bkroz Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 I believe the ride used to spin around twice not just once. My questions is what brings the car to the ground after it hits the brakes? If I had to guess, the brakes slow the car down on the fall and then as the gondola gets to a certain the point, the brakes either weaken enough to slowly lower it or there is a computer of sort that releases the brakes just enough to lower it down to the stopped position. My understanding has always been that magnets, by their very nature, cannot actually bring the vehicle to a full stop. If that's the case, there's certainly a mechanical break somewhere in there that grabs ahold and finishes the homing process... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWildman424 Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Magnets will just bring the chair ring to a slow drop. There are very large pneumatics (for lack of a better word) that bring the chair ring to its final stop. If you get a chance next time you are in the park, watch the start of the cycle. You can see the giant steel rods sticking out of the ground with rubber on top. I know that's a horrible description, but if you get a chance to watch it, you will see what I'm talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XGatorHead 8904 Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Can anyone answer me this question though, has Drop Zone, as it was when it opened, ever spun the entire way up? Or has it just been a single spin and go. It has always just done one rotation on the way up. Gator, who rode it at the press preview event in 1999... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Actually, at one time it did indeed rotate twice on the way up. That changed after a season or two....or that's my recollection, anywho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TylerRider Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Maybe Kings Island realized that stopping the spin would increase capacity. Then, they thought people would not have a spinning view of the park. If only they were getting another 300+ foot tower that spins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLorean Rider Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 ...the mechanism that causes the gondola to ascend the tower is independent from the mechanism that causes it to spin... Actually you're wrong. The motors that rotate the gondola are on the catch car. Actually I'm right. What exactly moves the catch car? Could it be the electric motors that drive the cables? Still even if the catch car was able to climb its way up the tower with no cables, it wouldn't make a difference. There is no mechanical linkage between the motor that spins the gondola and the motor that lifts the gondola. Again, aside from the fact that they both pull electrons from the same grid to turn the electric motors, the mechanism that causes the gondola to ascend the tower is independent from the mechanism that causes it to spin. The point is, the gondola spinning does not affect the rate at which the catch car moves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 But, if our catch car were to ascend the tower as fast as Kings Dominion's, there wouldn't be enough time for a full rotation if the rotation went at the speed it does today. In other words, while the gondola spinning doesn't slow the rate of ascension, it's possible that rate of ascension was slowed in order to accommodate the spinning, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLorean Rider Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 But, if our catch car were to ascend the tower as fast as Kings Dominion's, there wouldn't be enough time for a full rotation if the rotation went at the speed it does today. In other words, while the gondola spinning doesn't slow the rate of ascension, it's possible that rate of ascension was slowed in order to accommodate the spinning, right? No. A park would never lower their rider throughput just so that an effect like one rotation could be achieved. Especially an attraction as popular as Drop Tower. EDIT: Also in the first season(s) Drop Tower did indeed spin twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWildman424 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 The reason it ascends slowly for the first half of the tower is to put less wear and tear on the motors. The magnets repel motion no matter what the direction the chair ring is moving. The faster it moves, the harder the magnets push. That is why it speeds up as soon as it clears the magnets. It just so happens that the chair ring stops rotating close to that spot. The speed has nothing to do with the rotation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XGatorHead 8904 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Actually, at one time it did indeed rotate twice on the way up. That changed after a season or two....or that's my recollection, anywho. OK, so either your memory is going or mine is... EDIT: Also in the first season(s) Drop Tower did indeed spin twice. ...and apparently it's mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Kinda Guy Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 First things first. For arguments sake, I'm calling the ring of seats the "gondola" and the mechanism that picks up the gondola the "catch car." The gondola at one time did indeed spin twice on the way to the top. At one time I knew why they switched it from two to one and the reasoning escapes me but I can tell you this much, it has nothing to do with capacity. The gondola spinning is powered by either one or two (exactly how many eludes me) motors which are attached to inflated rubber tires on the "legs" of catch car as well as four unpowered nylon wheels underneath the gondola. My educated guess as to why the gondola does not currently