Future of The Bat

[tuxedoman52]

I'd rather not be the first park to receive the S&S Axis. I'd wait until the kinks are worked out and we can build one on a much larger scale than the prototype that goes to whoever.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[cdubbs727]

The Bat ... it's fine! 

I loved the ride when it was Top Gun (and I was much younger). These days, I might not always trek out there (which is really weird, since I ride Banshee several times a visit...and can't walk a little bit more to The Bat?), but I rode it with my nephew this year and we had a good time. I grew up with Iron Dragon, which is a ride that has definitely seen better days (it's slow and dull). The Bat swings you around and is a gorgeous photo spot. 

That said, I feel like Action Zone is way overdue for an update. It's the one area of the park where the theming is incoherent or, honestly, non-existent (except: ... action?) . I'm not a big fan of all-year haunts (or, to be honest, haunts in general). But I feel like using The Bat and The Banshee to establish a kind of supernatural theme -- haunted castle/woods? -- ripping out Invertigo and Congo Falls and really doing something with that area would be a good call. It's the corner of the park that feels most Six Flags-ish and thrown together, even if there are some legit great rides (Banshee, Delirium, Drop Tower) there. But everything from Timberwolf back through Invertigo/Congo Falls really needs an overhaul. 

[pkiridesmaint]

The Bat isn’t getting slower and slower because of age, The Bat has a VFD motor or variable frequency drive and can be sped up or slowed down in the programming of its PLC. I adjusted some of its ladders logic back in 2002 and I’m sure by now it’s been modified many times since. There is multiple position sensors along the entire lift and I programmed the PLC to start slow up the lift until hitting the first sensor to reduce wear on the lift chain from the start then it was programmed to speed up and would maintain its full lift speed as long as the other train wasn’t occupying the block brakes before the station, if it was then the PLC would slow the VFD to allow time for the block brakes to clear and if by the time it reached the last sensor at the crest and the block wasn’t clear it was programmed to stop, again that was done to reduce wear on the lift motor. 

[CorkscrewMcPuke]

7 hours ago, cdubbs727 said:

The Bat ... it's fine! 

I loved the ride when it was Top Gun (and I was much younger). These days, I might not always trek out there (which is really weird, since I ride Banshee several times a visit...and can't walk a little bit more to The Bat?), but I rode it with my nephew this year and we had a good time. I grew up with Iron Dragon, which is a ride that has definitely seen better days (it's slow and dull). The Bat swings you around and is a gorgeous photo spot. 

That said, I feel like Action Zone is way overdue for an update. It's the one area of the park where the theming is incoherent or, honestly, non-existent (except: ... action?) . I'm not a big fan of all-year haunts (or, to be honest, haunts in general). But I feel like using The Bat and The Banshee to establish a kind of supernatural theme -- haunted castle/woods? -- ripping out Invertigo and Congo Falls and really doing something with that area would be a good call. It's the corner of the park that feels most Six Flags-ish and thrown together, even if there are some legit great rides (Banshee, Delirium, Drop Tower) there. But everything from Timberwolf back through Invertigo/Congo Falls really needs an overhaul. 

With the destruction of Son of Beast and the exit of Paramount from the picture, Action Zone's really been a vacuum for theming. With most of the stuff having been themed to Paramount licensed films, it's kind of been an uphill battle for Cedar Fair to get a coherent style going for the section. I do think they want to eventually go for a full horror getup for it, but with so many rides not really compatible with said theme still having service to offer the park I'm guessing they're kind of stuck.

[Maverick44]

12 hours ago, CorkscrewMcPuke said:

With the destruction of Son of Beast and the exit of Paramount from the picture, Action Zone's really been a vacuum for theming. With most of the stuff having been themed to Paramount licensed films, it's kind of been an uphill battle for Cedar Fair to get a coherent style going for the section. I do think they want to eventually go for a full horror getup for it, but with so many rides not really compatible with said theme still having service to offer the park I'm guessing they're kind of stuck.

Nothing a little paint and new name couldn't fix.....

[Hueney020]

48 minutes ago, Maverick44 said:

Nothing a little paint and new name couldn't fix.....

I agree with this. I think CGA is the one who painted there Drop Tower to look like a gaint redwood. KI could do the same if they were going to go with a dark forest or mystic beast section of the park. Congo falls would actually fit that theme. The only others would be Delirium and Invertigo needing a paint job or naming change. 

[Maverick44]

1 hour ago, Hueney020 said:

I agree with this. I think CGA is the one who painted there Drop Tower to look like a gaint redwood. KI could do the same if they were going to go with a dark forest or mystic beast section of the park. Congo falls would actually fit that theme. The only others would be Delirium and Invertigo needing a paint job or naming change. 

Also i think Delirium name fits well in a haunted / dark forest. Just needs painted. Just remove Invertigo completely and replace with a Raptor or euro fighter.

[YOULLBEBACK]

If it is reliable, I see no reason for them to close it down.  This is a recent trend that I hope stops. 

IMHO, the front seat of The Bat is one of the most under-rated rides in the park.  The different between front seat and any other on this ride is huge. 

 

 

[SonofBaconator]

The S&S Axis model gives me hope that the swinging style won't go extinct. I think when the Arrow swingers eventually bite the dust, this coaster will be their replacement.

As for a park in the CF chain to test this at, I'd say give it to a mid to lower tier park like Worlds of Fun where it can go through downtime if needed and it won't hurt the park as much. I'm not a proponent of top tier parks getting prototypes because there's often kinks to work out.

[Vortex]

On 11/12/2019 at 4:19 PM, silver2005 said:

I agree it vibrated a lot, but I think that's just due to needing a paint touch up.  I wouldn't qualify that as being rough though.    Parts aren't a concern because S&S still churns them out.  

Several suspended coasters are defunct from age, but all those were either pretty aggressive compared to Bat and I have to think with BBW that with Schwarzkopf starting it and Arrow finishing it that something with the design unique to it led to it going early along with some aggressive swinging as well.   Ninja is one to watch in that regard.  

I would say Bat's got between 5-10 years, and that might be generous. 

 

Schwarzkopf designed very different coaster from what Arrow made. I know their are pictures on the net of the model. I hope The Bat stays around longer it was the last Arrow suspended coaster.