RITA (intamin rocket) started testing at Alton Towers

I agree with you Keith. I'm not overwhelmed by this ride. Now I realize this isn't supposed to be a star attraction, but that's it?

I'm not making the charge, like some have, that a rocket needs to have a tophat in order to be good. But there is just so much more that can be done. Even with AT's strict height limit, they could have a much more elaborate layout. If they added some tunnels, some more airtime hills and maybe a few close calls to trees or other rides I'd be all for it. But as it stands, I hope they don't start popping up in the poorer franchise parks around here. What a waste of momentum!

hey Superman- love your signature, so true- how many coasters can you hide in a forest!!

hell they even had to re-paint the highest parts of the ride green to blend in with the trees cos the residents were complaining (again) that they could see it from the village.

Yes the comment about taking Rita from behind was a joke. Sorry about that.

I think OTSR's are here to stay for new intamin products- unfortunately, because i do think lap bars improve the overall ride experience.

Lets say that a park chose to have lap bars and someone fell out and died- After the previous incidents i am sure that the park would get in serious legal problems.

hey here is a question for you all. Has anyone died from a coaster with OTSR's????? I have no idea.

New bigger better video online now (with fun part time commentary from excited kid in background)

cut and paste link

http://www.towersalmanac.com/features/rita/constructionsite/rita_movie4.html

I think it looks pretty cool, maybe a bit short. I would be excited if it were coming to Kennywood, but dont feel I need to travel to Europe to ride it.

---

Incidentalist said:

What a waste of momentum!

---

Uh, how exactly is this thing a waste of momentum after four turns and three semi-hills, and coming off of a vertical tower at 120 mph only to hit the brakes is not? Of the four US rockets that will be operational (term used loosely) next year, you do realize that at least two and maybe all four, I'm not sure, will hit their brakes at a greater speed than this one even *launches* at? How's that a waste of momentum? This one seems to waste the least amount of momentum of any rocket built to date.

Impulsive - I think he means momentum not in terms of speed, but as in the shock value or impressiveness or fullfillment of the ride - at least that is my take on what he said.

Kanonen isn't very fast nor tall, but man I would take that rocket over Rita ANY day - Kanonen just looks like a pretty fullfilling ride experience, which is why I dislike Rita's layout.

I actually don't care too much for tophats or think rockets need them in order to be impressive... Of all the rockets so far made, they either have an amazing launch & tophat (TTD, Kingda Ka, Xcel), or an exciting and unique layout (Storm Runner, Kanonen)... Rita is in a category of its own to me, and that category is labeled "who cares" :)

One of the challenges of not being able to build above the treeline is what the hell do you do with all that speed? I reckon Alton have a good compromise; it's not like you can do an inline twist at 60 mph without hurting people :)

That's all well and good about the treeline schtuff, but that doesn't excuse it for being such a short coaster. Without any single "WOW" element (such as a huge top hat or inversion), they sure did end it quick - where's the helix? *Something* to give it a good ten more seconds at least.

I agree with Keith - who cares?

JC

Thanks to NoLimits, I was able to discern that it wasn't worth planning a special trip to AT to ride Rita *shudders at the thought* ;)

-Jimvy!, remembering the time when Alton had a launched coaster that got the juices flowing...
*** Edited 3/13/2005 9:54:48 PM UTC by invy***

I watched the video again and I still think it looks pretty darn fun, surely more interesting than the miniature Kanonen. That "tophat" looks like its from a kids ride.

If this were going in at Cedar Point I think my opinion would be different, but at Alton I think its right.

Totally agree with Impulse-ive

This ride definately uses the energy created at its launch better than most of the other rockets. Look at the pictures guys, have you seen how much they have crammed into what is a very small area!!

Hey eightdotthree- please tell me you are not patronising Alton towers with that last comment of yours. Not sure if you have been there but there are a great many number of rides that would fit very well at the point.

I agree Kanoenen looks great, but Alton does not need more loops and inversions. This coaster will provide the speed and feel of a hyper- but below 60 feet high.

plus you will get people riding it who dont like going upside down and there are quite a lot of them.

That looks like it will create a lot of airtime. It looks fun and short. THey created a unique ride with the lack of space that they have.

I know a lot of people won't agree with me but here are my thoughts.

I think that it is amazing how they can fit what looks to be such an explosive ride into such a small space. While I would personally prefer a TTD, this ride still looks like it packs a serious punch.

I do have to say that I am at awe with Alton Towers. I mean how can people be so creative? That not only goes for the park staff/managment but also the coaster designers, whether that be B&M or Intamin. Maybe more parks should take notice if they are running short on land... *** Edited 3/14/2005 3:06:52 AM UTC by Blink3020***

The OTSR are puzzeling for this ride to say the least. I really haven't seen the layout, but is there really a chance for that much airtime that they would even consider OTSR? Personally, I don't mind them that much on the Intamin coasters (referencing Storm Runner), they are hundereds of times better than OTSR on all other coasters, but it seems on a coaster like this that OTSR would be superredundant. You can see why Storm Runner has them, because it goes upside down, and Kingda Ka will have some serious airtime at the end, so while questionable, it still seems reasonable. Hopefully Intamin's next traditional hyper will still have lapbars, even if they are modified to more closely resemble the ones the trio of Superman coasters now have.

It's definitely short, but it looks like it's got quite a kick in the tail. I'd hit it. ;)

On the previous page R.Bannister said:

Uh, very easily. There are a good number of coasters that have at various stages of their life had backwards fasting cars and indeed whole trains.

You've missed my point. We're not talking about other coasters, we're discussing RITA. I found it laughable that someone would believe that a coaster that launches with the speed and force of RITA would ever have its trains turned backwars.

How would riders support their neck at launch?

i think RITA will be fine, not spectacular, but it still has two twisting airtime hills, which IMHO are the funnest elements of the Intamin hypers, plus a little half-bunnyhop at the end. Only the "third hill" looks a little dull.

I hope they run it fast enough for some decent airtime on those first two hills.

*** Edited 3/14/2005 1:00:51 PM UTC by superman***

Goliath at (what used to be called) SixFlags Holland has two of those "twisting airtime hills" and has exactly zero airtime on both of them.

I'd wait to see the reviews before I started praising them as giving off any air. :)

JC

^ I don't know if they changed the way they run Goliath since I was there (about 2 years ago), but when I was on it it had the strongest airtime I have ever experienced on any coaster on the first hill, and still a decent floating sensation on the two twisting hills between the helixes.

When I was on, the train was speeding up toward the top of the lift and there was a lot of air already going down the first drop. It certainly was an intensity monster.

But maybe they changed the speed of the lift and everything got tuned down since. *** Edited 3/14/2005 3:04:04 PM UTC by superman***

---

Mamoosh said:
How would riders support their neck at launch?

---

Uh, which is pretty much what I said in my first post, which you replied to. You did read it, right?