Kentucky Kingdom | Storm Chaser | RMC Conversion
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Coaster Hipster
Giga Poster
The pace feels a little slow at the end but it will definitely be a masterclass ride! Some great airtime throughout and nice elements inbetween.
GuyWithAStick
Captain Basic
The current POVs are on the purple train, which is apparently 11 seconds slower than the blue train.
11 seconds is huge!
11 seconds is huge!
^Wow, that's quite a significant difference! What's the source of that?
I came across this video (saw it posted on Reddit), which shows the proximity of the park to the airport. I'm looking forward to the view as I fly in later this year!
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKReJvwh2z8[/youtubevid]
I came across this video (saw it posted on Reddit), which shows the proximity of the park to the airport. I'm looking forward to the view as I fly in later this year!
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKReJvwh2z8[/youtubevid]
Having ridden both trains under similar conditions I can confirm that's a bunch of bull. There is little or no difference between the trains under the final settings. The Upstop videos were filmed when RMC had control of the coaster and were testing it at full speed. They have since tweeked everything before turning the coaster over to the park. I'm sorry that I haven't had time yet to post a full report here, but will be doing so later tonight after I return from the football match I have to cover or first thing tomorrow morning. In the mean time I will be posting new videos on our Youtube channel over the next couple of hours that more correctly represents what the coaster is like. Please do not post those videos in this thread as I would like to do so with explanations of each video as part of my report. Thanks.GuyWithAStick said:
LiveForTheLaunch
CF Legend
^^ Literally my two favourite things in one. As you can imagine, being there was quite fab for me.
Can't wait to read the review/report, Jerry!
Can't wait to read the review/report, Jerry!
GuyWithAStick
Captain Basic
Yeah, the airport is literally across the road. A little unnerving for a theme park, but it adds some nice visuals for those on the plane.
Here's my media preview day report:
I've already explained why the first off-rides and Scott's Upstop Media POVs showed the coaster going much faster than the recent videos, so needless to say I was pretty underwhelmed riding it the first time after seeing those vids. However, my first few rides were early in the morning on an empty train. Under those conditions many coasters crawl around the track and barely make it back to the station. I've been on El Toro during early morning ERT in the summer and they had to ask everyone to keep re-riding in order to have enough bodies on the train to make it back. Once in the Spring they not only asked everybody to re-ride, but they actually had to lift the train with a crane beforehand in order to heat up the wheels to make sure it would make it all the way round.
With that out of the way, I need to explain a bit about my media day schedule. I was invited to be at the park at 8am, well before the rest of the media was scheduled to be there at 11am. The reason for this is that the park had invited a group of about a dozen mechanical engineering students from Perdue University to ride some of the coasters and the park asked if I wanted to join them. So I started out the day at Lightning Run and filmed a couple of POVs while waiting for them to arrive at 9am. Once the students showed up I filmed a couple of ridercams videos (I'll be posting them later this week for those that are interested) before they went to ride T3 and I made my way over to Storm Chaser to film some more POVs before the students finished with T3. So like my first few rides, most of videos that have been posted since the coaster has been turned over to the park were filmed under the conditions I mentioned above. This one however, while also filmed after only a few test runs, shows the coaster going at a more normal pace because the train still had the dummies on it.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36dK8Kdi7fw[/youtubevid]
Still not at it's optimum running condition, but much better than an empty train morning run. After they removed the dummies, I took those empty train rides waiting for the students to show. Then I took a few more with the students, which were better, but the train still was wasn't warmed up and only half full.
By now it was time for the media event to kick off and I was too busy filming to take any more rides.
Earlier in the morning I setup my mounts for filming back seat POVs, so now I just had to attach the camera.
With the students taking a break from riding and only a couple dozen media outlets there, most of whom were filming off-ride footage, the trains still weren't full.
So the POVs being filmed weren't under optimal conditions, as was much of the off-ride footage.
The same goes for this back seat POV, so I decided to wait until later to try it again and started filming off-ride footage.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeMR8NwiJc0[/youtubevid]
After eating lunch the students returned and the trains started to fill up, so I grabbed my last off-ride shots before heading back to the station. I'm not sure if you can see the difference between the speed of the full trains compared to the emptier ones in this video, but you certainly can tell the difference when riding in either.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eKn6r1WBzA[/youtubevid]
And here's the other back seat POV with an almost full train to compare. Check out the airplane flyby at the end to see just how close they get.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMbSvAvbAlg[/youtubevid]
I was going to film a ridercam video next, but was summoned to film a one-on-one with Ed Hart instead.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYTKwweGfPU[/youtubevid]
Some very interesting statements there, but there were a couple of things he couldn't talk about. The first being that the park was able to get the airport's flight path moved in order to raise Storm Chaser by 20 feet. The other being any details about working on another project with RMC, which is why I kind of didn't try to press him about it in the interview. I'm just glad that he mentioned it on camera after confiding it to me before the interview. So I can't comment much on it right now and you all can start speculating on what you think it's going to be, but I can tell you that Ed informed me that there is land available where the park doesn't have any height restrictions because it's well out of the airport's flight paths. This was the case for Chang, but that space is now being used for the water park and the area Ed mentioned is somewhere behind that.
