Manits and Chang

Has anyone noticed that Chang at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom is really just a copy off of Mantis. If you look at it all it is is bigger and they added in the end of the ride another corkscrew. This tells me that B&M tends to copy there rides sometimes, i mean first raptor and now mantis.

This is the photo i found that proves it.

http://www.rcdb.com/ig275.htm?picture=3

Sorry that i spelled Mantis wrong in the title.
*** Edited 5/13/2006 11:56:03 PM UTC by grant2cp***

It's the same thing with Raptor, a coaster somewhere in Japan (Orochi I believe its called?) is an exact carbon copy, except scaled down just a bit.

Also with TTD and Kingda Ka.

Isn't Mantis the #2 stand-up coaster in the world? Or thats what they say at the loading station. Is Chang #1 since its an exact copy, only higher and another corkscrew?

The tallest and fastest standup coaster in the world is Riddler's Revenge at SFMM.

http://www.rcdb.com/qs.htm?quicksearch=Riddler%27s+Revenge

How can you say it's an exact copy, but then say it's Taller and has an extra Flatspin? You totally contradicted yourself!

Stop complaining, a ride's a ride... You really sound pathetic.

And for the Record, Kingda Ka is not a TTD clone...

Sure looks like it is to me. First Mantis, then six flags has to copy it with Chang. Then TTD, which was the first of its kind, if I'm not mistaken. Next six flags copies that. That's all six flags knows how to do is copy rides. I know that may not be completely accurate since rides are planned years in advance, but it sure seems that way.

Ride manufacturers custom fit most roller coasters to fit the "footprint" the buyer wants. They budget a certain area they would like their ride to be located on and the manufacturer will try to work to those specs. Taking into consideration height - speed etc. that might require slightly more area. Most all their rides are on autocad - meaning the trains are all the same (mechanically) the only difference being theming or colors. All the structures and lift designs (mechanically) are all the same, the only difference being twists and turns to fit the desired footprint. B&M is famous for identical parts & pieces - their wheels and wheel carriers from nearly any train - anywhere - will fit any of their rides - anywhere. So you might say all B&M coasters are the same - with exception track height and design layout and of course the type and style of trains. TTD & KK are quite identical - the drive system and launch are nearly the same, the trains (bottomside) are the same - structure the same except height and camelback.

Six Flags didn't copy anything. Chang was built before Six Flags acquired the park.

Unless the park puts language in their contract dictating some kind of exclusivity, the manufacturer can make one or a hundred copies of the ride. They're the ones that do the engineering.

This line of discussion sounds silly every time it comes up. These are businesses, not bi-costal rap artists "bitin' rhymes" here.

I'm a Mantis fan, but I thought Chang was better and Riddler's Revenge spanks them both.

Mantis is so damn loud this year, has anyone else noticed? Maybe a different type of wheel? We had a trimless front car ride and got the stuffing beat out of us. It was hell on wheels. ;) ....Loved it!

Riddlers revenge is just a taller and longer Mantis, really. The layout has the exact same elements (with a little difference - ie the lift goes through the first loop) until the MCBR and a little afterwards.

It happens.

Uhm...for one, Chang is mirrored from Mantis, the first drop cuves left instead of right, etc., and the 2nd half of the ride has quite a few differences.

^beat me to it!

Oh yeah also, Millennium Force is the same as Goliath except Millennium is 310 ft tall, 93mph, has 2 camelback hillls, and 4 overbanked turns.

Who cares if they copy rides. If they do copy then it means the original was awesome. TTD was awesome so SF built one. Raptor was awesome, so the Japenese people built one, and Mantis is sweet, so they built Chang, just a slightly larger version.

I HATE Six Flags said:
Oh yeah also, Millennium Force is the same as Goliath except Millennium is 310 ft tall, 93mph, has 2 camelback hillls, and 4 overbanked turns.

^So true :P
The same way Blue Streak is exactly like the Racer at Kings Island. They're wood, their out and back, and they're in Ohio! So copies!

Didn't Chang and Mantis come out too close together to be intentional copies. The park didn't do it. If coasters are usually planned a few years in advance, then some real procrastinators must have planed rides for Kentucky Kingdom to be copies ;)

Just like Gemini Red is a copy of Gemini Blue, or is it the other way around?

Blue rules.

no way red owns blue...:)

I've been on Chang. It's pretty much the same thing but everything goes in the opposite direction.

I found Chang to be much smoother during the second half. We had very little headbanging, and we rode it in a lot of different seats.
Riddler's Revenge's layout is much different than Mantis if you ask me. Very smooth with plenty of room for nice big dive loops and stuff. Our first ride on it had me yelling "So smooth, wow, so smooth! ;)