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We need to settle on a term for back-and-forth launches

Pokemaniac

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
I think you're all with me here. It started innocently enough with Intamin's impulse coasters back around the turn of the millennium: They launched a train forwards with some speed, let it coast up a tall spike, stall and roll back, launched it backwards through the station as it did so, up another rear spike, and had another launch as it rolled forwards again. But those coasters didn't consist of anything more than that launch track and the two spikes, there wasn't a need to name the individual parts of the coaster. It was all called an Impulse Coaster (or Inverted Impulse Coaster, but seeing as there weren't any non-inverted Impulse Coasters, there was no need to make the distinction), and the launch type sat there mostly forgotten for many years.

But then back-and-forth launches started to appear on other coasters too: The Sky Rocket II clones, for instance. Then Full Throttle (Sky Rocket III). Soaring with Dragon. Capitol Bullet Train. Pulsar. Those new coasters for Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Parc Asterix. That Sit-down-and-invert duelling thing at that Wanda park. And probably others I have forgotten. Point is, this coaster element has started to feature on a lot of coasters, and as it saves so much space and launch hardware compared to a regular zero-to-top-speed-in-one-go launch, I don't think it will go away any time soon either.

But even as there are many instances of this type of launch, I believe there are even more names for it. And we don't seem to be anywhere close to a consensus on what term to use. Here are a few names I've picked up that all describe the same thing:
  • Back-and-forth launch
  • Forwards-backwards-forwards launch
  • Volley launch
  • Swing launch
  • Bi-directional launch
  • Multi launch
  • Triple launch
  • Shuttle launch
  • Spike launch
  • Sky Rocket launch
  • Rocking launch
I believe there are others too, and they're all referring to the same thing, more or less. We need to settle on the nomenclature soon, as these launches become more and more common. I don't want to update the CF Glossary with a dozen new entries all referring to the same element.

What name do you prefer to use, and why? Let's settle this.
 
Niles

Niles

Giga Poster
Umm interesting

“Alternating launch” would make sense to me.

Or

“There they go.....oh there coming back, launch” rolls of the tounge that one.
 
JoshC.

JoshC.

Strata Poster
I like Swing Launch.

But do we need a distinction between the different types? There's rides like Pulsar which are basically a swing launch coasters. There's then rides like Star Trek and Soaring with Dragon which are standing swing launches. And the BGW and Asterix ones are rolling swing launches. I think that works nicely.

Whilst we're on the topic though, is there a consensus for the name of the Gerstlauers which has a shuttle-like ending (eh Fury, Mystic)? I feel like their elements should have related names, since it's a similar experience. A 'swing *name of element* perhaps?
 
Hixee

Hixee

Flojector
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
Swing lunch. Rolling or stationary.

Nice, I like that.

Swing brake? Sounds good. Hopefully always stationary, though...
 
CanobieFan

CanobieFan

Strata Poster
So what does Full Throttle do? I'm all for Swing or Volley launch.. but Full Throttle's second launch doesn't truly fit the definition we're trying to... uh.. define here.
You go from fully stopped.. to a backwards launch and then again to a forward launch. Not a Forwards-backwards-forwards launch, Spike launch or a Triple Launch. Is it a swing or a volley if it doesn't go back a second time?
 
Dar

Dar

Hyper Poster
I thought we were going to end up down the "pointless", "waste of time" route but everyone seems to be on board with them!

I think "swing launches" works, and it works for full throttle because you're still moving back and forth.
 
Antinos

Antinos

Slut for Spinners
I tried to clarify this a few months ago and was essentially told to pound sand.

A few manufacturers refer to this maneuver as a triple launch...not to be confused with a ride like Cheetah Hunt, which is simply a launched coaster containing three separate launch sections...which everybody did, resulting in telling me to pound sand.

Since then, I've referred to them as swing launches. It does a better job at describing the maneuver and can't get confused with a launched coaster containing three separate launch sections. So yeah. Swing launch. You heard it here first!
 
CrashCoaster

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
You missed Halfpipe launch off the list. That's what Mack calls them.

I'd like to call them bi-directional launch, keeping it formal.
 
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