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Six Flags Great America | Maxx Force | S&S Air Launch

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
The catch car actually runs inside that channel, with a little 'pin' that pokes through the slot connecting the train and catch car.

I struggled to find an image online (although admittedly didn't try very hard), but hopefully that makes sense?
But how does compressed.air work to propel the ride? Does the channel get highly pressurised on one side?
 

Hixee

Flojector
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But how does compressed.air work to propel the ride? Does the channel get highly pressurised on one side?
I believe not, I think they actually have a cylinder running underneath the track (or in some enclosure somewhere) with the piston in, and the cable then connects that cylinder to the catch car in the trough. Similar to how their towers have the cylinders inside the tower, and use a cable looped over some pulleys to move the carriage.

SS_ComboTower_Paul4_w.jpg
 

roomraider

Best Topic Starter
Isnt the system pretty similar to a Hydaulic launch coaster just the compressed air is used to drive the motors rather than hydraulic fluid?
Those motors power a winch drum which is connected to the sled inside the track pulling the car forwards?
Thats how I always imagined it anyway.

Think of this but with air not fluid.
http://coasterforce.com/hydraulic-launch/
 

Hixee

Flojector
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Isnt the system pretty similar to a Hydaulic launch coaster just the compressed air is used to drive the motors rather than hydraulic fluid?
Those motors power a winch drum which is connected to the sled inside the track pulling the car forwards?
Thats how I always imagined it anyway.
Yeah, I think so. It's just that the air cylinders are much bigger. I have to admit, I'd always assumed they just wired directly into the cylinders (for both the coasters and the towers), but now I think about it that just sounds like a nightmare of sealing. I think you're absolutely right.

Think of this but with air not fluid.
Air is a fluid. It's not a liquid, though. [/pedant] ;)
 

Hutch

Strata Poster
Hmmm. That doesn't look as impressive as I initially thought during the reveal. It feels lacking.

I sound like a hypocrite because I love Dragster/Storm Runner/Stealth but those are meant to be one trick ponies and they perform it very well (well Storm Runner's a bit longer but still a short ride).

Yeah I don't know. My first impressions were "best looking ride of 2019" but no way I'm thinking that now. Who knows, it could end up being a great ride.

I like the headchopper at the beginning though.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
I, personally, think this looks really ****? The launch will be fun and that quick inversion might be good fun, but the rest of it just seems a bit ****? I also hate the final inversion into the brakes, I think a continuous roll into the dive loop downwards would've worked much better for the flow as opposed to it changing the roll direction halfway through - it feels like they were trying too hard to make this unique?
 

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
I, personally, think this looks really :emoji_poop:? The launch will be fun and that quick inversion might be good fun, but the rest of it just seems a bit :emoji_poop:? I also hate the final inversion into the brakes, I think a continuous roll into the dive loop downwards would've worked much better for the flow as opposed to it changing the roll direction halfway through - it feels like they were trying too hard to make this unique?
I think it will still be intense though, even though it is short.
 

JoshC.

Strata Poster
I think it will still be intense though, even though it is short.

A ride can be intense and still turd tbf

The launch looks fun but I can't help but wonder if the mini airtime hill thing will make it feel quite jerky. The whole layout looks too try-hard weird to me.

The claim of it being North America's fastest launch coaster irrationally bugs me too. Like I know what it's trying to say, but it's not saying it right.
 

Snoo

The Legend
A ride can be intense and still turd tbf

The launch looks fun but I can't help but wonder if the mini airtime hill thing will make it feel quite jerky. The whole layout looks too try-hard weird to me.

The claim of it being North America's fastest launch coaster irrationally bugs me too. Like I know what it's trying to say, but it's not saying it right.

Saying it best right here. I do love TTD almost to a fault so I think I may like it more then most but it definitely won't be a world beater.
 

MakoMania

Mega Poster
A ride can be intense and still turd tbf

The launch looks fun but I can't help but wonder if the mini airtime hill thing will make it feel quite jerky. The whole layout looks too try-hard weird to me.

The claim of it being North America's fastest launch coaster irrationally bugs me too. Like I know what it's trying to say, but it's not saying it right.
Should be "North America's fastest accelerating coaster".
 

Hutch

Strata Poster
I also hate the final inversion into the brakes, I think a continuous roll into the dive loop downwards would've worked much better for the flow as opposed to it changing the roll direction halfway through - it feels like they were trying too hard to make this unique?
It's almost like that inversion found in early renderings of the T-Rex:

GYnGKRE.jpg


The change in rotation is not unlike an RMC stall and a lot of us are fans of those. Under different circumstances I bet this new inversion would flow well, but I think it's dive loop into the brakes that hinders it.
 
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