I think Top Gun is a decent ride but I noticed that Arrow has a "Bodiless Suspend coaster" http://www.arrowdynamics.com/products/susp...ed/bodiless.php

I don't know if it's possible but wouldn't it be cool if they could make Top Gun a "floorless" suspended? They would probably have to do something to the floor of the station for loading and other adjustments. But since Paramount Parks seems to be in "recycling" mood (as evidenced by the relocation of Stealth and the rumored relocation of PKI's water stuff) this would be a way to add a new thrill to an existing ride.

Vekoma also makes floorless suspended cars. They can be "retro-fitted" on Arrow track also. But Top Gun is one of few remaining "full bodied" suspended coasters. If they replaced the trains, it'd take away it's uniqueness.

Edited January 1, 197056 yr by fusiondude09

I think we already had this chat in a form when Top Gun Crashed last year destroying a train car. So when I went last year they had only one train left on the track. If you go this year look at Train #2 to see it is brand new and I don't think PKI will change the ride at any time after buying a new coaster train for Top Gun.

I hope they don't change Top Gun-it's the last of the true suspended coasters.

removed

it's not really anything i want to see but i do belive that top gun is slowly dying, i've been there in the middle of the day before and there hasn't been enough ppl to fill trains, its a good ride, but what could they do to make the marathon walk back there more enjoyable?

One safety thing.. People would most certinely hit their legs on support beams, and they would have to keep trees cut back quite a bit.

There is plenty of room between the cars and the supports when they swing... who-ever I'm not sure how much room. From the looks of the floorless cars it may add a few inches or something to length from the track to the bottom of the car plus feet. That may be an issue. But I don't see PKI switching, they would have to do a lot of work to see the clearances and everything.

I believe Top Gun is only one of 9 of the "full bodied" suspended coasters in the world that is still left. Also, I think much of the track is designed to accomodate the swinging action of the cars that you don't get with the harness style inverted coasters. However, I'm sure that it's entirely possible to "retrofit" a new train, although that would cost a lot of money. And if that was done, then Top Gun would undoubtly get compared to other harness style inverted looping coasters like Face Off, T2 at Kentucky Kingdom, or Raptor at Cedar Point. It would certainly seem less unique.

Cris

If the cars were changed to floorless they would swing the same as they do now. The floorless trains are designed to do the same thing the regular cars do now, just without a floor.

This is some of the most ridiculous stuff that i've ever heard. You people are crazy. They arent going to modify top gun!! They just dont go in and modify rides for the crap of it. It just doesnt happen.

^ He's right. If they wanted to do anything major to the ride, they'd need to get permission from Arrow. Any change at all in the ride means new calculations and stuff, which probably isn't something Arrow isn't willing to do right now.

If you look at the pic of the floorless suspended on Arrow's website, it could be done. It wouldn't make Top Gun a inverted coaster. The trains would still move as they do now but your feet would dangle. I think your feet would be in the same spot as if the car was enclosed.

This is some of the most ridiculous stuff that i've ever heard. You people are crazy. They arent going to modify top gun!! They just dont go in and modify rides for the crap of it. It just doesnt happen.

No ones saying they are changing them, it's just another what if thread.

So how do you board a floorless coaster? I mean, the track is generally below you, right? Does the floor somehow close up under the train so you can get in and out?

Well, If PKI wanted to modify Top Gun, Im sure they will find the engineers and the company willing to do it (Arrow or not). Of course it would cost PKI quite a bit of money, and I dont see PKI investing a whole lot into Top Gun unless its a major change (as in, enough to really attract people to the attraction and thus the park).

Personally, I like Top Gun, it may not be a major thrill but its a nice breezy ride on a warm day when all the other lines are long. Now if only the walk back was shorter.....

lol...I noticed that you're new on here... watch what you say about the walk back, you'll have a thread of 15 people b-tching about it and they'll have to close the topic.

It is my understanding that Arrow owns the rights to the ride, so if they want to modify it, they must go through them. ::Correct me if I'm wrong, of course::

Paramount, and Viacom at that has knee deep pockets. They could do anything they wanted to that ride if they really wanted to. Like I mentioned above, it would just be very difficult to market it as a new ride, though.