I thought about this. What would you think if The Vortex was a suspended roller coaster?

I think it would be amazing! It's PERFECT to be a suspended roller coaster. Just think about it for a moment; now don't you see? And the ride would be scarier

okay so for those of you people that think The Vortex is sinking...I'm an area supervisor in the games department and well when a train is going down the hill and up the hill...well stand by the support that goes kinda next to the midway across from IJ:ST...it moves up and down...I actually discovered this while standing next to a trash can watching my 3PT challenge basketball game...the post moves up and don a couple inches...kinda interesting

okay so for those of you people that think The Vortex is thinking...I'm an area supervisor in the games department and well when a train is going down the hill and up the hill...well stand by the support that goes kinda next to the midway across from IJ:ST...it moves up and down...I actually discovered this while standing next to a trash can watching my 3PT challenge basketball game...the post moves up and don a couple inches...kinda interesting

The Vortex thinks now?

Man these machines are getting smarter. LOL!

I thought about this. What would you think if The Vortex was a suspended roller coaster?

I think it would be amazing! It's PERFECT to be a suspended roller coaster. Just think about it for a moment; now don't you see? And the ride would be scarier

Well Vortex replaced a suspended coaster in the same spot. It would be nice to have B&M suspended coaster. I just don't think the Arrow looping suspended coaster design would work to well.

it would be nice to have a BM???

(just kidding- i know you said B&M- stressful afternoon and need to make my own jokes...)

okay so for those of you people that think The Vortex is thinking...I'm an area supervisor in the games department and well when a train is going down the hill and up the hill...well stand by the support that goes kinda next to the midway across from IJ:ST...it moves up and down...I actually discovered this while standing next to a trash can watching my 3PT challenge basketball game...the post moves up and don a couple inches...kinda interesting

The Vortex thinks now?

Man these machines are getting smarter. LOL!

oops guess i should proof read...sinking...sorry i'm dyslexic at times...lol

I know which support your talking about, I have seen it shake, but not move up and down, interesting.

Shake, move up and down.. .. What's the difference?

Shaking and moving up and down are two different things to me. Any ride will shake, look at any wooden coaster, well wooden coasters actually sway. But look at Vortex as the train goes through the corkscrews, the entire track shakes.

As it is designed to do this, the ride has to have some give to it. Come to KIC day and stand back by The Beast on the tour. Right before the train comes rushing by you can hear the start to tighten up and move right before a train comes though. An excellent example is Top Thrill Dragster compared to Kingda Ka. The state of New Jersey ordered that the ride have more supports than the original design, the end result; there is less give to the forces caused by the launching train. You can notice a substansial difference in smoothness between TTD and KK simply because KK is braced more.

...especially if one is brave (silly, naive?) enough to ride Kingda Ka in the back seat of a car... In the fronts, Kingda Ka is, if anything, much smoother than Top Thrill Dragster. In the backs, however....

Also, you should see the helix move on Shivering Timbers!

I know which support your talking about, I have seen it shake, but not move up and down, interesting.

I love to touch that support, it's the only chance I get to Touch a coaster! And yes, I know what your talking about.

When the train goes through the swooping motion over the midway, it shakes like all get out! And when it goes through the corkscrews, it still rattles!

Coasters are desinged to do that, as Gordon said. The need to be able to have some wiggle room!

Yep or they would probably snap in half. That wouldn't be good.

Son of Beast was swaying really bad as the train crested the lift, on the 4th of August. But haven't noticed it as bad. Weird I know, I'm sure it still sways the same, just never paid much attention to it after that day.

You can HEAR the SOB from the midway, thats so annoying! I can't imagine how much it rattles!

Oh I love the loud sound of SOB. It's almost like he's growling at you. Firehawk has a pretty loud lift as well.

^ Which keeps you occupied in the wait!

That's true, and I love how they set up the que line to Firehawk. It's very entertaining to watch the riders on the ride.

