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metalhead7

metalhead7

Mega Poster
So anyone who's taken the time to make an account on this sight, probably recognizes names like "King Da Ka", "Mellenium Force", and "Magnum XL 200" as record breaking coasters, but while perusing the internet today, I found a few that I never knew where the tallest and fastest of their day.

Tallest Complete Circuit Roller Coaster
- Shockwave (Six Flags Over Texas) 1978
- Loch Ness Monster 1978 - 1983
- Dragon Mountain 1983 -1989

Worlds Fastest Coaster
- Colossus (SFMM)
- The Beast 1979 - 1981 (I knew this had the record but I thought the timespan was much larger)
- The American Eagle 1981 - 1988
- Bandit (Yomiuriland) 1988 - 1989 Didn't even know this one existed

Any other record breakers came as a surprise to you? Also I'm not 100% sure if my info is right, let me know if I made any mistakes
 
metalhead7 said:
"King Da Ka", "Mellenium Force"
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Those two coasters sound quite familiar... :p

I was sort of surprised when I first found out that Gemini at CP was the first complete-circuit coaster to top 100ft, also how it was the tallest fastest coaster in the world when it opened. But then I remembered CP held this record like five other times with their later coasters, so I wasn't as surprised.
 
I find the exponential rise in height and speed that coasters have undergone. I mean, Eagle goes 60 mph, and it was the fastest only 25 years ago. Meanwhile, we now have a coaster that tops 150 mph, for Chrissakes! It's truly incredible.
 
^ it will soon stop, I don't believe that human body can handle much higher accelerations than that... The only option would be with slower acceleration, like 260 kph in 6,7 seconds, not in like 3...
 
TilySlo said:
^ it will soon stop, I don't believe that human body can handle much higher accelerations than that... The only option would be with slower acceleration, like 260 kph in 6,7 seconds, not in like 3...
Click to expand...

There was a point intime where people thought we would fall apart if we exceeded 35 mph.
 
TilySlo said:
^ it will soon stop, I don't believe that human body can handle much higher accelerations than that... The only option would be with slower acceleration, like 260 kph in 6,7 seconds, not in like 3...
Click to expand...
I don't think the acceleration rate is a problem itself. Most launches are rather weak g-force wise compared to other elements such as loops, helixes etc. The exception is S&S which I believe pull somewhere around 3-4 g's? Anyway, a standard Intamin launch could probably go on for a while withouth being considered a health/safety problem.

But I do agree that we'll probably see a stop of top speed record brakers soon. The higher the speed, the larger the impact will be of dust, insects and other particles in the air. While riding Formula Rossa you need to wear goggles. While other rides aint situated in the desert and therfore are not affected by sandparticles in the air, a bug smashing into your eyes in 200+ kph is not very nice either!! As long as the riders aint situated in an enclosed vehicle (like a car), the top speed of a coaster will soon reach it's limits.
 
Air resistance becomes a huge part of it now too. There's a chance Kingda Ka (spelled right that time!!) may be the last coaster to break both the height and speed records.
 
metalhead7 said:
- Dragon Mountain 1983 -1989
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This one was a surprise to me because I've been on it and while I thought it was relatively good (it's not crazy fast but it's always surrounded by terrain/theming that make it feel faster and it has one cool element at the end of the ride), I never realized the difference in height between the starting and end points was so significant. From Wikipedia, you learn that the max elevation is 186' but the first/biggest drop is only 80'. A max speed of 50MPH for a "tallest roller coaster" in the world is also far less that you'd ever expect... Still, it's worth a try (apparently, the "bowtie" inversion is very unique).

The only other "record setter" I've ridden is Le Monstre which is the world's tallest 2 track wooden coaster in the world. I'm not surprised that the coaster was a record setter when it was built in the 80s (it's a beast of a structure), but I am surprised that it hasn't been surpassed yet (granted, I thought 2 track wooden coasters were far more prevalent).
 
I just found out that when the old Rattler first opened in 1992 it had a top speed of 73 mph! This was before they ended up shortening the height of the coaster.
 
andrus said:
TilySlo said:
^ it will soon stop, I don't believe that human body can handle much higher accelerations than that... The only option would be with slower acceleration, like 260 kph in 6,7 seconds, not in like 3...
Click to expand...
I don't think the acceleration rate is a problem itself. Most launches are rather weak g-force wise compared to other elements such as loops, helixes etc. The exception is S&S which I believe pull somewhere around 3-4 g's? Anyway, a standard Intamin launch could probably go on for a while withouth being considered a health/safety problem.

But I do agree that we'll probably see a stop of top speed record brakers soon. The higher the speed, the larger the impact will be of dust, insects and other particles in the air. While riding Formula Rossa you need to wear goggles. While other rides aint situated in the desert and therfore are not affected by sandparticles in the air, a bug smashing into your eyes in 200+ kph is not very nice either!! As long as the riders aint situated in an enclosed vehicle (like a car), the top speed of a coaster will soon reach it's limits.
Click to expand...

You're correct that most launched coasters are weak comparatively on launch. They typically pull around 1g on launch. It's on turns, and hills that the g's are much higher in the 3-4g range. If they keep the acceleration rate around 1g, they could keep going relatively fast. But there's a limit on technology, and a point at which it becomes a maintenance nightmare and is not cost effective. However, it's when the tangential velocity of a train going through a turn, through a valley, or over a hill that is usually more forceful. If that tangential velocity high, then they need a long curve in the track to keep the force down through the element.
 
metalhead7 said:
Worlds Fastest Coaster
- Bandit (Yomiuriland) 1988 - 1989 Didn't even know this one existed
Click to expand...

Uh, pretty sure Bandit is a TOGO Steel coaster......

edit - d'oh I saw the others above it were all wood... So I assumed it was a wooden list. my bad
 
Also I never new the Coney Island Cyclone held both the speed and length records at one time.

Another bit of coaster knowledge I'm sure some of you might have already known. When Revolution opened at SFMM, it not only broke the inversions record (one) but also featured the worlds longest tunnel on a roller coaster.
 
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