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Intamin Tophats.

So.... Intamin Tophats....

  • Stealth/Xcelerator are undersupported

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Kingda Ka/TTD are oversupported

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Neither, both have adequate supporting for either a variation of reasons or a particular reason

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

Pierre

Strata Poster
OK the last thing I really wanted to do was to start another topic with Stealth somewhere along the lines but I couldn't find another one relevant enough to post this.
I just want peoples views and opinions and in all honesty as much as the construction topic put me off Stealth its not a sneaky pop at it.
This may have been brought up in the construction topic, if so, whoops, but its 2:30am I'm not sifting through 286 pages of crap to find something.

The point being, in my opinion Stealths tophat looks undersupported.
http://www.rcdb.com/ig3081.htm?picture=40
As well as Xcelerator
http://www.rcdb.com/ig1574.htm?picture=27

I just can't help but think the several ton's going over that amount of unsupported steel every minute or so can be good!

Now compare that to the other Intamin rockets.

http://www.rcdb.com/ig2832.htm?picture=37
http://www.rcdb.com/ig1896.htm?picture=42



Now despite having an interest in coasters I've never really had an interest in the physics side of things and obviously the two examples I used which had the extra supports are the two tallest coasters in the world, so is it something to do with the height? Hmmmm maybe this should end up being in quick questions lol.

However I'll provide three answers and I would like a vote on one please....

a) Stealth/Xcelerator are undersupported
b) Kingda Ka/Top Thrill Dragster are oversupported
c) Neither, both rides have adequate supporting for a variation of, or particular, reasons.

Remember this is a polls and opinions forum so please respect others opinions.

And my opinion being A!
 

Almost

Hyper Poster
I think they are just right as KK/TTD go up 400 ft and the wind will be more up there. The construction of KK was actually affected by wind when it wasn't even a windy day.Stealth/Xcelerator are supported just fine since they're still standing.
 

Mat

Hyper Poster
I agree silverbullet.

If you look at stealths' tohat when it is launching and going up it is wobboling a bit. Yes it is supposed to do that but if they built a 500ft tophat then it would shake about a lot more becuase of the wind and also the 10ton train that is going up it at 140MPH+.

So they have adequate supporting for each type of ride. Remember if the ride wasn't safe then it wouldn't be open!
 

Infernus

Hyper Poster
I chose option C.

If you think about it, both Kingda Ka, and Top Thrill Dragster need the supports for their height, and speed. If they were under-supported like, say Xcellerator, it would be quite dangerous, i mean, Just looking at the supports and the shape of them, a triangle is much more effective than a simple line. While riding both (Supported and under-...) It gives a different feel, while staring at the tower. With TTD, Staring at the tower, it has loads of supports, but while staring at say Stealth, it looks like a huge gap is missing from the ride.

So yeah, thats my opinion, but in a way, its fact.
 

FastAndFurious

Mega Poster
I doubt the engeeners at Intamin would recommand a more expensive ride that consists of more supports than it is needed or worse, make a mistake not support the ride well enough.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I'm sure there are reasons, but I can't help but look at Kingda Ka and TTD and wonder how much sexier they could have been.
 

Dude

Roller Poster
I choose option C. Only because accelerators of Stealth, Xcelerator, and Storm Runner's size dont have that far to go vertically. But in the KK, TTD side of things they have a very long way up vertically, and dont forget that they had to support that 270 degree twist on both. So they had to take that into consideration also. But Intamin track is really quite sturdy, all those triangles they use in the track.

kingda-ka42.jpg
 

spicy

Giga Poster
I wouldn't say that they are unsupported for that height. If TTD or KK where supported like stealth and xcelerator then there would be cause for concern :lol:

So I chose C
 

Sam

Giga Poster
C For exactly the same reasons as everyone else has said; the supports are the way they are for the size and speed of the coasters.
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Well, even though atleast Xcel's tophat sways a little bit in the wind, it still is supported enough, as to not let it tip over or anything.

But, yeah, everything is adequetly supported IMO.
 
I t hink their supporting is fitting for their structures. Stealth and Xcelerator are 215 feet shorter than TTD, and a bit more for KK, so they will tend to shake less in high winds etc. Also, when the train goes up and over, that also causes the track to shake, more so on coasters with larger heights.

Therefore, their supports are adequate.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
As everyone else has said. I chose C. The coaster has the right amount support for the height that it reaches. If it wasnt safe for stealth to have minimum supportage (is that a word?) then it wuldnt have been constructed and opened.
 

Snoo

The Legend
TTD/Ka = 400ft+
Stealth/Xcel = 200ft

TTD/Ka = 270 Spiral
Stealth/Xcel = Up then back

TTD/Ka = 120+mph
Stealth/Xcel = 80mph

Enough said.
 

Martyn

Giga Poster
Xcelerator must have been slightly undersupported as they added that horizontal brace connecting the two triangular towers about a year after it opened (I think it was a year anyway) but I'm still voting number 3, like everyone's said, they're the experts, they're not going to build something that's unsafe.
 

Jer

Strata Poster
C wel for noe reason, intamin has been in the coaster buisness for a while and well you'd think they would know by now how much supporting to to much or too little. So really they both have adequate supporting.
 

Jer

Strata Poster
Actually i like the look of Stealth and Xcelrator w/o the heavy supports on the tophat. it's makes it scarier that your higher up with less supports.
 
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