Maverick Update!

[UncleHenry]

THIS JUST IN:

The heartline twist of Maverick is GONE. That's right, they are removing it completely. There will be one less inversion on Maverick.

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/fun/blog/index.cfm

[King Maple The Tree King]

Looks like the doctor prescribed the same "S Curve" cure for our sister up North.

[The Interpreter]

...and the height requirement will now be 52 inches.....

[Captain Nemo]

At this time, new track is being fabricated and shipped to Cedar Point. We don't have an exact date of when it will arrive, but once it does, we'll be working hard to install the new sections of track.

Many people have asked us if the heartline roll inversion will stay.

It will not.

Instead, this section of track will be replaced with what's known as an "s-curve" section of track.

Upon launching out of the tunnel, the train will dive towards the pond as it's turning to the right. Once into the canyon, the train will then turn to the left as it approaches the rest of the track layout. This "s-curve" can best be described as a quick change in direction from right to left. Riders will remain above the track during this "s-curve."

In addition, IntaRide, Maverick's manufacturer, has recently revised the height requirement for Maverick. Riders must now be 52 inches or taller to ride.

We'll keep you posted on the very latest, so make sure you visit us again. We're all very anxious to ride Maverick, and we know you are too.

As a friend of mine said to me on AIM today...

this is the year for elements to come out and be replaced, SOB, Chiller, and now, Maverick.

I have no doubt it will still be a great ride. While the heartline roll added much hype, Maverick still has plenty of other great surprises.

[The Interpreter]

It certainly turned out far more attractive visually than I ever imagined...

--Terpy, who got to see but not ride said beast on Monday last...

[Captain Nemo]

Maybe they will sell the track at next winter soar!

I have no fear Maverick will still have some sidewinding!

[flightoffear1996]

Did they have to drain the lake again?

Its ashame they had to take the heartline roll out that looked like it would have been a blast.

[retsamemag111]

You just gotta imagine, a heartline roll at around 70mph would be way too intense to have.

[The Interpreter]

You just gotta imagine, a heartline roll at around 70mph would be way too intense to have.

Uh huh. Our ancestors said any coaster that did over 45 would probably kill its riders too.

[PKIVortex]

Makes ya wonder why they even designed it like that way.

[tubaman]

Darn, that kinda just makes me mad for some reason.

[Airromeo4Ever]

WOW - Oh Well, I'm still gonna give it a fair chance. I still think it's gone be a kick but coaster!

Hey wanna see something interesting, check this out!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/no3rdw/185289341/

[crazypkikid2005]

i must say that takes alot away from that coaster. Definatly not as excited about it now but i agree they must not have been thinking at intaride because there is no way you can take a heartline roll at 70 mph, i always thought that was wierd that they did that but just assumed they would slow you down somehow.

[flightoffear1996]

I am wondering if they knew it might cause alot of problems with the ride but they wanted to proably just try and see what happens.

[jzarley]

I like to think that's what the CAD programs and the design phase is for

[Browntggrr]

You have to wonder if the engineer(s) are going to keep their jobs after a snafu like this.

With all the problems TTD had, it was somewhat understandable; you just cannot test something with that kind of power at a testing facility. With Maverick, I would have to think they could have built a model of the heartline roll, even at a reduced speed, and had a somewhat accurate test.

It still will be a rather fun ride even w/o the heartline roll.

You cannot lose what you never had.

... or something like that.

[joecoaster]

It seems like the "S Curve" is the answer to everything (SOB and Maverick). Perhaps all coasters should be built with it in the first place LOL

[jzarley]

^ I always throw in an S-curve when I'm building a coaster in RCT (I usually have to to get the track to line up with the station!)

[Reclaimer]

Did they have to drain the lake again?

Its ashame they had to take the heartline roll out that looked like it would have been a blast.

Yes, they drained the lake. Today was a sad day. I walked out of my dorm to head to the park and while getting in my car, a flat-bed truck was coming from the park on the causeway carrying a couple pieces of track away from the park. Oh well.

[corn4ahead]

The heartline roll looked to be the best part of the ride.

[Monroe]

You have to wonder if the engineer(s) are going to keep their jobs after a snafu like this.

With all the problems TTD had, it was somewhat understandable; you just cannot test something with that kind of power at a testing facility. With Maverick, I would have to think they could have built a model of the heartline roll, even at a reduced speed, and had a somewhat accurate test.

It still will be a rather fun ride even w/o the heartline roll.

You cannot lose what you never had.

... or something like that.

