New for 2011

Becasue Cedar Point Reclaims it title of having the Tallest Coaster in the world every 11 years (Gemini 78, Magnum 89, MF 2000)what do you think the odds are of Cedar Point Doing this again in 2011? My calculations put this coaster at 440 feet(Gemini 125, Magnum 205, MF 310 and so on...) Does everbody think this is a good estimate for the future of coasters, have we reached the pinnalce, or will it be higher than 440 feet. I know the old saying they will biuld higher and higher as long as people keep riding, and I would ride anything, as long as it was safe.
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Joe E

Geauga Lake, Er or Six Fags Sohio or whatever its called now can go to Japan.

I honestly think it will be higher. The industry is booming and a 500 footer will be just about right in 11 years. (maybe even sooner...)

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Trim brakes-a necessity???

I swear I heard on Discovery Channel that a 500ft Rip Cord was in the works. Ron Tomer (Arrow Dynamics) said, "back in the day we though 150ft was too high and we've going much higher than that." How high can you go before you need a oxygen mask ?? When you get that high then go the rest of the distance into the ground. People sky dive from 3,000 ft and they don't oxygen mask. The only thing to hold you back is ground space. The higher you go the bigger the coaster.

Up around 12,000-15,000 feet you need an oxygen mask. Just go skydiving if you want to fall from that high.

"The higher you go the bigger the coaster."

Not to disagree, but I think this is likely to change somewhat in the future. Take a look at Magnum's lift versus Millenium Force's lift, and the angle of ascent. Perhaps by the time we reach the 450-500 foot height, there will have been some sort of 90 degree lift -- like an elevator straight out of the station. Of course you'll still need the run out room, and I think it isn't height that is likely to stop coasters, but speed. The faster you go, the more space you need, but there will be a point where the friction means we can't go faster. If you can reach 150mph (or whatever speed) from 450 feet, and 500 feet is only 152mph, is it really worth it?

It will be interesting -- and thrilling! -- to see what new coasters are developed as we reach limits with the designs we know and love!

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PO!NT OF VIEW - A Different Look at Roller Coasters
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/
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I strongly believe that SOME time there will be a 1000 ft. coaster built. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day, I guarantee it.

There is a little thing called terminal velocity...ever heard of it? If there was one that was really tall it would not fall faster and faster. Once they make a coaster that is tall enough to cause the train to reach terminal velocity going down the drop taller coasters are not going to be any faster.

Another point to terminal velocity is safety. Remember what happened to that book guy, Fabio? He had like a bird fly into him on a coaster. Probably a slow coaster, but none the less, it had to have hurt. Even at 92mph, if lets say a bee flys in your path and you hit it, it'll leave a nice dent in your forehead. If somehow they could have some sort of deflector for such cases, yeah, reach the highest speed possible...but if you went up 400 or 500 feet, you'd probably reach term velocity about half way down or so (depending on angle of decent). The rest of the way down you're already used to the fall and your stomach is settled. On Millennium, you don't have the time to get used to the fall because you're on your way back up to a 122 degree turn. Plus, the cost for a good coaster like baseball players saleries (ala Manny Ramirez)...when will it all get to be too expensive? How high will parks be willing to pay for a coaster? Are we willing to pay for entry into the park at those higer rates? Personally, I feel the fate of the future of rollercoasters lies in how much track can you put in a smaller area (Raptor, Mantis)...more coasters like that are the future of this thrill "sport".
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Cedar Point '00
Force: 5
Raptor: 8
Magnum: 1
Lifetime Coaster Count: 35 *** This post was edited by BirdOfPrey00 on 11/15/2000. ***

Good Point Bird O Prey. One night I caugt a bug or somthing in the eye on MF one night and it hurt. Well it hurt more after the ride actually. Judging by the nubers too, the MF was a huge 50 ft leep over the previous record holder. So 10 years Prior to that only about 55 feet where gained on the magnum. The 10 years previous to the MAgnum, 75 feet was gained. So we may be slowing down. But still at this pace we will hit 440 by 2011. MANNY AINT WORTH THE JR. GEMINI. SIGN MARK WHITEN. 1981 was the best year to be born.

