DeltaFlyer

Twisted Timbers valleyed while I was at KD on it’s opening weekend in 2018- is that the type of breaking in problems you’re talking about?

Can a B&M Dive go beyond vertical?

I’d like to see the 48-seat model of the Zamperla Endeavor. I know it likely won’t be a ride, but something for the future. I miss Witches’ Wheel.

They're just really, really sad.

Tennessee Tornado's trains are different from a "standard" Arrow train- at first glance they look very similar, but the wheels are much larger thus the bogies are different. They allow for more range of motion (while still having the side friction wheels on the inside of the rails). Right around when Arrow Development became Arrow Huss, the trains went through some changes- most notably in the train bodies themselves (Couldn't tell you the year). Corkscrew at CP would be an example of a 1st gen Arrow train- much tighter restraints and the fiberglass car bodies are not as wide. Vortex would be a Gen 2 Arrow train, where Tennessee Tornado would be Gen 3. I am sure someone knows more about this than I do. You can also see how on TT's cross ties the way they are formed and welded to the rails is different- it is a single curved piece of steel that is welded to the rail, versus the old design of (what appears to be) an HSS cut and welded to shape. I would imagine with Alan Schilke's philosophy of cutting everything possible on a CNC table, that these cross ties would be far more precise than the guess-and-check of the old Arrow design. Computer-driven hydraulic roll benders can precisely bend the steel rails to exactly the right radius- in multiple axes. It is truly amazing what Arrow was able to do without the technology we have today. The trains on Phantom's Revenge are actually the same chassis as they were on Steel Phantom- Morgan just swapped out the bodies and restraints. It looks like they may have also made the wheels larger to handle the additional speed. vs, vs,

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By maintenance, do you mean a part is broken that will take several months to replace as it is manufactured overseas?

In my office (structural engineer) we have one engineer whose only job is to design steel connections. I’ve done several and they get very tedious very fast. Never done one that would require that many bolts though! I bet those calculations were annoying.

You are describing me.....

I really like this- no ride would be the same. It combines an air launch, inversions, and the free fly aspect all into one ride. I will be interested to see at IAAPA what the capacity on something like this is.

This was the caption to my last Instagram post, but I figured I would post it here as well. I have been struggling with what I wanted to say is this post since I found out Vortex was being retired. Vortex has been a large part of my life for the last few years. I’ve been trying to think of a way to describe what it meant to me, but the best I can come up with is that it was a friend. I know what you’re thinking- it’s just a roller coaster, why do you care so much? In 2017, my grandmother passed away. If you know me, I was closer to her than I was with anyone else. Her death was a tremendous loss to me, something that I am still heartbroken over. My trips to Kings Island that summer were one of my ways to cope with that loss. It was over that time that I began to ride Vortex. This ride is something that brought me tremendous joy in some dark times in my life, and for that I will forever be grateful. To say that the announcement of its removal was heartbreaking to me would be an understatement. Many of my close friends joke that I like Vortex more than most people- to some extent that might be true. Today was the last day I will be able to experience this ride, which has been more difficult than I thought it would be. This ride set me on a path to pursue engineering and become licensed; so that I may someday be able to have a role is building something that will impact someone in the way I was.

The lower part of the boom is white. The upper lattice part is red.

It is absolutely slammed tonight. They are still working on the lift right now as well (in the dark)

Temporary queue lines have been set up for this weekend. I am hoping the lines don’t get too crazy tonight, but I’m sure they will.

Straight up menacing.