Rockets, anyone?

Something I had been told, and read elsewhere is finally on rcdb.

Looks like we're getting not 2, not 3, but a whopping FOUR rockets from IntaRide next year, this one in Aussie.

Superman theme, with a special indoor section (rumored to be something with the launch).

To all the nay-sayers that said Intamin was doomed, we wouldn't be seeing these alot in the future, I say fooey on you! You were wrong, and your all knowing license has been revoked;).

On another note, what did IntaRide/Intamin do to these companies to make them think Rockets were a good idea after Xcelorator and TTD's problems? Three already running, four for next year confirmed, one in 2006 @ Thorpe, and Blackpool is still trying to possibly break the height/speed record in the next couple years with one as well.

I need to bottle and sell what these cats are telling people to make them buy these right off the shelf like they are...

It could be a few things:

1. Contracts already signed.

2. Easy way to break records (See Kingda Ka)

3. A totally different experience to the said parks that are ordering these. Intamin seem to be the only company offering this experience.

4. Vodka

;)

That to. :)

That gets my vote!

While I agree that many times contracts are signed before hand, Xcelerator came out in 2001, TTD in 2003, correct?

Wasn't that enough time to see the problems? Not that I'm complaining, and hopefully the issues have been mostly resolved, which it looks like we'll find out next year (or we'll have 4 parks with lots of upset people).

Granted, Storm Runner didn't get a lot of negative attention like some other coasters of the type have gotten their first year, so hopefully we'll see more and eventually I'm sure the problems will work out.

Like I said, all the people that said it was going to be like X in that we wouldn't see any for a while were obviously wrong. I'm thinking I was never one of those, but could be wrong. Either way, when I do finally buy Camden, I'm putting a Kanonen sized rocket for me and Tina in there ;).

As an Addendum, 2005 looks to be the 'International Year of the Accelorator Coaster'.

Rockets are fun! I want one! ;) Is the technology cheaper than LIMs are? I'm just curious. As far as X goes, let's see how the one in Japan pans out. That announcement was definitely good news to me.

I think that the upkeep of hydraulic launches is much cheaper than LIMs, but I may be wrong (I think that the hydraulics need more energy).

I didn't really like Top Thrill, I mean, it was an awesome thrill ride, but not a great coaster to me. I'm holding back on Rockets in general though, I'm going up to Hershey next year and if I don't like a Rocket with a longer layout with inversions and a few elements, then I'll probably never like one.

I wanna see them make a rocket into a full circuit coaster, not necessarily TTD height but more like a good sized hyper, or even hyper twister.

Umm.. aren't all the rockets full circuit?

And as far as I know, TTD and KK are the only ones that are essentially up and down.

Here's a unique idea for a rocket:
1 train, Wicked-Twister-like layout, except the 2 spires are connected, forming a circuit (maybe a zero-g or 2 along the top). Launch it with enough speed to successfully make it through the circuit 3 or 4 times, and on the last circuit, you shoot the breaks up, and after the train is stopped, you let it coast back into the station (similar to TTD when it doesn't make the top of the hill)

I don't think Intamin's hydraulic mechanism could launch multiple times in rapid succession. Looking at a technical explanation of the ride, gas has to accumulate and build pressure in a chamber before each launch. Of course, the idea could work if Intamin kept LIMs.

No, I'm not talking about 3 launches.

1 launch, 3 times around the track. The launch would give it enough speed to make it up, across, and then down, and then through the station 3 times before the movable breaks spring up (like they spring up when TTD launches)

First drop popped through the letter box yesterday and said. There would be 6 new rockets for next year.

Kingda Ka, Rita at Alton Towers, Kanoen, Superman at WBMWA and two more at a as yet un-named park in Japan and China.

So instead of impulse coasters being the 'new boomerangs', Rockets are instead;).

That'll be 10 by 2006 so far...

That's fine with me! Lots of extra 'gasms. :-D

If it runs, I will be there eventually!

-Tina

intamin isnt doomed, just coasters named after superman.......

von Braun would be pleased. :)
as would Goddard. *** Edited 12/22/2004 2:33:29 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***

Tekno, I'm from Huntington too. I would like to ride the rocket coaster at Camden too. ;)

I did not think that Intamin was doomed, but I wondered if less rocket coasters would be built after the others' problems. Guess I now know.

Kyle Fobe, I want NE's SMROS with a launch. :)

Rockets are popular not only because they aren't too expensive (like Xcelerater and Storm Runner, TTD and Kingda Ka don't count). Over all the problems TTD and Xcelerater saw in their first years of running they did see one thing. Popularity, the park guest love the rush and the feeling of being launch to increible speeds in such a short time. Other parks see that and make they're order. I'm not really surprised that the Intamin Rocket concept is spreading throughout the world.