41 replies to this topic

[Westside7th]

Construction has begun on a new rocket coaster. The

name of the ride is unknown and the layout is still in the planning phases.
I am

using my RR boosters to launch the RR car but I am using the SS track for the

colors. If the ride is long enough, I may use the RR track too! The tower for

the top hat is built and is over 7feet. The problem I have is that the booster is shooting

the car over the top too fast so I am trying to figure out how to slow it down. I

can't make the top hat taller because it is almost ot the ceiling! I could

move it to another room in my house but I don't know if my parents would like

it.

[live4bb21]

you could put the boosters closer together or as you

said move it to anothier room.

P.S. go ahead and move it... its not like the

will move it back because its "fragile." thats why my parents dont touch

my models.

[Westside7th]

Construction Update:

I have made a long

runway leading up to the tower. The first booster is at the start of the runway and the

second is 1/4 the way up the tower. The car barely makes it to the second booster but

it doesn't go so fast over the top hat anymore. I will try to see if putting both

boosters on the runway will work. I am thinking about naming the ride Voltage but it

is not official.

Edit: Pics will come hopefully this weekend.

[sixflagsfreak56]

YES! Someone is finally making a rocket coaster

that is not Top Thrill Dragster or Xcelerator!

[Westside7th]

Construction Update:

After messing around

with the boosters for quite some time I have decided to just let the coaster fly over the

top hat. It isn't extremely fast but it is faster than a rocket coaster in real life.

My dad suggested taking out the ceiling tiles and building up but I found out that there

is barely any space between the tiles and the next floor!
Here is a sketch

of the ride so far:



l8-----------------------------------------------------------------8
l
l


l--------

The boosters are the '8's. The car goes through

booster 1 and than races down the runway. Then it start up the tower and once it is

vertical, the car hits booster 2 which accelerates the car up the tower and through a

90degree twist and over the top hat. Then the car goes through another 90degree

twist and drops down to the bottom and flattens out. I have no clue what will come

next so suggestions are welcome.
Should I add a cobra roll or vertical loop? A

second top hat? What should come next?

[live4bb21]

Originally posted by sixflagsfreak56@Sep 8 2003, 11:44

PM
YES! Someone

is finally making a rocket coaster that is not Top Thrill Dragster or Xcelerator!

agreed

[Westside7th]

I have been thinking about the layout and I had an

idea:

Launch
top hat (like one xcellerator, 2 90degree twists)
large vertical loop
large cobra roll
angled loop
overbanked turn
bunny hops to station OR barrel rolls to station.

What do you think about

the layout?

[CoasterCrazy]

Heres a nice layout, u could have the top hat than a

cobra roll over the the launch area then a left or right (depends) banked turn going

around into a flying snake dive into a loop and into the station.

[live4bb21]

i like the layout idea

[Westside7th]

Construction update:

So far, the ride is

following my layout as planned. I have the vertical loop built and it is about 3 feet

high. I still need to work on the supports so it doesn't wobble.

CoasterCrazy, that is a good layout but I don't really car for the flying snake

dive. After watching the POV video of Hershey's new rocket, it looks

painful.
Edit: I will stil have a cobra roll but it will be after the vertical loop.

[live4bb21]

my plans usually deviate... glad to see your still on

course

[Westside7th]

Update: The vertical loop is complete and it is a little

under 3feet. The top hat is about 7.5feet. I don't know if I will be able to fit an

angled loop in because I don't know how much speed will be lost after the cobra

roll.

Bad news, there is not enough speed after the loop to make it through

the cobra roll. After the loop, I will probably just build a large banked turn and then

another turn with some bunny hops back to the station. I wish the k'nex coasters

didn't loose speed so quickly.

OR, as an alternative, I can rig up a

some magnets on the SS chain and and put a magnet on the RR car and have a

magnetic lift (the RR car doesn't have a chain dog). This would be a rocket

coaster with a lift. What do you think?

[GregM]

Here's a couple things you could try too:

#1. Make the vertical loop taller. Maybe the car will climb a 4 ft vertical loop

after a 7.5 foot drop? Maybe the car will have enough energy dropping from a 4ft

loop to complete the cobra roll?

#2. Raise the base of the vertical loop.

I.E., Maybe make the car drop 5ft after the 7.5ft top hat into a 3ft vertical loop which

would be based about 2 ft off the ground. That would give you a 5 ft drop into the

cobra roll.

#3. Probably, before you try anything, add some WD-40 to the

car's wheels. Maybe that will make a differance?

You might even

try a combination of all the above suggestions.

[live4bb21]

gregm has good points... definately use WD-40 first

though.

[wakey1512]

Originally posted by Westside7th@Sep 9 2003, 07:35

PM
I have been thinking about

the layout and I had an idea:

Launch
top hat (like one xcellerator, 2

90degree twists)
large vertical loop
large cobra roll
angled

loop
overbanked turn
bunny hops to station OR barrel rolls to

station.

What do you think about the layout?

hmm a cobra roll should be good

or[FONT=Impact] a sea serpent thingy

[Westside7th]

I will try the WD-40 but the car barely makes it through

the loop so I don't think I could make it taller. Also, I am amking a large

overbanked helix after the loop but if the WD-40 helps, I might add a large corkscrew

in or angled loop.
I don't want to shorten the 7.5foot drop because it

wouldn't look very realistic. It would look too much like the Rippin Rocket.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Edit: I don't have WD-40, will Target

Brand glass cleaner work?


Ok, Target Brand glass cleaner does

work. Now, the ride goes WAY TOO FAST over the top hat and the loop and barely

makes it through the first half of the cobra roll. I don't know what I should do. I

could turn the vertical loop into a cobra roll and then have a whole new layout or I

could have a vertical climb up a tower and then ahve a 100 degree drop and then an

inversion or something. What do you guys think I should do because I have no clue

what to do.

[live4bb21]

i cant think of a solution... but im sure someone can

[Westside7th]

I might just go with my original Plan B of having a large

helix after the loop and then maybe a corkscrew or bunny hop and station. The

WD-40 is great but the ride is way too fast.
One the ride is complete, I will have

to find a way to put brakes on the launch track because sometimes the car fails to

reach the second booster and rolls back. That isn't a problem except that the

car will roll back and hit the 1st booster while it spins and that will gouge the spinning

wheels that accelerate the car.
Does anyone have ideas on how I should go

about installing brakes. The brakes must raise up out of the track like the ones on

TTD so the car wont be slowed during the launch.

[sixflagsfreak56]

I made rising brakes before and they kinda worked. So I

guess I can get a picture for you of how it worked. But i can explain and if you

don't get it, then I'll have to get pics. Ok, well you have a rotating

k'nex rod at the bottom, and you have a gap so that a peice can go through the

rod and go up and down. Make a platform and put the brakes on it, and then afther

the train starts going up the hill, turn a crank, switch on a motor, or something, so that

they go up in the on position.

[joshg678]

pic please.