I love the sound of SOB's lift, you can hear it all over the park, it's constantly reminding you it's still there waiting on you...lol lame i know...Firehawk on the other hand is fun to watch in the queue...but on the ride with the chain right in your ear...that was painful, only complaint i had about that ride...

Yes it is kinda hard on the ears, I didn't remember it being that loud as X-Flight, of course I rode X-Flight like 6 years ago, in it's first year of operation.

So kinda cool, that I've rode X-Flight during it's first season at GL then SFWOA, and now I've ridden Firehawk during it's first season at KI. Yeah I know I'm a dork. LOL

Vortex suspended? That might hurt.

But inverted? I'm sure it would be a challenge, but a double loop on an invert would be fun.

^That's one thing I can't understand. How come B&M doesn't do like two loops in a row or two corkscrews in a row or any two elements in a row?

Way off track, but, how come Arrow never made large loops, but, rather used the same size loops, just higher off the ground?

Doesn't Tennessee Tornado have larger loops?

Doesn't Tennessee Tornado have larger loops?

A little bit, but the main thing is just how much better their transitions are, since ron toomer didnt design it in RCT.

I refrence to the steel supports moving, Its steel, it sways, if it didnt sway, it would break.

All structures are designed to give, if they didnt, eventually they would fracture.

Now in refrence to The Vortex being a suspended coaster... wow... I think this may have just raised the bar for bad ideas. Possibly even more than that old idea of making Vortex a stand up coaster. Take a class in physics then re-think this idea.

EDIT: On second thought, you dont need a physics class, just go the the park and look at The Vortex. Not to mention this is aside from the fact that all of the supports are on... the bottom of the track...

okay so for those of you people that think The Vortex is sinking...I'm an area supervisor in the games department and well when a train is going down the hill and up the hill...well stand by the support that goes kinda next to the midway across from IJ:ST...it moves up and down...I actually discovered this while standing next to a trash can watching my 3PT challenge basketball game...the post moves up and don a couple inches...kinda interesting

So if we go by your theory here then most of the rides in the park are sinking.

Face Off - does the exact same thing as you are explaining, guess it's sinking

SOB - Ever see the lift hill as the train crests the lift, it must be sinking

Tower - It sways, it must be sinking

Drop Zone - It sways too, it also must be sinking

Viking Fury - The supports shake when the boat swings, it must be sinking

Get the point yet?

Gordon Bombay nailed it, all rides give a little whether they sway, shake, or move up and down. If they stay stationary then that causes damage to the structure. I am sure DeLorean Rider with his engineering knowledge can help explain this.

If you really want to see some swaying, watch an impulse coaster in action.

And yes, the loop on TT is larger, but that was the only one and the last one. It took them how many years to figure that one out?

As stated by Delorean Rider, the reason TT's loops are larger and the design is different is due to the fact that Arrow's cheif designer Ron Toomer, who designed all the mega loopers and hated rollercoasters himself, did not design it. Its also the only one that doesnt bang your head to death.

I've heard many people say they think Toomer was just lazy when it came to design and all. Know how he thought of using a loop? By bending a wire coat hanger.

Of course ron toomer was lazy, there are un-necessary straightaways on Vortex, especially in the high turn before the double loops. That is the only part of the ride I don't love.

Then that turn around thing right before the two loops is like bank straight bank. Just leave it banked and make our lives easier!!!! Why was this man desgining rides I will never know. He must of had a template on his computer for a loop because all the loops he designed are all the same freaking size and maybe just a guess most of the time the trains all enter the loops at the same speed that sounds alot easier than making the loops different sizes and have to calculate the forces for each one. He must have been smart though cause he made his money.

^ The perfect eliptic loops look cool. Escpecialy from the ground. The entire look of The Vortex is just majestic, a roller coaster masterpiece. I can't help but just look at it, take pics', try to slap hands on the boomerang, hug the support sticking out to the midway, (I know how nerdy this sounds, I know I'm obsesed.) I just love the entire experience. Long live Vortex!