rotate probably has to do with one of the motors failing. The reasoning for the change in speed up the tower from slow to fast has everything to do with less wear and tear on the 4 cables attached to the gondola and not so much the motors. It took them a few seasons to actually get to the speed it ascends now. It used to ascend the tower at a much faster speed but they had to keep slowing it down due to the wear and tear on the cables. The ride is slowed down via the white fins on the tower that slide thru the magnets that are attached to the gondola. It comes to a complete stop via four landing buffers which I believe are hydraulically powered. When the ride is ascending the tower, these are the buffers that are sticking up. So there is no actual brake that brings the gondola to a stop. For what it's worth, there are four other cells that stay lowered the whole time, these are in fact the cells which weigh the gondola. If the load is too heavy, the operators must remove a few guests to get the weight within tolerance. The actual style of seat belts has changed thru the years. The ones that are on now have not changed in length since the day they were added and they have been on for quite awhile now. Seat belts were added for the 2000 season. I do not know exactly why they were added but my educated guess it has something to do with PGA incident in the summer of 99 which closed ours for the remainder of the season. Fun fact: most of the black seats that are on today are from the Volcano coaster at Kings Dominion. Speaking of Kings Dominion, the gondola on the Drop Zone at Kings Dominion is far much lighter then the one KI has (lighter frame, no motors to spin the gondola, ETC) which is why theirs can ascend the tower at a much faster speed; less wear and tear on the cables. So the idea that KD's does not rotate due to KD wanting increased capacity is wrong. The bottom line here is Drop Zone/Tower requires alot of maintenance and where alot of maintenance is involved, there's usually alot of money involved and we all know the all mighty dollar will trump any kind of operational concern. Hope this helps! Nick: Read your statement wrong. My bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Thanks, Sparky! I knew those were Volcano seats and had told several of my friends, all of whom thought I was nuts (well, I am, but not because of that!) You would be correct as to why the seatbelts were added...and they serve two major functions: * they make certain the restraint is down far enough to latch in accordance with manufacturer's specifications. * they give the guest something they MUST tamper with if they attempt to get out, and thus help protect the park under Rider Responsibility Laws, which make it illegal to tamper with or attempt to defeat a restraint system Theoretically, they also keep the rider from slipping under the restraint and exiting, but the large shoehorn between the rider's legs should already have accomplished that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Kinda Guy Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 I seem to remember the operators walking around with about a 6 inch long hand held piece of wood to make sure the restraint was down far enough before the seatbelts were added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel_SoB_fan Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Maybe the reason why it no longer spinning is because the ride was built upside down Just being sarcastic, not to be taken as me being mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 Drop Tower has been testing this morning. Perhaps they are trying to fix the "not spinning" issue. Did you see it spinning on the way up? That would help answer the question! As of 8:30 10/8/2010 still no spin. I am honestly amazed at the level of detail you all have shared here about the physics of our Drop Tower.I learn something new here regularly. I don't mean this to sound snarky, but: If anyone has an answer as to why our Drop Tower has stopped spinning, will you please share your double secret info. We won't tell anyone! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieseltech20 Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 It is spinning today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTCO Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 As of last night at 11:30, Drop Tower did one full rotation on the way up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 On my last trip on Sunday Drop Tower was not spinning at all. I am glad to hear that it is now back to spinning, even though you don't get an amazing view, it is still a nice addition to the ride in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason B Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 It was spinning last night. I watched it sever times while standing inline for Slaughter House. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKISecurity Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I have film footage from the Queue Line in CornStalkers. I just reviewed my video and it rotates as of last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieseltech20 Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I said that 4 posts ago, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopThrill Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Yes I rode it this past Sunday the 24th, it was spinning. And I timed from when you stop at the top till you drop, it was five seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Well it seems to be random. I've gone every Friday for awhile now, and it spins sometimes and doesn't other times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 It's enough to make your head go round in circles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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