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Interview w/ Walter Bolliger reveals Launched B&Ms Possible


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It's been a topic that many have debated about for quite a while. Launched B&M coasters. In a recent interview with Walter Bolliger it was that launched B&Ms are a possibility for the future, if a park requests one. While the entire article is a great read, this particular section is contains the talk of launched projects!

 

Source from NewsParcs

 

Concerning future developments, Bolliger & Mabillard will not refuse to embark on the project of a launch coaster, a technology proposed by all its competitors and for which he made a hybrid creation (Incredible Hulk) for Universal's Islands of Adventure back in 1999. "If a customer comes to us to design a launch coaster, we will respond to him favorably. The technology is easily adaptable to our products and tracks as the LSM motors can be easily found on the market, and they are very efficient!" states Walter Bolliger.

 

I personally am extremely excited by this news would love to see a style of launched coaster with the layout size of Daemonen targeted towards smaller regional parks who wish to step up their game with a reliable addition.

 

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Edited by SoCalCoasters
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Is a surprise to me since, supposedly, they abhor launched coasters and didn't even design the one on the Hulk...but this has always been from the internet.

I tend to take the word of enthusiasts but as someone above said, could be urban legend.

 

Well good stuff! B&M is great but a little traditional...would love for them to get into the launched coaster game.

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With Hulk, I had heard (and this is again, unconfirmed) that it wasn't that B&M refused to do the launch, they just weren't in a position to deliver a launch system in the time frame Universal was looking for. As that article points out, B&M engineers the crap out of everything they do. They won't do something they aren't comfortable with, and if they didn't have enough time to the launch in a way they were comfortable with, then they weren't going to do it. I think if they downright refused to do a launch, they would have never even made the ride that exists today.

 

Don't forget, enthusiasts have said since Millennium Force opened that B&M refused to ever build a Giga, look how that worked out. They just don't rush into anything like other companies have done; and because of that, we see far less downtime on B&M rides.

 

The tech behind the newer LSMs that we've see crop on rides like Maverick, Superman at SFDK and others is pretty amazing. THey take barely any power compared to LIMs and the old LSMs and they have the ability to launch something pretty damn fast. It would be awesome to see B&M use it now. I think a launched Wing Rider would be pretty bad ass.

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When I asked RCM about this on a Q&A they had of their Facebook they said if a park wanted them to put a launch on a wooden coaster they wouldn't hesitate. Also in response to another question I asked they said they would also design a fully steel coaster rather than woodies/hybrids. I'd love to see B&M make some launched coasters!

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It would be a beautiful thing, and B&M restraints are so much better than those Intamin ones.

 

Well, I agree that we disagree! Riding some of the older B&Ms in the Orlando area those start to give you "hot ears" from the shake combined with the OTSRs.

 

A launched B&M would be a good addition to their portfolio but would nevertheless prefer Intamin or Mack launchers - the restraints are better, the ride smoother and more forceful.

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This is actually very interesting. It's neat to see B&M really expanding. They had Levaithan going for them last season, now we could be seeing a bunch of launched B&Ms. In the quote, Mr. Bollinger said the LSMs were very efficient, but I always though that not to be the case. A flywheel and small motor would seem like the most efficient (in terms of energy usage) of any kind of launch system. The only reason I'm concerned is because using a lot of energy to launch a coaster would make is seem like a ride the park would more readily shut down for any number of reasons, since it costs a good amount to operate.

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The only reason I'm concerned is because using a lot of energy to launch a coaster would make is seem like a ride the park would more readily shut down for any number of reasons, since it costs a good amount to operate.

Parks still operate Impulse coasters, and those use more energy than any type of coaster in existence, probably twice as much as LSM coasters.

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Very nice and interesting read and I hope it's a possibility for the following years, I just wonder what'll be the next park to request a launched coaster from B&M, I have my bet on one of the parks in a big chain (i.e. Six Flags, Cedar Fair) to get the first launched coaster with the launch being completely made from B&M (Hulk's launch isn't B&M correct?).

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It's interesting how B&M was always going for a new spin on just the traditional coasters, and now are realizing how launched coasters are becoming traditional. Maybe we could see a launched B&M at Kings Island in place of SOB.

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It's hard to get excited about anything B&M does anymore...just seems like they are 5 years behind everyone else.

"Pioneers get slaughtered and settlers prosper."

