How do S&S Drop Rides Work?

I suppose the title says it all...

I pretty much understand the idea behind it, but how does the compressed air work into the scheme of the ride?

Theres a lot of technically skilled enthusiasts around here, so I figure that they would have a better idea.

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Xcelerator-
0-82 in 2.3 seconds! =Wow!

Take a cable and wrap it around a pulley at each end and put a vehicle in the middle. At the opposite end of the cable loop, inside a tube, attach a piston. Now force air into the tube above or below it and cause the piston to shoot down or up the tube, causing the vehicle to do the opposite.

That's simplifying it, but that's the idea.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

Go to http://www.s-spower.com/ Click on rides and click on SpaceShot. Hope this helps!

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Beer, My Baby, and Coasters. Is this a great country or what? ;)

Each of the 4 yellow tubes on the towers contain a cable in them connecting a piston and the car. The piston is always opposite to the car. Air is pressurised, and then released sending the piston downward. Thus the car launches upward as the space shot. Because the air below the piston is being pushed out too quickly, it builds up and creates a cushion, making that soft bounce. This works about the opposite way for the turbo drop.

But how does a piston push a cable that doesn't have an end? What/How does it grip to push?
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SFNE loses its "floor" for 2002! Visit www.geocities.com/sfneguy for info. and pics of SFNE. Formerly known as srosatsfne.

*** This post was edited by SFNE Freak on 2/1/2002. ***

Thank you to everyone for the help, and to Stoogemanmoe for the link the the S&S site.

The description of the space shot on their site, in quite a bit of detail was very helpful.

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Xcelerator-
0-82 in 2.3 seconds! =Wow!

There are actually two cables for each side.

Cable 1 connects top of car --- goes up over the pulley at the top of the structure --- back down through yellow tube --- connects to a cylinder shaped piston.

Cable 2 connects other side of cylinder --- down tube and around bottom pulley --- up outside and connects to bottom of car.

There are holding tanks which can be seen inside the towers and storage ones off the ride. The holding tanks will build pressure above the cylinder (for space shot) while holding the cylinder in place (I do not know the technical parts of the system at this point). Then the cylinder is released and the air pressure pushes it down --- which pulls cable 1 --- which thus pulls the car up the tower.

All 4 sets of cable work simultaniously together and provide a failsafe operation. *I think* in the catastraufic event that 3 sides broke, one (2) cable would hold the car.

Does that answer your question SFNE Freak?

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