing it to make a "tunnel"). Having watched a few things roll and slide down this steep piece of woodwork, I can tell you
riders are going to be in for a real treat on this part of the ride.

The deck of the loading barn is just about done. A quick roof over that and it'll be ready for Flying ;) Jim Martini has been doing his thing and getting all of the electric wiring worked out. He doesn't seem to be in a panic, (or any more than usual ) so I guess things are going well.

And now for a little about "the train." In some respects I'm going to sound like a broken record, but it seems "we've" got to keep saying it again and again to people and it still doesn't seem to sink in. This is a proto-type ride...there is no exsisting rolling
stock that will just fit in this trough and roll. Therefore, it is impossible to predict how long it's going to take to do something you've never done before. You can guess, you can hope, but it is absolutely impossible to predict ;)

Even if John Fetterman and whoever else is involved in the designing of the modern FT car has some great "paper" ideas, it would be rather foolish to build a very expensive custom train until they're sure it's going to roll as expected (and that's not as sure thing as it sounds in the twisted trough of the Turns). This requires "prototype testing" before the final OK for train building is given. In order for "proto-type testing' to go on, a good portion of the
labor intensive ride must be built first.

So, we've built most of the ride, and they've been testing the proto-type train and this past week Larson was given the OK to start train construction (or their part of it, the chassis). How long will that take, before they get the finished chassis to Knoebels? It's not in our hands, so "we" don't know.

The last 2 missing section of track are the transfer tables where the train will be able to be switched off onto the service siding. The reason why these sections were not done already is that certain aspects of them are based on the train's turn radius, which could not be determined until the train was finalized.

I would expect these sections will be getting started and completed fairly soon. I'll try to get some more pics added (which I haven't done in ages, I know, I know)

Flying Turns carpenter
Coastin Steve

http://community.webtv.net/Coastin_Steve/FlyingTurnsFotosbyCS

---

Jim S. said:
I can't possibly imagine how it would take another two months unless they've been losing staff.

---

Have they even started putting the sealer or varnish in the trough yet? That could take quite a while.

Not as far as I can tell. I was wondering whether they were even going to bother with that.

Have I mentioned that I'm glad that my ride tickets from last year don't expire? I have them in a safe place whenever this ride opens. Just don't count on seeing me at PPP. I hear it's a nightmare people-wise.

I just think of all the new things that'll be in that area and maybe make a weekend out of it next year. Dorney will have an Impulse, there might be more slides added to Hershey (to replace the Western Chuteout if rumors are true), and The Flying Turns should be ready next year--I hope.

---

Intamin Fan said:
Just don't count on seeing me at PPP. I hear it's a nightmare people-wise.

---

You mean nightmare because of how many people will be there? Or nightmare because of which ones will be there? ;)

Sure there's a lot of people there, but it's not like the typical ERT event where there's only two coasters open. There will be at least a dozen rides open during PPP, not to mention the whole park is open (with the exception of the water rides) earlier that day. The lines still won't be anything compared to what you'll see at the chain parks during the summer.

PPP is busy....so is HWN. I don't go to either event for *power-riding*. I go to see (almost) ALL of my friends - and guess what - they're almost all there! :)

Don't get me wrong, I do LOVE some power-riding....ask anybody. But I also love my friends, and the food, and esp. the camaraderie. One of the main benefits of going to PPP, for me at least, is getting the chance to let those people who are important to me KNOW that they're important to me....including one "Flying Turns carpenter" who apparently isn't so nameless anymore... ;)

This year will hopefully be my first PPP, So it will all be new to me, which will be awesome especially with the new turns this year...

Having attended PPP Last Year I can tell you I waited no longer than 20 Minutes for a ride on the Phoenix or the Twister.

Answer my Prayers, Overbook my next Flight!

Intamin Fan said: Just don't count on seeing me at PPP. I hear it's a nightmare people-wise.

Huh? Other than the Haunted Mansion and the Antique Car Ride [which they decorate with drive-thru scenes and scare-actors] I've never waited more than 15-20 mins for any ride included in ERT...even Phoenix or Twister. When you combine 2-train op with 20-second dispatches the lines are always movin.

No selt belts = get you butt in that train and get dispatched babeh

The only part that might be considered a nightmare is the morning and early afternoon, while the craft show is going on. The parking lot will be full, and the front section of the park will be extremely crowded. Traffic might be backed up along the parkway.

Craft booths will be lined up along the main midway from the rental building to about where the first dippin dots booth is. And also along the walkways towards the Rockin' Tug and Skloosh. Food vendors will be set up along the roadway where the tram drop off is. There'll be tons of people there (in some cases, literally), but most of them are there to buy scented candles and Christmas placemats. The craft crowd doesn't venture into the park at all. So once you make it to Power Surge, you're home free.

Back to the turns... the blue runway lights on the lifts look cool (they're lit), anti-rollbacks seem to be in place on Lift 2. Most of the railing along the queue walkway is built too. I also realized tonight that the transfer track is going to have quite the pitch to it, unless I'm mistaken. It's going to have the same drop as the helix, but only in 180 degrees (since the transfer sections are at the beginning and end of the helix), correct?

I can't wait to see it all lit up. Thanks for the update :)

Well, Steve hasn't put any new pictures up on his own site but it seems about 26 new ones that he took showed up on the Smugmug site:

http://www.cyclonic.smugmug.com/gallery/2557917#P-15-15

Tom

on webcam 2 there is some type of crane... maybe they are lifting up the lift motor for lift # 2 ??? anyone know???

I don't know whether the motor is in place yet, but the crane this afternoon was holding the pulley at the top of lift #2.

I believe I'm seeing the chain on lift two on the webcam.