Now first and foremost I have never ridden this coaster but I have seen plenty of pictures from different angles. This thought popped into my head so I had to post it. The first lift hill faces in the opposite direction from the second hill going down the cliff(ravine). Why dont they tear down the second lift part of the hill and then turn the first hill around so it faces the cliff. Then connect the first drop to the exsisting track that goes down the ravine. If you do this you will now have a 380 ft drop(or somewhere in that range. Next , take out the 4 inversions and just add alot of hills and steep banks. Bingo, now you have a record height hypercoaster. I dont know , to me this would save alot of money and create something spectacular. Changing the structure of a coaster that is already there is nothing new. Example( Turn of the Century changed to the Demon)
*** This post was edited by Chitown on 4/23/2000. ***
You wouldnt get a 380 foot drop out of that, unless you made the lift hill bigger. The drop would really be 150 feet, plus the height from the top of the cliff, to the bottom of the hill, and I have no idea what that is. If you add the 150 foot hill, to the total second drop of 225 feet, then you get 375. But you only add the height of the hill from the cliff to bottom to get the REAL height.
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The Samurai has spoken.
Well, actually, you could gain some linear space in the "turning around the lift hill" part of that, because you'd be removing the part where the coaster drops, levels off, climbs up again, and then dives. Combine that with a 45° lift instead of the standard 30° one, and you could get a decent lift hill in there...
At one point Kennywood had a sign up which showed the total combined drop from the top of the lift to the bottom of the 2nd drop. Unfortunately I can't recall the exact figure anymore, but it was substantially more than 225 (250-275, maybe?)
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--Greg
http://www.pobox.com/~gregleg/
No, I meant taking the first lift hill (the one that just descends to the right). Turn it 180 degrees, position it where it is right by the cliff , take out the tracking of the curve, create a drop that goes straight and connect it to the exsisting track that goes down the cliff. If I am not mistaken that would make the drop taller than MF. Also, by taking out the inversions they could also get rid of the shoulder harnesses and replace them with lap bars.
Nope, that wouldn't make the drop taller than MF
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The Samurai has spoken.
Actually, this idea has popped into my head, but I really don't think it'll work for several reasons:
1) The way the coaster is laid out now, is causing major land-lock (especially where the loops are located. Kennywood owns a big chunk of land where those houses are sitting right behind the loops.
2) The second half of the ride is just flat-out painful, and park management knows it.
3) Will not use existing track, unless they go with Arrow (I seriously doubt that)
I do see them utilizing the drop into the ravine, through the Thunderbolt structure for the next coaster, but until winter comes, it's all speculation from here!
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Neil
By popular vote, the official start
of the Millennium has been moved to
May 13, 2000
Ohh, I think I see what you are saying now...
You would still have to make the lift hill much longer though. Unless they found a way to put one of those elevator lifts on it. I hope Kennywood can find room to put in bunnyhops.
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The Samurai has spoken.