After the interview I returned to the station to film my ridercam video.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zsbtZi-XaQ[/youtubevid]
Here's what you didn't see in the video:
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyIklkrJ2g4[/youtubevid]
The media event was scheduled to end after only two hours at 1pm and as you can see, the coaster was just starting to get going. I can't imagine what it was like for Scott to ride it at full speed, but from my last ride alone I can guess that the forces must have been incredible and too much for the GP or for the park to run the coaster safely. Even dialed down, I can't believe that RMC got as much out of this as they did. It's only 100 feet tall after all and they managed to squeeze every bit out of it until the very end.
So these are my suggestions for getting the best ride:
1 - Check the weather and plan on riding during the hottest part of the day, if it's going to be colder in the mornings and evenings. If it's not going to cool down much during the day, you'll probably get your best rides the more the day wears on and the coaster continues to warm up.
2 - Make sure you ride in a full train.
3 - Visit the park doing the peak season when they'll be cycling the coaster as much as possible. They were only using single train operations during the media event and weren't dispatching very often. There were regular 10-15 minute gaps between dispatches and the train didn't have a chance to warm up properly.
As for my opinion of the coaster itself, I call it Mini Medusa - which is a good thing considering where that one stands in my Top Ten. That's mostly for the barrel roll downdrop, the overbanked curves and the corked roll. However this coaster has even more unique elements that you can't find on any other RMC and they're so much fun, especially the trick track double up! <3 And when this baby is running properly the airtime is phenomenal, as you can tell from the ridecam video. Even at a slower pace it's still fun and that last banked turn in the helix before the headchopper had so much lateral hangtime I burst out laughing. So although it might not be RMC's best and people can complain all they want about it from watching the videos, I hope they don't let it effect their ride experience. It's also a great partner for Lightning Run which, as anyone who has ridden it knows, is a proper coaster.
I've already explained why the first off-rides and Scott's Upstop Media POVs showed the coaster going much faster than the recent videos, so needless to say I was pretty underwhelmed riding it the first time after seeing those vids. However, my first few rides were early in the morning on an empty train. Under those conditions many coasters crawl around the track and barely make it back to the station. I've been on El Toro during early morning ERT in the summer and they had to ask everyone to keep re-riding in order to have enough bodies on the train to make it back. Once in the Spring they not only asked everybody to re-ride, but they actually had to lift the train with a crane beforehand in order to heat up the wheels to make sure it would make it all the way round.
With that out of the way, I need to explain a bit about my media day schedule. I was invited to be at the park at 8am, well before the rest of the media was scheduled to be there at 11am. The reason for this is that the park had invited a group of about a dozen mechanical engineering students from Perdue University to ride some of the coasters and the park asked if I wanted to join them. So I started out the day at Lightning Run and filmed a couple of POVs while waiting for them to arrive at 9am. Once the students showed up I filmed a couple of ridercams videos (I'll be posting them later this week for those that are interested) before they went to ride T3 and I made my way over to Storm Chaser to film some more POVs before the students finished with T3. So like my first few rides, most of videos that have been posted since the coaster has been turned over to the park were filmed under the conditions I mentioned above. This one however, while also filmed after only a few test runs, shows the coaster going at a more normal pace because the train still had the dummies on it.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36dK8Kdi7fw[/youtubevid]
Still not at it's optimum running condition, but much better than an empty train morning run. After they removed the dummies, I took those empty train rides waiting for the students to show. Then I took a few more with the students, which were better, but the train still was wasn't warmed up and only half full.
By now it was time for the media event to kick off and I was too busy filming to take any more rides.
Earlier in the morning I setup my mounts for filming back seat POVs, so now I just had to attach the camera.
With the students taking a break from riding and only a couple dozen media outlets there, most of whom were filming off-ride footage, the trains still weren't full.
So the POVs being filmed weren't under optimal conditions, as was much of the off-ride footage.