Yes you can test that sort of thing at a testing facility. It has been done and I have done it. The launch system for TTD was tested at a test facility before it was installed and certified. The problems with TTD are mainly size, I did not work on TTD but I did work on Kingda Ka and the problems were mainly attributed to the sheer number of sensors on the ride due to the size. As for Maverick and the heart line roll, I am under the impression that the heart line roll is on the power stroke or down slope after the launch. This has 2 issues, 1 the top speed of the train will be close to the middle of the heart line roll, and 2 the strain will be mainly on the casters or wheel frames, you want the strain mainly on the track if at all possible. I am wandering who wanted to push the envelope on this one, and how the maintenance at CP did not catch this in the design stage. A human can take a heart line roll at 70 with no problem they do that in jets every day, but the maintenance on a roller coaster would be hell.

[RailRider]

I always wondered about the HeartLine roll because of the speed and intesity it possesed. Wondered how it would be safe and still family oriented. I think Maverick was a steel ultra twister from the begining and the inversions were more after thoughts.

Still excited to ride it.

[flightoffear1996]

Correct me if I am wrong but if they are gonna be putting in an S-Curve won't there still be a lot of stress on the wheels on the side of the ride?

[corn4ahead]

Isnt there alreay like 5 s curves throught the ride?

[Cory Butcher]

^ I always throw in an S-curve when I'm building a coaster in RCT (I usually have to to get the track to line up with the station!)

hahaha, I had that problem a bunch too! Until of course, I started pen and papering everything before I build!

Correct me if I am wrong but if they are gonna be putting in an S-Curve won't there still be a lot of stress on the wheels on the side of the ride?

quite possibly, but remember thats just side to side motion...the stress on Maverick in that Heartline at 70mph would have been, in a Vortex motion. In other words, like when you roll your neck, to the side then up then to the side then down, and back. Side to side can be stabilized, and fixed with banking, that Vortex motion snaps things all too quickly.

Think of how you break the pop tab off a can of pop, you can wiggle the tab back and forth till it breaks, or you can move it around in a circular motion twisting and pulling in all different directions....the latter of which will take the tab off much quicker...though not as neat of a break.

As seen above, you dont want that on a trains wheel assembly!

[Browntggrr]

Yes you can test that sort of thing at a testing facility. It has been done and I have done it. The launch system for TTD was tested at a test facility before it was installed and certified. The problems with TTD are mainly size, I did not work on TTD but I did work on Kingda Ka and the problems were mainly attributed to the sheer number of sensors on the ride due to the size.

If they tested it, why have there been so many issues with the hydraulic system? And not only on TTD but also on KK.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...EWS17/108070119

... this has now become even MORE intresting.

[RWildman424]

My engineering teacher and I have had a conversation about this. He calls it reverse engineering. Build it, test it, and if it doesn't work, people lose money and you have to start the process all over again.

[The Interpreter]

And if you treat your customers as your beta testers and it backfires enough times, you lose your customers...unless you can get enough others to take their place, you go out of business. Unless you don't have any substantial competition or your customers are too lazy or inept to go elsewhere or have other reasons for continuing to deal with you. It helps if you keep marginally improving your product (and if you can charge more for the improvements) and saying it fixes the problems you had last go 'round.

(Why does a little voice in the back of my head keep whispering Microsoft? I'll let you decide...)

[DropZone99]

That sucks, i was looking forward to the Heart-line roll.

=[

[Monroe]

Yes you can test that sort of thing at a testing facility. It has been done and I have done it. The launch system for TTD was tested at a test facility before it was installed and certified. The problems with TTD are mainly size, I did not work on TTD but I did work on Kingda Ka and the problems were mainly attributed to the sheer number of sensors on the ride due to the size.

If they tested it, why have there been so many issues with the hydraulic system? And not only on TTD but also on KK.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...EWS17/108070119

... this has now become even MORE intresting.

That article is very miss leading. A common practice among journalists is to write about something that can be made into something big. The Hydraulic motors on the two rides are massive some of the largest I have ever seen, they expected to have problems not so much on Kingda Ka but on TTD. I do know that they did order larger motors than was specified for Kingda Ka after the issues with TTD came up, and the car still did not make it over until the 8th adjustment. The system would have been much more reliable if they would have used steam, the Navy has been using it for years, but the launch times would have been stretched out due to the fact that you have to generate the steam. The big issues that I saw that were not expected were with the control system. There is about 50 sensors on the hydraulic system alone not to mention the standard operation sensors on the train and the track, if one is bad the ride does not run. This was the first prototype ride that I had the pleasure of working on and the thinking of both the designers and the parks is the same, "get this thing up and running and fix it later". The reason they do that is it will make you if it works or you can fix it in a short period of time, but it will break you if you take your time building it or can't fix it in a short period of time. Either way you will not know until it is built. You have to understand that this is a mechanical devise and it WILL fail. Also Engineers don't have a clue when it comes to real life devices, if it works on paper it will work in real life, that is never the case. I should know, I am a control systems ENGINEER.