Why roller coaster loops aren't circular
TLDRThe video explores the history and evolution of looping roller coasters. It starts with Hershey Park's Sooperdooperlooper, mistakenly labeled as the first looping coaster on the East Coast, then delves into the early, problematic looping coasters at Coney Island in the late 1800s. These coasters had circular loops causing dangerous G-forces. Improvements came with the advent of tubular steel tracks and clothoid loops, leading to safer, more popular rides. The Sooperdooperlooper is recognized as the first modern looping coaster on the East Coast, showcasing how far design and safety have come.
Takeaways
- 🎢 The Sooperdooperlooper at Hershey Park is claimed to be the first-ever looping roller coaster on the east coast, but this is incorrect.
- 🗽 Coney Island in New York was home to the first two looping coasters in America, predating the Sooperdooperlooper by about 75 years.
- 🛤️ Looping roller coasters originated in Europe as centrifugal railways in 1842, but they were not very popular or successful.
- 🌀 The circular loops of early coasters like the Flip Flap Railway caused extreme G forces, making the ride uncomfortable and potentially harmful.
- 🤔 The human body can only handle up to 6Gs for a brief moment, and the G forces in early looping coasters spiked to as high as 14Gs.
- 🏗️ The Flip Flap Railway was made mostly of wood, which was not ideal due to its flexibility causing the loop to move as the cart went around.
- 🔩 The Loop the Loop, Coney Island's second looping coaster, was made of steel and featured an upside-down teardrop shape to reduce G forces and provide a smoother ride.
- 🚂 Both the Flip Flap and the Loop the Loop had capacity issues, as they could only support a few riders at a time and had long intervals between rides.
- 📉 The economic viability of these early looping coasters was limited, with more spectators than riders, leading to their short operational lifespans.
- 🏰 The Matterhorn at Disney, introduced in 1959, was the first tubular steel coaster, which allowed for lighter-weight and smoother designs.
- 🎢 The Great American Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1976 was the first modern vertical looping coaster, utilizing a 'clothoid loop' to distribute G forces more evenly and support more riders.
- 📈 The use of tubular steel and the clothoid loop design revolutionized looping coasters, making them safer, more comfortable, and capable of supporting higher ridership, leading to their widespread popularity.
Q & A
What is the name of the roller coaster in Hershey Park, Pennsylvania, mentioned in the script?
-The roller coaster mentioned is called the Sooperdooperlooper.
Why does the Sooperdooperlooper claim to be the first-ever looping roller coaster on the east coast according to Hershey's website?
-The script does not provide specific reasons for the claim, but it states that the Hershey company is incorrect in this claim, as there were earlier looping coasters in America.
Where were the first two looping coasters in America located, according to the script?
-The first two looping coasters in America were located in Coney Island, New York.
What were the major problems with the early looping roller coasters, such as the Flip Flap Railway?
-The major problems included the use of circular loops, which caused a spike in G forces, making the ride uncomfortable and potentially harmful to passengers.
Why were the loops of the early looping coasters considered a nightmare from a human experience point of view?
-The loops caused a rapid change in direction, leading to a spike in G forces from 1 to 12 or 14 Gs, which is beyond what the human body can comfortably handle.
What is the maximum G force a human body can handle on a rollercoaster, according to the script?
-The script states that 6Gs is the most a human body can handle on a rollercoaster, and only for about a second.
Why did the wooden structure of the Flip Flap Railway contribute to its problems?
-The wooden structure was stretchy and compressible, causing the circle to move as the cart went around, which added to the instability and stress on the structure.
What was the innovative design feature of the Loop the Loop that helped to avoid the issues faced by the Flip Flap Railway?
-The Loop the Loop was made entirely out of steel, which offered more stability, and the loop was designed in an upside-down teardrop shape to ease the transition into and out of the curvature, reducing G forces.
What was the capacity problem faced by the early looping coasters like the Flip Flap and the Loop the Loop?
-The capacity problem was that these coasters could only support a few riders at a time due to the small size of the loops and the small size of the cars, leading to a low throughput of riders.
How did the introduction of tubular steel change the design and experience of looping roller coasters?
-Tubular steel, being lighter-weight and easier to bend into smooth arcs and curves, allowed for the creation of smoother and more dynamic looping coasters with better distribution of G forces, leading to a more exhilarating and less harmful ride experience.
