Non-circle loops

This isn't really news, but Vox posted a short piece about why perfectly round loops are bad. If you didn't know, now you do.

The closest thing we'll get are some of the intense Schwarzkopf rides that have fairly circular loops.

Not that those cookie cutter Arrow teardrop loops are the pinnacle of comfort. Whether you enter the loop at a slower speed like the old Geauga Lake Double Loop or race into it like Anaconda, Vortex, and the old Steel Phantom - the radius is about the same. I feel like vertical loops really benefited from B&M and their approach to properly sizing and shaping them based on the elements of the individual ride.

Those loops on the Schwarzkopf rides feel pretty damn circular.

Nessies loops are pretty comfortable, but you enter them at a very low speed.

The heinous teardrop loops were those Scream Machine Arrow loopers that graced Six Flags parks. I think Magic Mountain still has their Viper. Anyway, the loops were standard but way up in the air on tall legs, with a hard left and then double loops at the same level. I remember those loops being very speedy.
I thought those coasters were terribly designed- KI’s Vortex was better. Not much, but better.
And hell, back then it was all we had.

I remember reading somewhere at some point that Arrow essentially just had one general template for a vertical loop (almost RCT style) and if it needed to be tall or speed needed to be bled off for the mega loopers of the late 80s and early 90s, it was just an incline until you got to that same sized loop from the slower 70s and early 80s rides.

They seemed to have figured it out with Tennessee Tornado. And then of course they were gone.

Those Arrow rides were so strange. Steel Phantom was the worst one I had been on. I wonder if it was just cost savings not having to do all that new engineering without computers. I mean, now you can model all of that.

I always was a big fan of Double Loop at Geauga Lake, but that was an early model. I also really enjoyed Viper at Magic Mountain and Vortex at KI. The others I have been on were painful and a chore to ride.

And here is an excellent video to explain this as well. 14 G's is no good!

Schwarzkopf loops are so perfect; they have that BIG LOOP feel (even if they are small) and you can really feel the awesomeness of what a loop should be. Note Revolution's loop is the most round; sooperdooperLooper is slightly altered - with an altered entrance as well, with the third version of the loop becoming the standard (actually, they have 2 sizes, I believe). Those first 2 loopers really shove you down upon loop entrance (especially) and exit. Visually it's subtle, but you can definitely feel them.

As others are mentioning, it was strange to see much larger Arrow coasters going up with the same loop. It seemed something wasn't right with that type of design... but I'll vote for the hideous Arrow corkscrew entrance as their most unforgivable mistake.

I adored Shockwave at SFGAm when I was growing up. Perhaps it had something to do with conquering that big, blue, beautiful beast. If that ride were to open up now, as new, I would be a hard pass.

^Shockwave was kind of a mean ride, way out of wack. Still loved it, much preferable to the B&M flying coaster that is there now.