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

Lori Marie Loud

Giga Poster
Ah, the amazing Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. I heard it became the biggest park in the world around the turn of the millennium. Given how well the theme park industry has fared since then, the park surely must be worth a visit today.
Lolololololololollolololololologeaugalakeololololololol
 

GuyWithAStick

Captain Basic
Since it's really the only amusement park that serves the entirety of Chicagoland and the surrounding region, it's chronically packed beyond all belief. I've been thrice and it has been packed every time, including weekdays. The operations are dire and the staff are clueless and, in some cases, rude. It's a shame since they've been finally getting some solid investments recently.

I can't deny some of these points, but I do think you can get a better day. If at all possible, try to go on a weekday in May, late August, or late September. And sorry about the rude staff. Hopefully next time is a better experience for you!

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk
 

DelPiero

Strata Poster
What's with all the not wanting to go back to SFGAm, out of interest? If I was given the opportunity to board a plane to visit any Six Flags park, I'd take it in a heartbeat!
See, going to any park to get creds should be easy enough right, especially if you have 2 days to do it. Not so with my experience, took me 3 days to get them all, and whilst Viper, Goliath and Batman were good fun (not to mention the fab Terror Twister 2), the rest of the creds are quite crap.
The food was pretty awful, operations on most things were slow and ponderous, it's mainly just concrete everywhere and the volume of people was just insane.
I went back with @Howie and the crowds weren't as bad but it just wasn't a good place to be.

Ah right. Thanks @Antinos and everyone else! Out of interest, for those who have been to both, are Six Flags parks anything like Thorpe Park?
SF are very much like Thorpe, plenty of middle tier creds and crowded, with loads of Fast Lane passes being used but unlike Thorpe they generally have a world class attraction(alas SFstl does not), and the Justice League rides are great. I didn't have an awful time with the clientele at SF parks generally, Hershey was worse for that for some reason. Thorpe has slightly better food imo, I haven't had any good food at a SF park as yet.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
See, going to any park to get creds should be easy enough right, especially if you have 2 days to do it. Not so with my experience, took me 3 days to get them all, and whilst Viper, Goliath and Batman were good fun (not to mention the fab Terror Twister 2), the rest of the creds are quite crap.
The food was pretty awful, operations on most things were slow and ponderous, it's mainly just concrete everywhere and the volume of people was just insane.
I went back with @Howie and the crowds weren't as bad but it just wasn't a good place to be.


SF are very much like Thorpe, plenty of middle tier creds and crowded, with loads of Fast Lane passes being used but unlike Thorpe they generally have a world class attraction(alas SFstl does not), and the Justice League rides are great. I didn't have an awful time with the clientele at SF parks generally, Hershey was worse for that for some reason. Thorpe has slightly better food imo, I haven't had any good food at a SF park as yet.
Ah right. Thanks @DelPiero!
 

Antinos

Slut for Spinners
Looks like much of the hardware has been fabricated and is getting ready to ship out:



It's interesting that they already appear to have both trains (yellow and blue) complete when they're likely still pushing dirt around on site.


EDIT: Actually, it looks like the trains are the same trains that were shipped to Sun Tsu Cultural Park, according to some RCDB photos...That's definitely part of the launch track for Maxx Force though.

EDIT 2: Ok, these aren't the trains that went to Sun Tsu Cultural Park - there are some subtle differences...nerf bars are different colors and the fascias on the Sun Tsu coaster show a tutone paint scheme whereas this photo shows a solid color scheme. Either Six Flags jazzed up their rendering to showcase an inaccurate train, one of the China launchers is receiving new trains, these belong to Steel Curtain, or there's another S&S launcher that we don't know about yet.
 
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CrashCoaster

CF Legend
Looks like much of the hardware has been fabricated and is getting ready to ship out:



It's interesting that they already appear to have both trains (yellow and blue) complete when they're likely still pushing dirt around on site.