The same goes for this back seat POV, so I decided to wait until later to try it again and started filming off-ride footage.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeMR8NwiJc0[/youtubevid]
After eating lunch the students returned and the trains started to fill up, so I grabbed my last off-ride shots before heading back to the station. I'm not sure if you can see the difference between the speed of the full trains compared to the emptier ones in this video, but you certainly can tell the difference when riding in either.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eKn6r1WBzA[/youtubevid]
And here's the other back seat POV with an almost full train to compare. Check out the airplane flyby at the end to see just how close they get.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMbSvAvbAlg[/youtubevid]
I was going to film a ridercam video next, but was summoned to film a one-on-one with Ed Hart instead.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYTKwweGfPU[/youtubevid]
Some very interesting statements there, but there were a couple of things he couldn't talk about. The first being that the park was able to get the airport's flight path moved in order to raise Storm Chaser by 20 feet. The other being any details about working on another project with RMC, which is why I kind of didn't try to press him about it in the interview. I'm just glad that he mentioned it on camera after confiding it to me before the interview. So I can't comment much on it right now and you all can start speculating on what you think it's going to be, but I can tell you that Ed informed me that there is land available where the park doesn't have any height restrictions because it's well out of the airport's flight paths. This was the case for Chang, but that space is now being used for the water park and the area Ed mentioned is somewhere behind that.
After the interview I returned to the station to film my ridercam video.
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zsbtZi-XaQ[/youtubevid]
Here's what you didn't see in the video:
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyIklkrJ2g4[/youtubevid]
The media event was scheduled to end after only two hours at 1pm and as you can see, the coaster was just starting to get going. I can't imagine what it was like for Scott to ride it at full speed, but from my last ride alone I can guess that the forces must have been incredible and too much for the GP or for the park to run the coaster safely. Even dialed down, I can't believe that RMC got as much out of this as they did. It's only 100 feet tall after all and they managed to squeeze every bit out of it until the very end.
So these are my suggestions for getting the best ride:
1 - Check the weather and plan on riding during the hottest part of the day, if it's going to be colder in the mornings and evenings. If it's not going to cool down much during the day, you'll probably get your best rides the more the day wears on and the coaster continues to warm up.
2 - Make sure you ride in a full train.
3 - Visit the park doing the peak season when they'll be cycling the coaster as much as possible. They were only using single train operations during the media event and weren't dispatching very often. There were regular 10-15 minute gaps between dispatches and the train didn't have a chance to warm up properly.
As for my opinion of the coaster itself, I call it Mini Medusa - which is a good thing considering where that one stands in my Top Ten. That's mostly for the barrel roll downdrop, the overbanked curves and the corked roll. However this coaster has even more unique elements that you can't find on any other RMC and they're so much fun, especially the trick track double up! <3 And when this baby is running properly the airtime is phenomenal, as you can tell from the ridecam video. Even at a slower pace it's still fun and that last banked turn in the helix before the headchopper had so much lateral hangtime I burst out laughing. So although it might not be RMC's best and people can complain all they want about it from watching the videos, I hope they don't let it effect their ride experience. It's also a great partner for Lightning Run which, as anyone who has ridden it knows, is a proper coaster.
Pink Cadillac
Giga Poster
First Lightning Run, then Storm Chaser and now the possibility of another RMC. Who'd have thought just a few years ago! Thanks for the detailed run-down, it looks sublime.
Jarrett
Most Obnoxious Member 2016
Rode this on Sunday.
Driving up to the park on Crittenden Drive it looks great, I love the harsh mechanical look of this machine and how menacing the girders make it look as it towers and twists over the city street. The area around it in the park is really bare and concrete and the station is hideous, but the actual ride itself is all that matters, and boy does it matter! The top of the lift provides a gorgeous view of Louisville's skyline before weirdly twisting and dropping with some really strange floater. The ejector over that first hill shamelessly rips you right out of your seat and doesn't put you down until it pulls out. Once again, some strange floater through the first overbank before the two very powerful airtime hills rip you right out of your seat, you go through a turn, and yet another violent hill. The next overbank is also great, followed by, you guessed it, another powerful ejector hill! The "corked roll" thing they have going on is pretty wacky too, the resultant force vector through the eye of that thing is zero for a good two seconds. Finally, the double up and double down kick you with varying intensities of ejector followed by a weird slow but shaky helix. Finally, the track does this unnecessary but awesome steep banking thing before pulling into the brakes.
Personally, I did like Outlaw better just because it felt faster and the airtime was more powerful but I'm quickly turning into a massive RMC fanboy. Having ridden this, I'm expecting Wicked Cyclone to be even better but not as good as Outlaw.
Final consensus: Top coaster in a place you wouldn't expect to find one. But man is it amazing! Don't skip this coaster, it rocks! But make sure to ride in the front.
