Kingda Ka Rollbacks?

Has Kingda Ka ever rolled back with people on it? I don't believe I have read a trip report where anyone has seen/experienced a roll back on KK. It seems like Top Thrill Dragster has more of a tendency to roll back, but maybe that just because its been open longer and more people have ridden it? I personally have never seen either roll back. Thanks for the input!

All I think of is that KK has more time to adjust its launch speed if it doesn't quite make it in 3.5 seconds.

TTD on the other hand has its 4 seconds and that's it. Though TTD doesn't rollback as much as it used to.

Goliath Freak, I really cannot answer your question, but I must make a comment.

You have never seen a rollback in person? It is something everyone must see, at least once. Upon entering the park on 6.29.05, we promptly saw a rollback of TTD, and it was amazing. It was also frightening. I mean, this hunk of metal goes up to 120 miles per hour, gets so close to 420 feet... and then comes backwards?! Oh my. I love how everyone goes "Gasp!" as it comes back, and cheers as it launches again.

What an odd story. I'll leave now.

Same thing with me. When TTD rolls back, everybody points, shouts, and pauses for a moment. It's quite funny to see everyone suddenly stop and point as if some alien spaceship were coming to earth.

Kingda Ka has had at least one rollback with people on it (not counting the un-peopled rollstop at the bottom of the tophat ;) ), and I believe it may have been on Media Day, or near there. I know of someone that was riding at the time, and she said that it was the only roll back so far at last check.

Edit: And as for seeing Roll Backs, on my one trip to CP last year, I was walking by (on the way to maggie) when I heard everyone start gasping and laughing, as TTD rolled back. I think it may have done it again immediately after, and then the third time it stalled at the top for a second before completing the circuit.

Unfortunately, it was empty every time :(. *** Edited 10/16/2005 3:34:47 AM UTC by TeknoScorpion***

Yes Kingda Ka has rolled back quite a few times with/without people on it. I have never seen one yet personally, but have read quite a few posts about eyewitness accounts.

It certainly doesn't rollback anywhere near the amount of times TTD does. TTD seems to have one about once a day (or used to) whereas KK will rollback maybe once a week. (at least with people on it) And even that is probably a generous overestimate.

The general thought about why KK doesn't rollback as much is because it appears to be "overlaunched". What I mean by that is they launch it a few MPH faster than they need to in order to make sure it gets over. That could be one of the reasons for the trim brake; to control excess -g's going over the top. This is just speculation but it seems to make sense. Also, and this is fact, the cable extends quite a bit further down the launch track than TTD. TTD's cable drops out below the track one segment before the pullup I believe, whereas KK's cable extends straight all the way though the pullout. This means that KK is being pulled by the cable until the last possible second. TTD has a second or 2 to let gravity/friction slow the train down before it even starts ascending. Depending on weather conditions and the weight of the train, this could slow it down just enough to not make it over.

Hope that makes sense.
*** Edited 10/16/2005 3:37:49 AM UTC by MrX***

Yeah, I had heard theories about KK being launched faster and whatnot to ensure less rollbacks, and that that may have been the reason for the MagStrip Trim at the top.

Makes sense to me, but I could be wrong.

Yep, it rolled back on media day. I missed being on the train by one load. :(

kingda ka has a boost button sort of on the console (know this for fact ride op told me).

what happens if a car is not full or underweight they push that button and the car launches faster then what the ride would launch it at by itself.

Now they launch each train or are supposed to laundch each train full. they constantly are asking for single riders.

I dont know if ttd has this button.

I doubt their is a actual "Turbo!" button, but rather a button to indicate to the ride system that the next train does not weigh as much as a normal full train.

As for Dragster, the computer system averages out the amount of thrust needed. For example, if you have 5 empty trains sent all right in a row, and you completely fill the 6th train, that train will be sent at the same force required for the empty trains. In other words, if you want a very fast ride, hop in right after several empty trains have been sent; you'll go flying over the top.

Knowing the little I know about Intamin controls systems :)

The ride op is lying to you. You NEVER put the ability to override calculations in the hands of an operator.

*** Edited 10/16/2005 7:45:51 AM UTC by Red Garter Rob***

(know this for fact ride op told me).

I know for a fact that Tom Cruise is Gay because someone that cut his hair told me.

Let's see. Do I trust the computerized control system, or the hung-over college student that I'm paying $7 an hour to properly gauge the speed of a launched train.

Hmm. Tough call, that.

..or the barely-speaks-or-understands-English international college student (who may or may not be hung over)

About that Turbo Button... It makes no sense it would need to be used when there isn't a full train. A full train requires more power to launch than an empty one, becasue the full train weighs more. So, your idea is a myth, and the Six Flags operators gain another point on the coaster freaks, for their fooling of us. If there was ever a turbo button (not saying their is though) it would be needed for a full train.

And, it does launch faster than it needs to so it makes it over the hill every time, and again, that's what that trim is for. When I rode it, I didn't feel the trim, so it's there in case of an over-superdee duper-hyperfast launch. I'm sure Six Flags wanted to make sure the ride made it over each time as not to scare the ceratin types of people (The people from the surrounding cities) from riding or creating chaos if they saw a rollback.

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Red Garter Rob said:
Knowing the little I know about Intamin controls systems :)...

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Knowing the little all of us know about Intamin and functional/sound design... are you sure? ;)

Ok... this misinformation has to be corrected...

The magnetic trim brake at the top of the Tophat is NOT to control the speed. It is always on, and is only on the descent side of the top of the tophat, therefore it would be USELESS in controlling negative-g's, considering the train would have already flown over the top of the hill and experienced the g's. I hope that makes sense, but the trim is definitely only there to give a little (stress... little) extra time to see the view at the top.

This was all stated by a SF employee (I believe it was the PR woman who did all the construction interviews) while the ride was under construction.

^ well, I didn't say it was to stop too much negative g's, I meant it was to control the speed for the ride's decent back to earth.

RollrCoastrCrazy, they may have said it was to give more "view time" but I highly doubt that's the case. I'd be willing to bet they're to prevent rollbacks. By launching the train a little faster than needed to clear the top, the brakes make sure the train descends the tower at a comfortable speed. The error margin would be less than that of say, oh, Dragster. Doesn't that seem to make more sense than a trim brake to "enjoy the view?" Like PR people ever tell the truth anyways. ;)

I don't think they would add an unadjustable trim to a ride with variable speed to "make the descent more comforatable." Wouldn't they just proportion the twisty-drop like that of Dragster (percentage wise) to make it comforatable regardless of the speed? That seems like it would make much more sense to me, but what do I know.