SFMM Superman Hydraulic Launch Conversion

My prediction......within 3 years an extra track circuit similar to Dragster will surround Superman and use the tower to reach new heights.

What do you think? Wouldn't it be great!?!

I think "no." It would change the ride dramtically and it would lose its charm.

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- John

I would think no. Doesn't sound like a worthwhile investment, and not quite the Six Flags "Style"

CP and SFMM still aren't in competition.

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- "I used to be in the audio/visual club, but I was kicked out because of my views on Vietnam........and I was stealing projectors" - Homer Simpson

Topic is a bomb just waiting to explode...

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Don't Fight It, Ride It, RAGING BULL!!!!!!- Six Flags Great America

*** This post was edited by Blink3020 4/18/2003 2:55:27 PM ***

Not to mention the ride experience would be very similar, something I don't think they'd see investment worthy.

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"No honey, the monkeys have already done enough damage on this trip." - Guy coming out of front gate at SFGAd

Exactly! (see my above post)

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- "I used to be in the audio/visual club, but I was kicked out because of my views on Vietnam........and I was stealing projectors" - Homer Simpson

Um... no.

Maybe they could just switch the launch to hydraulic and actually send you 400 ft and use both sides.

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God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts!

It's a nice fantasy, especially if your a SFMM fan and you've ridden Xcelerator recently, Superman feels pretty darn weak these days. But it's about as likely to happen as them converting Goliath into S:ROS, and just as costly, and actually pretty stupid if you ask me.. As long as people still line up to ride Superman the way it is, Six Flags will be perfectly happy with that, trust me.

Why not just develop a more powerful launch coaster with a new twist? ;)

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People complain about clones, yet can't even come up with original conversation, which is ten times worse.
*** This post was edited by DWeaver 4/18/2003 6:41:46 PM ***

Let me back up why I said "no." Here goes:

* Hydraulic launch mechanisms pull MASSIVE amounts of power- something SFMM seems to not have very much of. That's the reason that S:TE only runs one side and isn't up to full power. The ride would only run at times that California has an electricity surplus... which we all know is never!

* The cars on the ride are not designed to handle any lateral movement (ie. turns), they only go forward, backward, up, and down.

* The track on the ride is essentially just I-beams, which wouldn't really bend in the lateral direction very well.

* Exactly where would the rest of the ride go? The pullout at the top would end up putting the ride on top of Goliath, or creating absolutely ugly towers that would just be chilling over top of the Goliath midway. It would be an eyesore and a construction nightmare. Not to mention the disruption of the flow of foot traffic in an already congested area.

* How would you propose entering the uptrack end of the station? That end of the station is surrounded by the queue house. The track would end up going through the queue house (which would have to be totally rebuilt) and would likely also disrupt the crisp-clean look of the midway leading down the hill from Ninja to Superman.

So, those minor issues aside, I think it could happen. ;)

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- John

Is the vehicle for S:TE even articulated? I can't see a reason it would be...

Nope. That would be why it wouldn't take curves well.

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- John

when you mean articulated, do you mean on the wheel chassis or did you mean that it doesn't have side friction wheels.

overall how would you rate Six Flags Magic mountain?

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I am one.
I am Turbo.

Umm... I would doubt a hydraulic launch uses nearly as much power as LSMs.

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God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts!

Um, let me requote the original post again:

"My prediction......within 3 years an extra track circuit similar to Dragster will surround Superman and use the tower to reach new heights."

It seems to me, he's not saying anything about modifying the existing ride, but simply using the tower infrastructure to "surround" the existing ride with a new ride that is a rocket-launched coaster similar to TDD... i.e. reuse the tower as the main support.

I've never rode S:TE but.....I've seen the video many times and it never seems to get anywhere close to the top. Why dont they power it up just enough to get to the top?

because it's california...california has major power problems.

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420 ft. 120 mph twice, 270º twist, brakes. ONLY at cedar point.

That's not it at all.

An empty train will go to the top, a full train won't even get close. It's all about weight

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- "I used to be in the audio/visual club, but I was kicked out because of my views on Vietnam........and I was stealing projectors" - Homer Simpson

Everytime I've been there, an empty train hasn't gotten anywhere near the top.

I must go on the crappy days. :(

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"No honey, the monkeys have already done enough damage on this trip." - Guy coming out of front gate at SFGAd

The train never really went close to the top, it wasn't designed that way. It's the myth that won't die. I remember media day, and people were making those same comments. "Why doesn't it go all the way to the brakes"? You'd think the answer would be obvious.

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People complain about clones, yet can't even come up with original conversation, which is ten times worse.

A few years back I rode it twice in a row....once with myself and one other person in the front, the second with a full train. The difference was unreal! With the 2 people it looked like we were very close to the brakes.

But, most of the time it doesn't even break a vertical difference of 300 feet. (Max is 320) :( I still think it's a fun ride, though!

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- "I used to be in the audio/visual club, but I was kicked out because of my views on Vietnam........and I was stealing projectors" - Homer Simpson