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Albert Dont call me Joe E belle.

N Sync Belongs down in the sink with Vanila Ice

According to Intamin the design used for the MF lift hill can be taken up to 750ft high and still be safe.

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daniel j. haverlock
Magnum Count: 1266
MF Count: 117
spiritofthepoint.com

We have to remember that height is going to be based on cost. MF cost $25 million. What would a 750 ft. coaster cost? I don't think a lot of parks out there would invest $25 million into one caoster, yet alone a lot more. We a very fortunate to have CP.

Nobody has meantioned the weight factor or stability factor. You can only but so much weight in one area before we would actually have a sinking coaster. I also think there would also have to be a new way to construct the supports if we go higher to be able to handle the added stress and wind.
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Park visitor since 1979

If you went higher and higher, the area of space used would be greater just for the fact you must have support for the ride...especially at Cedar Point with all the Lake Erie wind. Eventually the Steel coasters will look like the Wooden coasters like Mean Streak...Built up and out.
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Cedar Point '00
Force: 5
Raptor: 8
Magnum: 1
Lifetime Coaster Count: 35

Fabio got his face hit on Apollo's Chariot (hypercoaster), so it wasn't all that slow.

galen, bedrock doesn't sink unless there is something drastically wrong with the earth's mantle.

BirdOfPrey00, there already is steel (giga)coaster with supports like a woodie. It's called Steel Dragon 2000. The design on that was by no means economic. It cost nearly twice as much MF because of the gigantic supports used. The main reason these were extra large supports, was because the area is prone to earthquakes. Like Dan said, Intamin could easily build a 750ft. coaster with the same design.

I've heard SD2K also has catwalks running the entire course. I'm sure that raised the price a pretty penny, too.

Sure, MF was $25 million, but I'm sure it could be done somewhat cheaper. Just look at Kennywood (or any other park built along a hilly terrain - such as?). Let's say they can drop 100' down into a ravine. That means they only need a 200' lift. With that having been said, they can put in a 300' lift hill and go the added 100' into the ravine for a 400' drop. Terrain can really help a coaster (and in more ways than drops).

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How dare you vanquish the Steel Phantom without his consent? Fear the Phantom's Revenge.

i've seen on some show a year or 2 ago on discovery channel i think that the problem with higher and faster will be turn radius,and its already visible on the changes needed to combat this,overbanking and height in the turns,the radius on the turns going into and coming out of mf,s tunnels is only slightly banked ,but the radius is huge.
id have to say if they get one much bigger/faster at cedar point, it would have to sort of circle half the park,but in the meantime ill just be looking forward to whatevers built,there cant be a bad ride built at the point!!!
and if there is,theres always enough already there to begin with :)

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am i tall enough to ride?
icq#14421339 *** This post was edited by WHOEVER on 11/16/2000. ***

I won't say there WON'T be another gigantic ride at CP like this, but it's not very likely. If we do see one, I'd say we'd have to give it 10-15 years. (gosh I hope my estimate is off!)

SO double mf 750 foot lift hill 425 foot overbanked turn with a 450 foot hill over the island sounds live fun

"look at all the gum on the wall"

uhhhh...I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that.

On one of the thrill ride shows I have taped, the statement was made that the only true limit, (referring to building coasters) is a parks budget. That, in and of itself tells me that height and weight should not be an issue whatsoever. Confused? ...The Empire State Building....Hoover Dam, just to name a couple of structures are hundreds of times heavier and taller than a coaster would ever be. They're several years old and still going strong.

Speed shouldn't be a problem either. Many of us that have flown atleast once, have reached speeds of 500 m.p.h. or more and are still around to talk about it.