EDIT: Actually, it looks like the trains are the same trains that were shipped to Sun Tsu Cultural Park, according to some RCDB photos...That's definitely part of the launch track for Maxx Force though.

EDIT 2: Ok, these aren't the trains that went to Sun Tsu Cultural Park - there are some subtle differences...nerf bars are different colors and the fascias on the Sun Tsu coaster show a tutone paint scheme whereas this photo shows a solid color scheme. Either Six Flags jazzed up their rendering to showcase an inaccurate train, one of the China launchers is receiving new trains, these belong to Steel Curtain, or there's another S&S launcher that we don't know about yet.
Could the trains not be for the air launch coaster going to Window of the World?
 

Antinos

Slut for Spinners
The renders show a 2 person wide train, not 4.
My guy, that's why I edited the post twice. You should read the whole thing before trying to correct me.

Also renderings aren't always accurate and late changes do happen. On the other side of this park, Goliath is a great example of this
 

Crazycoaster

Giga Poster
My guy, that's why I edited the post twice. You should read the whole thing before trying to correct me.

Also renderings aren't always accurate and late changes do happen. On the other side of this park, Goliath is a great example of this
Firstly, I wasn't correcting you. If I was correcting you, I would have quoted your post. I just added to the conversation, since it was something that you didn't look at. And yes, I am aware that renderings arn't always 100% accurate, but you can clearly see that MAXX Force has specifically designed trains for it. There is no reason they would render a 2 person wide train when S&S already provide a 4 wide train. It's not like the wider trains are suddenly new technology available, S&S have had them for a number of years.
 

GuyWithAStick

Captain Basic
I can confirm that those trains are not for Maxx Force, but I don't know exactly where they're going.

Meanwhile, some ground work is going on, including Whizzer getting some of the track removed:
FB_IMG_1540668472808.jpg

Pic from Discord
 

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
Here is a construction update by Amusement Insiders (forgive me) that shows a close up view/nerd shots of the track and air canisters, and also a general overview of the site with many poured footings as GWAS said:-
I always wondered what was inside the launch track. How does that actually work, it just looks like a big empty space under where the catch car rolls.

EDIT:- Here are some closer-up taken from Wonder World. If anyone knows the original source of the photos then please say:-
46857558_1972251726191281_3813467007890751488_o.jpg

ob_32c6ef_44729073-555052004900243-6061459627460.jpg

ob_9ab5ce_44547772-325910554866695-1332503857164.jpg

ob_75a991_46319708-938790482911519-4727872987015.jpg

46811593_1972251779524609_417167660904611840_o.jpg

46826199_1972251812857939_513441423018688512_n.jpg
 
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Snoo

The Legend
Also.. given what we have seen from Steel Curtain, the trains are most likely the exact same. Soo.. good! <3
 

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
Nah, I think they will use a similar design to Ring Racer. Steel Curtain is a completely new type of coaster, so it required new custom designed trains. Anyway, they already showcased the trains in the animation.
 

Snoo

The Legend
Nah, I think they will use a similar design to Ring Racer. Steel Curtain is a completely new type of coaster, so it required new custom designed trains. Anyway, they already showcased the trains in the animation.

It's nice that you'd think that but the fact that they're making another giant coaster with brand spanking new trains with enormous similarities besides the launch.. creating or reusing old trains simply because of that is.. I dunno.. the word.. it's in my head..

that-is-stupid.gif


Also.. the animation is not final word. Ever. Just anywhere. Ever. So let's take that grain of salt and throw it out the window until we have proof. Best proof? The same ride designer with new trains a couple of hundred miles up the road on a similar design.
 

Bathtub Gin

Roller Poster
Good to see this stuff finally showing up on site. I suspect the train design won't be too far off from what was shown in the animation.
 

Hixee

Flojector
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
I always wondered what was inside the launch track. How does that actually work, it just looks like a big empty space under where the catch car rolls.
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?
 
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