Driving up to the park on Crittenden Drive it looks great, I love the harsh mechanical look of this machine and how menacing the girders make it look as it towers and twists over the city street. The area around it in the park is really bare and concrete and the station is hideous, but the actual ride itself is all that matters, and boy does it matter! The top of the lift provides a gorgeous view of Louisville's skyline before weirdly twisting and dropping with some really strange floater. The ejector over that first hill shamelessly rips you right out of your seat and doesn't put you down until it pulls out. Once again, some strange floater through the first overbank before the two very powerful airtime hills rip you right out of your seat, you go through a turn, and yet another violent hill. The next overbank is also great, followed by, you guessed it, another powerful ejector hill! The "corked roll" thing they have going on is pretty wacky too, the resultant force vector through the eye of that thing is zero for a good two seconds. Finally, the double up and double down kick you with varying intensities of ejector followed by a weird slow but shaky helix. Finally, the track does this unnecessary but awesome steep banking thing before pulling into the brakes.
Personally, I did like Outlaw better just because it felt faster and the airtime was more powerful but I'm quickly turning into a massive RMC fanboy. Having ridden this, I'm expecting Wicked Cyclone to be even better but not as good as Outlaw.
Final consensus: Top coaster in a place you wouldn't expect to find one. But man is it amazing! Don't skip this coaster, it rocks! But make sure to ride in the front.
Just returned from the first leg of the CF Live, which included the generous ERT of Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom (thank you to all of their team for making this possible!)
[facebookpost]https://www.facebook.com/CoasterForce/photos/a.57182843638.69352.48452768638/10153582021003639/?type=3[/facebookpost]
[facebookpost]https://www.facebook.com/CoasterForce/videos/10153582008033639/?autoplay_reason=gatekeeper&video_container_type=4&video_creator_product_type=0&app_id=350685531728[/facebookpost]
So for impressions:
We really got the opportunity to ride this coaster from all angles: front, middle, back, left, right, etc. What impressed me the most was the strong ride it gave at any point in the train. While the difference between front and back was the same early ejector vs. tug ejector airtime you find on most roller coasters, the amount of airtime feels almost identical across the entire train. Quite impressive!
Turns and overbanked stengels also gave some good floating airtime. Not a lot of positive g-force, but a good deal of floater to make the transition smooth. The corkscrew also features a nice pop of floater airtime.
As for pacing, I know others expressed concern over the train slowing down in the final series of airtime hills. Let me promise you airtime is still delivered at a good clip. The final overbank turn is taken a bit slow, but is reminiscent of Iron Rattler's overbank turn section; I quite enjoyed the hangtime there.
My only critique, which Hixee and I both discussed, is the the off-axis airtime hill heading into the turn around. It is a fun airtime element, but does put you into the side of the train. Had a straight airtime hill gone in instead, it would minimize some of that jostle. But hey, one minor transition on an otherwise perfectly paced roller coaster? I'll take that anyday.
At this point I have ridden Outlaw Run, NTG, and Iron Rattler. I put this above NTG and Iron Rattler, and commend RMC for getting even better on working with these Dinn Corp. conversions (admittedly, they had a bit more supports to work with between Stella and Lola than the other SF coasters). Outlaw Run is still the definitive best - but Storm Chaser gets a hell of a lot done with a 100 ft. drop.
[facebookpost]https://www.facebook.com/CoasterForce/photos/a.57182843638.69352.48452768638/10153582021003639/?type=3[/facebookpost]
[facebookpost]https://www.facebook.com/CoasterForce/videos/10153582008033639/?autoplay_reason=gatekeeper&video_container_type=4&video_creator_product_type=0&app_id=350685531728[/facebookpost]
So for impressions:
We really got the opportunity to ride this coaster from all angles: front, middle, back, left, right, etc. What impressed me the most was the strong ride it gave at any point in the train. While the difference between front and back was the same early ejector vs. tug ejector airtime you find on most roller coasters, the amount of airtime feels almost identical across the entire train. Quite impressive!
Turns and overbanked stengels also gave some good floating airtime. Not a lot of positive g-force, but a good deal of floater to make the transition smooth. The corkscrew also features a nice pop of floater airtime.
As for pacing, I know others expressed concern over the train slowing down in the final series of airtime hills. Let me promise you airtime is still delivered at a good clip. The final overbank turn is taken a bit slow, but is reminiscent of Iron Rattler's overbank turn section; I quite enjoyed the hangtime there.
My only critique, which Hixee and I both discussed, is the the off-axis airtime hill heading into the turn around. It is a fun airtime element, but does put you into the side of the train. Had a straight airtime hill gone in instead, it would minimize some of that jostle. But hey, one minor transition on an otherwise perfectly paced roller coaster? I'll take that anyday.
At this point I have ridden Outlaw Run, NTG, and Iron Rattler. I put this above NTG and Iron Rattler, and commend RMC for getting even better on working with these Dinn Corp. conversions (admittedly, they had a bit more supports to work with between Stella and Lola than the other SF coasters). Outlaw Run is still the definitive best - but Storm Chaser gets a hell of a lot done with a 100 ft. drop.