New 4D's

Just wondering if anyone had any inside scoops on these two patents that were posted on the U.S. patent page.

This one is obviously from S&S, but if you click on images and go to page 2, it shows a completely different layout than the one's once posted on Arrow's website (couldn't confirm though since S&S no longer list Arrow products on their website). Could this be a custom design for the next 4D?:

http://164.195.100.11/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6523479.WKU.&OS=PN/6523479

This one appears to be a completely new 4D type coaster, but not sure by who:

http://164.195.100.11/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6606953.WKU.&OS=PN/6606953

Well if your talking about the layout, it looks just like a regular layout, unless you mean the track, which its just a drawing so i guess it dosent have to be exact.

It's been over a year since Arrow showed the 2nd generation 4d design at IAAPA (smaller trains, only 3 rails, etc) and still no takers....with the current state of X and the industry in general, I don't see any Arrow 4ds in the near future. Maybe if B&M or Intamin do one we would see one at CP. Now we just have to wait and see it the Port Aventura one is real....

It was confimed in the IAAPA supplement that came with the last issue of First Drop that S&S have sold another 4D. The one it said was a lot more intense than X at SFMM.

kind of looked like the setpoint Seizmic coaster from IAAPA 2001

Apparently Japan seems to think a 4D is a wise investment, since that's where the new 4D is going.

Info courtesy of the IAAPA 2003 convention.

Any idea which park?

Not a clue, sorry. :(

Considering all the TOGO coaster in Japan I doubt park guests will care about the agressiveness and roughness of a 4-D ;)

mOOSH

Hoei Sangyo has their own 4D, Sledge Hammer. The difference is that it has freely spinning gondolas instead of being controlled by a third and forth rail. They've built a prototype but I hope a full version will get built soon... http://www.hoei-sangyo.co.jp/coaster/sledge.html

Actually moosh, I believe I've heard most of the Togo's in Japan are pretty good.

It's that whole Transporting thing that stumps 'em.:)

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Man my P.E. Class is annoying. The teacher is ignorant, and the kids are Hicks.

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olov said:
Hoei Sangyo has their own 4D, Sledge Hammer. The difference is that it has freely spinning gondolas instead of being controlled by a third and forth rail. They've built a prototype but I hope a full version will get built soon... http://www.hoei-sangyo.co.jp/coaster/sledge.html

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The cars are on the Sledge Hammer are not exactly spinning freely. They stay perpendicular to the ground at all times! This must be one insane ride with airtime to send you to the moon. I wonder however if the extreme movements will be very enjoyable.

Maybe one of them is the "Marci X" thrill coaster experience concept for a Paramount Park? ;)

-Danny

When is this new 4d in Japan supposed to open? After all, there is a Japan trip coming up in '05 :)

I've said before with Intamin they could very easily modify their box track into a 4D track, varying the distance between the top and bottom of the box with rails on each. And I still think whoever comes up with the next 4D should start small. Maybe only one car on each side as opposed to two? That could cut some real weight off those porky trains. Anyone else with ideas for the next gen 4D?

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jomo said:

This one is obviously from S&S, but if you click on images and go to page 2, it shows a completely different layout than the one's once posted on Arrow's website (couldn't confirm though since S&S no longer list Arrow products on their website). Could this be a custom design for the next 4D?:

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That layout looks very, very similar to the original TOGO Heartline coaster layout. TOGO built a full sized prototype of the coaster when their offices were located near Cincy. Parts of that prototype are now on Viper at SFGADv.

Anyone remember that?

That's what I thought when I first saw it, looks very much like Viper with the rings around the first drop and into the elongated element which appears to have a heartline or two. I wondered too if there was any connnection.

That Sledge Hammer does look like fun, the first drop must be insane!

That's a great idea ShaneDenmark, then everyone would get an outside seat! But the trains would then either be very long, or cut down shorter, which would lower capacity. Would still probably beat X's capacity though, even on it's best day.

Here's another idea, possibly for B&M. Take your floorless train & station and go one step further. Instead of just a seat, it could be a row of seats that pivot on a horizontal axis elevated from the train by two arms. This would keep all the weight on the track instead of having to construct load bearing "wings" that would flex like the trains on X. The train would "dock" with the train under the seats, the floor would come up, and you would load and unload like a regular floorless. I dont know how B&M would control the spin since they never seem to want to mess with their boxspine track, however. But the train could work... Thoughts?

you mean spinning left and right? you would hit the person next to you, they would have to make the cars extend over the sides by a lot, or they would have to expand the track size

No I mean spinning the same way X does but with one solid row of 4 people per car, or on the same axis the gondola on a top spin rotates. The actual cars and wheel assemblies could be the same as a floorless, with two vertical arms holding an axle on which the normal 4 B&M seats would rotate. Look at a top spin with the gondola in the most upright position, the arms are vertical. Now put that on a B&M floorless train. I guess thats the best collage I can put together.