On Flight Deck, the ride ops are always saying that it is "the only suspended coaster at Kings Island."

Then riddle me this: what about Invertigo and Flying Ace Aerial Chase? Aren't the trains suspended to the track on those rides as well?

I know that these trains don't swing like FD, but they are suspended somewhat.

"Suspended coaster" is the model. It's an Arrow suspended coaster. And "suspended coaster" is usually differentiated by the fact that it hangs beneath the track and can freely sway. Rides like Invertigo and Flying Ace are called "Inverted coasters" in the community because they hang beneath the inverted (upside-down from normal).

Oh, I see your point.

So you can say that Firehawk is, in essence, a inverted coaster?

I think Firehawk is considered "flying" as opposed to "inverted" or "suspended".

Wow, I'm really out of the loop.

Wow, I'm really out of the loop.

Speaking of which, another difference between suspended coasters and inverted coasters is that suspended coasters cannot have loops (due to the swinging design), while inverted coasters can do loops.

Not that I 100% (maybe like 85%) agree, but Vekoma http://www.vekoma.com/ actually does consider them suspended.

Vekoma's got a unique way of naming their rides--they name all their coasters where the track is above the riders "suspended." I've read around the Interwebs something to the effect that B&M owns the rights to proper "inverted" coasters, thus causing Vekoma's Suspended Looping Coaster trains to be designed as suspended coasters that are very highly damped, but I seriously doubt that's the case.

It's just sort of "industry standard" terms... Inverted, flying, suspended... No different than "Megacoaster" or "hypercoaster." They're used interchangeably by some, have strict definitions with others. Humans sure love to classify things!

I always thought Vekoma made "Lay-down coasters" While B&M made "Flying Coaters" Based on the RCT2 naming XD Makes sense though, since you ARE laying down when you exit the station for Firehawk... and you are in a flying position when you exit the station for rides like Tatsu.

So what is the difference between a "mega" and a "giga" coaster? oh, and a "hyper"

Generally mega coaster refers to any steel coaster that mimics a wooden coaster, tall lift, and lots of air time hills following that. A hyper coaster refers to a ride that has a lift height of at least 200 feet. Sometimes hyper coasters can be referred to as mega coasters (B&M calls their hyper coasters mega coasters, for instance.) A giga coaster is a roller coaster that breaks the 300 coaster.

And strata coasters are 400 feet or more like TTD or Kingda Ka

Speaking of which, another difference between suspended coasters and inverted coasters is that suspended coasters cannot have loops (due to the swinging design), while inverted coasters can do loops.

There was a suspended looping coaster was tried, and I assume, failed.

There is a video taken many years ago of an Arrow "test" suspended coaster that did loop and corkscrew.

Figures that I cannot find/ or remember where I saw the video.

Wow, I'm really out of the loop.

Your Son of Beast?

Couldn't resist.

There was a suspended looping coaster was tried, and I assume, failed.

Yeah, I always wondered if a looping suspended coaster was possible. I mean, I'm sure it is if you get enough force to keep the cars from swinging in the loop, but are those forces too much for the riders? I guess they must have been.

They must have deleted the Arrow video, because it definitely was on my favorites list on YouTube.

 

EDIT: Found it!

Wow, I'm really out of the loop.

Your Son of Beast?

Couldn't resist.

You picked up on the pun! Thanks.

They must have deleted the Arrow video, because it definitely was on my favorites list on YouTube.

Nice find!

That could very well be the video I remember (or don't remember ).

That barrel roll (or corkscrew, whichever you want to call it) looks intense! Would be fun, if they could do it safely. And the full-size tester was just like The Bat, the track is not banked in the turns, so that must have been an early prototype. The lack of track banking is what caused all the wear and tear on the ride, but I heard the turns were wild because the cars would swing so much. I wish I hadn't been such a chicken as a kid and had gotten on The Bat! LOL

EDIT: Duh me! The video even says it is a prototype. I'm really with it today, lol.

Intamin uses the term Inverted though. I'm sure there's others too.

Vekoma just named it strange. Invertigo and Flying Ace are both inverted as they don't sway.

I was just looking at going to Alton Towers in Staffordshire in August and it looks like they have a suspended with inversions? Am I seeing it wrong, has anyone ever been? Nemesis? Air looks freaky too. Those are some serious coasters.

That is Nemesis, a B&M Inverted coaster. I've never been but make sure u get a ride on Thirteen. That coaster is very different than any other.

http://www.rcdb.com/776.htm

I was invited to this thing to go along to Alton Towers and i blew it off. Then i started looking at the website of these coasters and think I have to go. Why is it so different? Was watching POV online before. THey have one where you laydown as well. CRIPES!

Sorry, didn't mean to derail your thread.

I remember when I first was tall enough to ride Vortex and (at the time) Top Gun... One of the thoughts I had was that I wondered if a suspended swinging coaster could do a loop. And the only thing I thought of as a 7 year old kid, wasn't to just make it really fast so it doesn't swing, but to use the tracks that the cars have after the breaks for underneath the cars. This keeps it from swinging while boarding the train.

I guess I figured if you just had a track like that all the way around, it would ensure that the cars wouldn't topple over, not that you'd rely on the track completely.

Thirteen is different because it contains a part of the ride where the track actually free fall drops along with the train. The first coaster like this in the US will be Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Intamin uses the term Inverted though. I'm sure there's others too.

Vekoma just named it strange. Invertigo and Flying Ace are both inverted as they don't sway.

Vekoma's a bit of an oddity. I don't know this for a fact, and it sounds a little out there, but I've read that their invert trains are actually suspended--they've just got very, very strong dampers that keep them from swaying. The reason cited for this is an alleged patent by B&M on true, rigid invert trains, so that's how Vekoma supposedly got around it. I don't know how much I believe of that, but it does explain the very shock-absorber-y looking pieces on Vekoma SLC trains. (They're the black cylinders between each pair of seats in this picture. There's a joint allowing rotation where they connect to the chassis, so I don't really know what to make of the claim.)

The Bat was designed with a corkscrew in mind at one time. The corkscrew did not make to Kings Island.

Thirteen is different because it contains a part of the ride where the track actually free fall drops along with the train. The first coaster like this in the US will be Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Is that what happens in the dark tunnel where everyone screams their heads off? How do you all know so much about coasters!? I'm super-impressed. Lots of travelling?

I do go on lots of trips to park but just following screamscape helps. They always announce all the new rides and coasters and everything about them. Youll also find alot of information just on forums like these.