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What is the steepest drop without any braking device?

Gazza

Giga Poster
Just wondering. What is the steepest coaster with a pure drop that doesn't rely on a holding brake or eddy current brakes to regulate the movement of the train.

I want to know because everything from Dive machines to Takabisha to Screamin Squirrels cheat by using devices to soften the G's on a sharp part of the drop, and there should be separate records for designs that are able to go steep from horizonal by careful track geometry alone.
 

oriolat2

Giga Poster
A quick search on RCDB suggests Monster at Adventureland at a 101° angle has the steepest drop without brakes (coming in 9th place as steepest drop in the world behind coasters yet to be built like the new one at Glennwood Caverns and the S&S El Loco or Gerstlauers with 120°+ drops).

My question is, how steep could a coaster with no brakes on top get without being uncomfortable/dangerous? Also, how tall should it be in order to have a wide pullout to avoid insane Gs?
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
400-ish degrees, counted from when the train is horizontal until it enters a convex curve:

SUF5.jpg
 

Lori Marie Loud

Giga Poster
Unless this is /s, that is not a drop. That is an inversion. I think the record is Monster, as mentioned above, with Defiance set to brake (not sorry) that record.
 

bmac

Giga Poster
I mean the train goes down, it's a drop. I'd argue it's just a flat 180 degrees from the start of the pretzel loop to the bottom before the ride starts going uphill again.
 
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