 

Not exactly the best ideology to impress fanboys but does make B&M one of the most popular coaster manufacturers out there.

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It would be a beautiful thing, and B&M restraints are so much better than those Intamin ones.

 

Well, I agree that we disagree! Riding some of the older B&Ms in the Orlando area those start to give you "hot ears" from the shake combined with the OTSRs.

 

A launched B&M would be a good addition to their portfolio but would nevertheless prefer Intamin or Mack launchers - the restraints are better, the ride smoother and more forceful.

 

Ah but as you say, older! I've never been on a B&M that rattled my head!

Even Batman the Ride is still pretty smooth.

Just the standing ones suck, but hurts the babymakers, not the noggin.

 

While the Intamin ones are too flat...maybe I'm not describing it right but when I do get some thrashing it ends up chopping into my neck, bashing my shoulders! You are right about Intamin being more forceful though.

 

I hear ya Wes, and their new innovation, the wing coaster just seems gimmcky to me. Havn't gotten much opinion but up to now I've heard it doesn't feel much more forceful/different than normal rides. As it's been said, they take supreme time and care for every coaster and new idea, and I love that but they are a bit slower as a result. I'm fine with it, but they are a bit traditional. Have they lost their cutting edge to Intamin?

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I can't wait for the first B&M launcher, but I do have a feeling it will still be a few more seasons before we see one.

After all, it's probably going to cost a big pile of dough to get one.

The Incredible Hulk at IOA? I am missing something? Do we just not consider that a launched coaster?

 

The only reason I'm concerned is because using a lot of energy to launch a coaster would make is seem like a ride the park would more readily shut down for any number of reasons, since it costs a good amount to operate.

Parks still operate Impulse coasters, and those use more energy than any type of coaster in existence, probably twice as much as LSM coasters.

See, the thing about an impulse coaster is that they have no choice but to use the huge, high energy consuming magnets for a launch because the cable and catch car wouldn't be able to reset in time, let alone operate in two different directions.

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The Incredible Hulk at IOA? I am missing something? Do we just not consider that a launched coaster?

 

The launch on Incredible Hulk was not done by B&M. I wonder how many times people are going to have to say that in this thread for people to understand it.

Yes, that is true; I didn't overlook that, though. It is still a launched, B&M coaster. It couldn't be a launch and a coaster, they can't be separate entities because saying the coaster isn't launched (because the launch system is made by another person) would mean that it has to have a chain lift.

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Was it ever even confirmed that they wouldn't do the Hulk launch? Or was that just urban legend enthusiasts kept passing around?

 

I've always heard this to be rumor, so I decided to do a cursory internet search and see if there was any published article that actually confirmed it.

 

The only articles that confirm this idea are enthusiast sites... A search of nexis.com comes up with nothing.

 

Here's my theory about this. During the construction and opening of IOA, Universal produced a number of specials shown on USA and the Discovery networks. These specials consistently highlighted the testing and fails of "this new launched system" by Universal Creative Engineers. Since the Universal designers appeared throughout the entire show, enthusiasts inferred it to mean that B&M had nothing to do with the launch and it was designed in house. These same enthusiasts also likely didn't take into account that it makes more sense to have an American designer go on camera than someone like Walter Bolliger due to the language/pronunciation issues (have you seen his interviews?).

 

Even if a separate team worked on aspects of the launch, I'd venture to say it was highly collaborative effort.

And that's how the rumor started? maybe.

 

Edit: This is a clip of an hour long special that discussed all of the rides at IOA

The two people in this 2 minute clip are seen throughout the hour long special..

Edited by Chroniq
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Agreed, it doesn't make any difference whether or not B&M built the launch system on Hulk. The ride was designed as a launch coaster; if it didn't launch, it wouldn't make it through the course. Ride companies use other firms for components or entire systems of their rides all the time, after all.

 

EXCLUSIVE, BREAKING NEWS: Hulk is a B&M launched coaster!

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The launch system on the Hulk was very much designed by B&M, they just outsourced the manufacturing of it to another company.

There is no way for Universal to have B&M build the Hulk, and then another company do the launch. That's just not going to work with the ride's computer system and programming, everything on the ride has to be designed by B&M, and built to those specifications.

 

It is very common for coaster manufacturers to outsource some of it's manufacturing.

For another example Intamin does not make their own trains, they just designed them, and have them built by another company.

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