What is a 'clothoid loop' and how does it improve the roller coaster experience compared to earlier designs?
-A 'clothoid loop' is a loop shape that gets smaller as it reaches the top to even out the G forces and then expands as it comes back down. This design allows for a more even distribution of G forces, providing a smoother and more controlled ride experience.
Outlines
🎢 The Evolution of Looping Roller Coasters
This paragraph delves into the history of looping roller coasters, starting with the Sooperdooperlooper at Hershey Park, Pennsylvania, which was mistakenly considered the first looping coaster on the east coast. The narrative corrects this by highlighting the early looping coasters of Coney Island, New York, which were short-lived due to design flaws. The paragraph explores the physics behind the discomfort and dangers of the high G-forces experienced in these early designs, particularly with the circular loops that caused rapid direction changes and extreme forces on the human body. The discussion includes insights from Randy Geisler, a member of the historical committee for American Coaster Enthusiasts, and Matt Anderson, a physics professor, who explain the limitations of the wooden Flip Flap Railway and the importance of the transition to steel in later coasters for better stability and rider experience.
🌀 The Innovation of Tubular Steel and Clothoid Loops
The second paragraph focuses on the technological advancements that revolutionized looping roller coasters, making them safer and more enjoyable. It discusses the introduction of tubular steel in the Matterhorn at Disney in 1959, which allowed for smoother arcs and curves, and the subsequent development of the clothoid loop in the Great American Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1976. This innovative design reduced G forces and provided a more controlled and thrilling ride experience. The clothoid loop's shape helps to distribute G forces evenly, avoiding the extreme spikes seen in earlier coasters. The paragraph concludes with the Sooperdooperlooper's rightful claim as the first modern looping roller coaster on the east coast, highlighting the progress and popularity of looping coasters in modern amusement parks.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sooperdooperlooper
💡Coney Island
💡Looping roller coasters
💡Centrifugal railways
💡G forces
💡Flip Flap Railway
💡Tubular steel
💡Clothoid loop
💡Great American Revolution
💡Matterhorn
💡Randy Geisler
Highlights
The Sooperdooperlooper in Hershey Park is claimed to be the first-ever looping roller coaster on the east coast, but this is incorrect.
Coney Island in New York was home to the first two looping coasters in America about 75 years before the Sooperdooperlooper.
Looping roller coasters originated in Europe as early as 1842 and were called centrifugal railways.
Early looping coasters were short-lived and considered more of a novelty due to their lack of popularity and success.
The first looping roller coaster in America, Coney Island’s Flip Flap Railway, was built in 1895.
Circular loops in early coasters caused a spike in G forces, making them uncomfortable and potentially dangerous for riders.
The human body can only handle up to 6Gs for a brief moment, beyond which it can cause fainting due to blood being pulled from the head.
George Sidebotham created a looping-coaster-simulation chart to illustrate the wild G-forces experienced in early coasters.
The Flip Flap's wooden construction exacerbated the problem of G forces and the instability of the circular loop.
The Loop the Loop, built to avoid the issues of the Flip Flap, was made of steel and featured an upside-down teardrop shape to reduce G forces.
The Loop the Loop addressed capacity issues by allowing for a smoother ride, but still had limitations due to small loop size.
Neither the Flip Flap nor the Loop the Loop were commercially successful due to their limited capacity and the public's preference for watching over riding.
The Matterhorn, introduced by Disney in 1959, was the first tubular steel coaster, which allowed for lighter-weight and smoother arcs.
The Great American Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1976 was the first modern vertical looping coaster using tubular steel.
The Great American Revolution introduced the clothoid loop, which evenly distributes G forces for a smoother ride experience.
The clothoid loop allowed for a higher capacity of riders and a more exhilarating experience at safer G forces.
The Sooperdooperlooper can be recognized as the first modern looping roller coaster on the east coast, marking a significant evolution in roller coaster design.
Transcripts
Browse More Related Video
Engineer Explains Every Roller Coaster For Every Thrill | A World of Difference | WIRED
How rollercoasters affect your body - Brian D. Avery
Roller coaster loop the loop
"Our World: Potential and Kinetic Energy" by Adventure Academy
High School Physics - Vertical Circular Motion
College Physics 1: Lecture 22 - Apparent Forces, Orbits, and Gravity
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: