Orion Construction Photos

[MaestroJr]

Took these today, really is cool to see how far we have come since The Racer was built. So excited for next year! 

[King Ding Dong]

25 minutes ago, spooky21 said:

I get where your coming from thinking it would save on money. However they more than likely be cutting it into pieces like Firehawk.

I look forward to watching this.  Do you think there is any chance they will turn a Webcam on Vortex? 

[FreedomPenguin]

36 minutes ago, spooky21 said:

I get where your coming from thinking it would save on money. However they will more than likely be cutting it into pieces like Firehawk.

cut and fall? didn't see how they took it down myself. I figured you needed cranes to safely lower the pieces surely?

[spooky21]

4 minutes ago, FreedomPenguin said:

cut and fall? didn't see how they took it down myself. I figured you needed cranes to safely lower the pieces surely?

 

[FreedomPenguin]

Thanks for the share! That’s amazing. Hope they tear it down this winter myself so we can start to see it get land repurposed maybe 

[LovinMeSomeBanshee]

5 minutes ago, FreedomPenguin said:

Thanks for the share! That’s amazing. Hope they tear it down this winter myself so we can start to see it get land repurposed maybe 

If another coaster goes there, I don't see it being used by anything else for a few years at the earliest.  It wouldn't shock me to see it SBNO for a while.  Who knows.

[coasterguy420]

9 hours ago, FreedomPenguin said:

cut and fall? didn't see how they took it down myself. I figured you needed cranes to safely lower the pieces surely?

Nope. This is a good overview of how they tore it down. 

[JonahWilliamson]

They need a different crane style for tear down. Especially if they are doing a hard tear down. It would be like attaching scissors to string. Those cranes can attach and detach and carry up and down. Or even wrecking ball but it wont clean up just knock down. So for something of tear down youll need something with an arm like the backhoe for Firehawk. They just attach different tools on them. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

It'll probably be the same wrecking company that tore down Firehawk and SOB. I believe the name is O'Rourke Wrecking CO. 

[JonahWilliamson]

Glare is to much on weather bug to see whats going on. Lift hopefully gets finished this week. Just gotta wait for that glare to come down.

[teenageninja]

To everyone complaining about Orion not looking much taller than Diamondback, what did you think?  Orion is the shortest Giga, of course it's not going to look as imposing as Fury compared to Intimidator.  Fury is 93 feet taller than Intimidator and Orion is only 57 feet taller than Diamondback.  It's a significant difference.  Does it really matter?  No, it's going to look big and imposing in the Skyline and it's going to be a totally different ride than DB.

Also, when I drove by this morning, it looked like they may have been installing the head chopper track, it was hard to tell.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

7 minutes ago, teenageninja said:

To everyone complaining about Orion not looking much taller than Diamondback, what did you think?  Orion is the shortest Giga, of course it's not going to look as imposing as Fury compared to Intimidator.  Fury is 93 feet taller than Intimidator and Orion is only 57 feet taller than Diamondback.  It's a significant difference.  Does it really matter?  No, it's going to look big and imposing in the Skyline and it's going to be a totally different ride than DB.

Also, when I drove by this morning, it looked like they may have been installing the head chopper track, it was hard to tell.

Plus Orion is in the back of the park facing the back of the park. Fury and Leviathan face the front of the park so they are larger looking. To me this makes Orion unique and has a different affect. 

[PatchesC]

29 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Plus Orion is in the back of the park facing the back of the park. Fury and Leviathan face the front of the park so they are larger looking. To me this makes Orion unique and has a different affect. 

Easier to convince ppl to ride that may be a bit intimidated lol.

[tuxedoman52]

To everyone complaining about Orion not looking much taller than Diamondback, what did you think?  Orion is the shortest Giga, of course it's not going to look as imposing as Fury compared to Intimidator.  Fury is 93 feet taller than Intimidator and Orion is only 57 feet taller than Diamondback.  It's a significant difference.  Does it really matter?  No, it's going to look big and imposing in the Skyline and it's going to be a totally different ride than DB.
Also, when I drove by this morning, it looked like they may have been installing the head chopper track, it was hard to tell.

I wasn't complaining at all! 300 foot drop is still a 300 foot drop. Just hard to picture what it'll look like when it's all set and done. Someone said something about not having a massive support right at the peak of the lift like DB, and I think that's a good point as to why it doesn't look dominating. It's hard to dominate our skyline with DT, ET, and WS all topping 300 feet.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Rivertown Rider]

I think it is similar to how I305 is at KD.  With so much terrain there are things in that park that looked much taller than 305 depending on where you are in the park.

[Hueney020]

12 minutes ago, PatchesC said:

Easier to convince ppl to ride that may be a bit intimidated lol.

I agree with this and think that was partially the reason they did that. People will think it’s not much bigger than Diamondback let’s ride it. Then comes the drop that you really don’t see. As far as the supports gigas do not have the same supports as B&M hypers so yes it will look different but will still dominate the skyline with all our other 300 ft towers. 

[TheFloppyDisc]

I don't know if someone can get a good pic of the weatherbug camera, but it looks maybe another piece of the drop was placed? I can't tell super well because it looks like it's at the same angle as one of cranes.

[JonahWilliamson]

2 minutes ago, TheFloppyDisc said:

I don't know if someone can get a good pic of the weatherbug camera, but it looks maybe another piece of the drop was placed? I can't tell super well because it looks like it's at the same angle as one of cranes.

I believe you are correct! So they have to finish the drop before they can go higher on the lift because it will require the support from the drop.

