TTD Anti-Rollback wheels

The tower itself doesn't have a block border on it. The block starts at launch and ends beyond the final brakes. You can't launch another train until the one ahead has cleared those final brakes.

I seriously would question that the brakes on Ka are to allow for over-speed launches. You'd still get nailed with positive G's, especially in the front. Perhaps it could at least limit the duration of such forces, but still. I could be wrong, but especially after getting bruised thighs and one hell of a headache on that crappy S&S ride that used to be at Dominion, I can tell you that going too fast over the top would not be pleasant.

I still retain my opinion that 128 mph is needed to get up a 456 foot hill. If it was launched at 120, it would roll back every time. Lord only knows the real reason why they put the brake on top of the top hat.

I believe I read this at kicentral, but they said TTD is let loose all at once while Ka's launch is broken down into three parts. Thus why people say TTD is more forcefull than its rival.

Any truth to this?

I've heard that, too. Is it true? That'd definitely make a difference.

Jeff said:The tower itself doesn't have a block border on it. The block starts at launch and ends beyond the final brakes. You can't launch another train until the one ahead has cleared those final brakes.

I think the tower is considered a block (from launch to top of top hat) since the prelaunch train won't move forward until the launched train clears the crest. And I don't know the exact number of blocks between the tower and waiting 2 block ( I think there's 2 or 3) but I know that waiting 1 block is considered the safety block to start launch procedures.

Your mom is to fat to ride TTD. said:
I believe I read this at kicentral, but they said TTD is let loose all at once while Ka's launch is broken down into three parts. Thus why people say TTD is more forcefull than its rival.

Any truth to this?

I don't know if this is true or not. But when you think about it, the launch system still has to apply the same amount of total force to the train in order to make it crest the hill.

Ryan

Are you referring to kinetic energy or the amount of hp the engine puts out? Cause if it's HP I know Ka gives out 7400hp to reach it's max rpm while Dragster gives out more to get it's max rpm. Well whatever "force" you're talking about, it isn't exerted all in one pull on Ka like on Dragster. I've heard many people claim the difference in Ka's launch so I'll assume it's true. And I'm sure there has to be a reason......of which I would then think the launch track length would have something to do with it.

I believe that one of the signs on dragster while waiting in the line says that dragster uses 10,000hp. Thats probably why it has a more forceful launch. In my opinion thats what makes it a better ride than Kingda Ka

TTD 120mph said:
Are you referring to kinetic energy or the amount of hp the engine puts out? Cause if it's HP I know Ka gives out 7400hp to reach it's max rpm while Dragster gives out more to get it's max rpm. Well whatever "force" you're talking about, it isn't exerted all in one pull on Ka like on Dragster. I've heard many people claim the difference in Ka's launch so I'll assume it's true. And I'm sure there has to be a reason......of which I would then think the launch track length would have something to do with it.

I was talking about the kinetic energy.

I have not heard people say what you are talking about, but knowing that you know what you do about Dragster I will take your word on it.

But if that is the case then that just helps me like Dragster that much more than Kingda Ka because I think I would rather feel that force than have it spread out like that.

Thanks for the info,
Ryan

Ah, ok then you're right. They're both exerting high hp to get to a similar amount of kinetic energy. But yeah, hp would have to do with the bursts on Ka. And I agree with you. I'd rather have one large rush than feeling 3 short bursts.

^^Actually I've heard that it's capable of using 10,000hp but only uses 7_00. Ka's motor is capable of producing 20,800hp since it's a newer larger engine model. Though talk about overkill! :)

I'm pretty sure that the launch track on Ka is quite a bit longer than the one on Dragster, which would certainly be a reason for a weaker launch.

The length of the track has nothing to do with it. The only thing that really matters is the speed that the motor can achieve before the end of the launch.

I'm sorry Jeff. If the length of the launch is shorter than the motor is going to have to produce more of a force in a shorter amount of time than if the the launch were longer. That would make the launch seem more forceful than if the force was able to be applied over a longer amount of time.

Usually when I'm on TTD I don't notice the full force at the end of the launch I notice the force at the beginning and that is it.

Ryan

That would be because your body cant sense accleration, only changes in it. So of course you are going to feel it the most at the begining (thats when it changes) once the motor is kicking at full throtle your change in acceleration becomes zero so you dont sense anything.

I think you mean your body cannot sense velocity. It can very much sense acceleration, and even die as a result of too much of it.

And FWIW, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, and jerk is the rate of change of acceleration. Jounce, I believe, is the rate of change of jerk.

^Your body tunes out constant acceleration, just like any other stimulus your brain ignores it in order to focus on new stimuli. It knows it is still there but you dont notice it as much if at all. When you start to decelerate or accelerate faster again it will start fireing again.

I don't think that's correct at all. You first stated that your body doesn't feel it at all, now you're saying it does, but only sometimes/not much/if you're eating pickles (dill, not sweet... sweet pickles always cause your body to ignore acceleration, obviously).

Again, your body doesn't notice constant linear velocity. In every physics/dynamics-related course I've ever taken, that's what I was taught.

Are you suggesting that the human body can tolerate being accelerated at 5,000 g's, so long as you're always accelerating at 5,000 g's? Because that's not true.

The amount of energy it takes to propel an object a certain distance is the same if all other variables are the same (and obviously friction is the biggest one), so, no, the length of the track doesn't make a "weaker" launch if the definition of "weak" means "takes less/more energy."

No, but it does make the launch less "forceful" because it can accellerate the train at a lower rate. The same amount of power is required from the motor because you still have to give the train the same amount of energy. (Which now that I read it again, you said that....is it Friday yet?)

Touchdown, take your car to an empty parking lot and drive it in a circle at a constant speed. Feel your body being pulled to the outside? That's accelleration, and your body still feels it even though it is constant.

Jeff said:
The amount of energy it takes to propel an object a certain distance is the same if all other variables are the same (and obviously friction is the biggest one), so, no, the length of the track doesn't make a "weaker" launch if the definition of "weak" means "takes less/more energy."

I meant weak as in how much force you feel at one time. If the total amount of force is the same but the distance that that force can be applied is longer, especially if it is divided into 3 segments, then you will not feel the force as much making it seam weaker.

Ryan