Megaloopers

If Vortex at PKI was built in 1987 and Shockwave was built in '88, why is Shockwave considered the beginning of the megalooper (shockwave, GASM, Viper) series.

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"You know its a good ride when you come into the final break run wiping tears from your eyes"-me

If I'm not mistaken, the "Megalooper" is the 7 inversion one:

160+ foot hill, 3 straight vertical loops, boomerang/kamkaze element (2 inversions) and two corkscrews.

PKI's Vortex only has 6 - the first hill isn't that tall, goes back up, loops around, then into 2 vertical loops, through the two corkscrews, into the boomerang/kamakaze and then into the brakes. It is similar and has a lot of loops, but another was added and the layout of the hill and sequence of inversions was changed for the Megalooper series.

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"As soon as you design something that's idiot-proof, the world will go and design a better idiot."
--Brett

Meh... what's in a name? Shockwave probably only received that designation because it marked somewhat of a departure in design for Arrow Dynamics, especially the banked drop. And since GASM and Viper were introduced in the following years and have identical or nearly identical layouts, the three tend to get grouped together.

But, really, Vortex could easily be considered the beginning of the "megalooper" trend. I'm searching my memory, but I think there's a pretty nice gap between Vortex and the last multi-inversion Arrow introduced prior to Vortex (Viper at SFDL in 1982). You could also bookend that trend with Steel Phantom and Drachen Fire in '91 and '92. While neither one resembles the Six Flags megalooper trio, they again reflect Arrow's departure from previous designs.

Having just ridden Vortex for the first time last month, I'm wondering why that design wasn't the one that was duplicated.

They're also not all the exact same are they? I know Shockwave and Viper are different - is GASM different from the other two? I just always thought the "Megalooper" title was for seven-inversion coasters. Sort of like Giga and Strata for 300 and 400 footers.

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"As soon as you design something that's idiot-proof, the world will go and design a better idiot."
--Brett

i have seen aerial pics of Shockwave and GASM, and they are clones pretty much, except GASM is 3 feet taller.

Shockwave and GASM both have the same layouts. Viper's layout is different from the other two because of the limited amount of space they had to work with.

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"You know its a good ride when you come into the final break run wiping tears from your eyes"-me

These two pics pretty much clarify that: http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery34.htm?Picture=6
http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery4.htm?Picture=2
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"You know its a good ride when you come into the final break run wiping tears from your eyes"-me

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Olsor said:
Meh... what's in a name?

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Personally, I would probably call 6 inversions a mega-looper.....but, as noted, the *three sisters* of Shockwave, GASM-II, and Viper generally get classed together due to their similarities, many of which are NOT found in PKI's Arrow...sure, the three sisters aren't identical (and for me, SFMM's ranks way WAY above the other two), but they ARE pretty close in terms of layout if not in ride experience...

The best part of Vortex, IMO, was the slow comfortable 'screw...;)

Isn't R:UE a mega-looper, too?

mOOSH

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Esplanade [v.] - to attempt an explanation while drunk.

Well, some HAVE claimed to do backflips over a ride on R:UE...;)....and then a few more after gettting off....

I heard few people ever get off after a ride on R:UE....

mOOSH [long live the CPG!]

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Esplanade [v.] - to attempt an explanation while drunk.

That's R:UdE.

That's because the re-rides are only a couple bucks...and after one "lap", the RCTers jumping for joy and high-fiving tells me they LIKE the ride...;)

Bump Bump Bump yer @ss off....no head-on collisions...:)

Watch the tram car, watch the tram car, watch the tram car please...

If you really want to get nit-picky, the Viper at Six Flags Darien Lake started the vertical loop-boomerang-double corkscrew layout that was expanded by two and three vertical loops for Vortex and the Six Flags "megaloopers."

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

Put the crack pipe down, Gator, and no one will get hurt.

mOOSH [wondering if anyone else understood his last post?]

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Esplanade [v.] - to attempt an explanation while drunk.

mOOSH has never heard the phrase "bumping uglies"?

Well, a bunch of Con-Quest-A-Dorks on any bumper cars certainly qualifies IMO...;)

R:UE....everyone gets off, but no one ever leaves

Gator - moving from the crack pipe to the glue isn't an improvement ;)

mOOSH

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Esplanade [v.] - to attempt an explanation while drunk.

mmmmm, fried 'toes with a side of glue....:).

Now *that* I understood ;)

mOOSH

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Esplanade [v.] - to attempt an explanation while drunk.

Talk about getting off topic whoa,,,,,,,anywho back to the original topic. What makes Viper at SFMM better than GASM and Shockwave? The question is mostly directed at rollergator since he made the comment, but to also anyone because I have heard this comment many times and have always been curious.
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"You know its a good ride when you come into the final break run wiping tears from your eyes"-me