[Nutterie]

Is the lift taller than Diamondback yet?

Enviado desde mi SM-N960U mediante Tapatalk

[pkiknex25]

9 minutes ago, TheFloppyDisc said:

I don't know if someone can get a good pic of the weatherbug camera, but it looks maybe another piece of the drop was placed? I can't tell super well because it looks like it's at the same angle as one of cranes.

Good spotting!
This morning:


Today, around noon:

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

28 minutes ago, pkiknex25 said:

Good spotting!
This morning:


Today, around noon:

That looks like a piece of the drop being installed.

[BoddaH1994]

2 hours ago, teenageninja said:

To everyone complaining about Orion not looking much taller than Diamondback, what did you think?  Orion is the shortest Giga, of course it's not going to look as imposing as Fury compared to Intimidator.  Fury is 93 feet taller than Intimidator and Orion is only 57 feet taller than Diamondback.  It's a significant difference.  Does it really matter?  No, it's going to look big and imposing in the Skyline and it's going to be a totally different ride than DB.

Also, when I drove by this morning, it looked like they may have been installing the head chopper track, it was hard to tell.

I noticed that Orion right now looks about the same height as DB from Kings Island drive. This isn’t impressive until you realize that DB is nearly a quarter mile closer to you. 
 

Honestly, I see the arguments about the height and wherever but when it boils down to it if it’s a good ride then I’m happy. Height, speed, and distance records really only come to mind at the announcement. Once it’s built it’s a good ride or it’s not. 

[JonahWilliamson]

Same Bodda!

I think this ride has many features that arent realized or felt until we actually ride.

That bank 200 feet. Idk that there is a bank that high up with nothing under it. 

RMCS bank high up but all the wood under them it pertains more to the feel then what you see.

I cant wait to ride on the left seat and look down on that bank. The supports of B&M make the ground below a strait unobstructed view to the ground. That turn around looks exciting and is also very high up. 

The final helix, that headchopper... its being slept on. 

Even the break run i cant wait to see how high up it feels when we go into it. Or when waiting on it if they stack trains. Itll be cool to have such a high up advantage point. 

Its unique. Im excited.

[LovinMeSomeBanshee]

That bank is going to be ridiculous.  Does any other coaster have a banked hill like that at that height?

[JonahWilliamson]

Ill venmo someone 5 bucks if you can tell me highest bank on a Rmc, and the highest one on a B&M 

[Hueney020]

5 minutes ago, LovinMeSomeBanshee said:

That bank is going to be ridiculous.  Does any other coaster have a banked hill like that at that height?

Someone on reddit mentioned Raging Bull having an overbanked hill. It’s tough to see one on the pov’s so I am not sure how much alike they are. I would say Orion’s is definitely much higher off the ground and maybe even longer than Raging Bulls. 

[pkiknex25]

2 minutes ago, Hueney020 said:

Someone on reddit mentioned Raging Bull having an overbanked hill. It’s tough to see one on the pov’s so I am not sure how much alike they are. I would say Orion’s is definitely much higher off the ground and maybe even longer than Raging Bulls. 

Raging Bull's isn't nearly as tall, doesn't bank to 90*, and imo, rides more like a turn than a hill or a bank.

Image from Coaster101: https://www.coaster101.com/2019/08/22/19-for-99-raging-bull-at-six-flags-great-america/

[LovinMeSomeBanshee]

I really think people are underrating just how good of a ride this is going to be.  We're going to ride it and be wowed.

[Hueney020]

3 minutes ago, pkiknex25 said:

Raging Bull's isn't nearly as tall, doesn't bank to 90*, and imo, rides more like a turn than a hill or a bank.

Yeah you could be right. I have never ridden the ride but was just passing along the information. When I watched povs they never seemed the same as the one for Orion so That is good to know. I agree I think Orion is going to be an amazing ride. 

[ethancoaster]

My estimation of the ride experience is something like this:

1. The first drop is going to provide a seemingly eternal plunge, and it will last for 5-7 seconds. This is the easiest thing to predict since it’s how Fury is.

2. With the first turn, while you will be tilted to the left, due to the shaping of the hill, you’re going to resist the lateral movement and float upwards. So it won’t quite be sideways airtime, but more like regular airtime while your tilted sideways.

3. The entry into second turn will be similar to the first, but the hill is sharper so you’ll feel stronger airtime entering it. As you turnaround, you’ll experience hangtime which will transition into positive g’s at the bottom of the turn.

4. I haven’t ridden Leviathan, so I don’t know how the speed hill will ride. But I would assume it’ll be strong floater bordering on ejector, all while going extremely fast (when I made my Planet Coaster prediction, Orion was still nearing 80 mph at this point.

5. This hill (147’) will probably provide weaker airtime, more floater than ejector, but it will be sustained for a ridiculous period of time.

6. The helix on here actually looks similar to Fury’s. While it’s tighter, the profiling is similar. It’ll have a strong entrance, but it will kind of meander until you get to the top. You may or may not experience hangtime at the apex. The headchopper under the first drop will catch many off guard.

7. The last horseshoe-style turn will be similar to Fury’s treble clef, but it will differ in two ways. The first difference is that the airtime will not be sustained coming out of it. However, the trade off comes with the second difference, in that while it’s not as tall, it’ll be more forceful as it has less space to transition out of it. You’re body will resist movement to the right, so you’ll experience a pseudo-lateral airtime where your body is getting ejected left.

8. Mild floater into the brake run.