Suspended Coasters...will they ever build new ones?

[cfc]

^Vekoma and Grona Lund did it right with Kvasten. Other parks should follow suit.

 

[CpBluestreakCp]

It would be great to see these make a comeback. Iron Dragon was one of my first "bigger" coasters after first riding kiddie coasters when I was younger. They are a really great step from kiddie to the bigger more intense rides. I just really wish I made it to Busch Gardens before BBW was retired.

 

^And that looks like a great fun ride, hopefully we'll be seeing more of those pop up.

[MrSum1_55]

Yes. There are more being built, and it is very likely there will be more. However, they will not be built on the large and intense scale they used to be, as this type of coaster cannot invert, or go through large airtime hills. Therefore, family ride is the status it has been reduced to. So, I doubt anything like Eagle's Fortress will ever be built. But, I do think that plenty of small to medium sized ones will be built.

[ajfelice]

I believe in a theory that many of these attractions that were built in the amusement park boom of the 1970s until 1990 or so will soon reach the end of their service lives. Things that come to mind include medium-sized flat rides, basic sit-down loopers from arrow and vekoma, and other mid-sized coasters built when many of the larger parks of today were building their foundations. As many flats and coasters start to age, parks can't necessarily only replace them with mega-sized coasters or giant flats. With all that said, I believe there is still a need for suspended coasters. They are unique, not too intense, and they are appealing to families.

[A.J.]

Vekoma totally got it right with the new-generation suspended family coasters. However, you'll never see a ride as low to the terrain as Eagle Fortress as long as guests' legs and arms are free like that. Arrow's suspended cars, much like their corkscrew cars, look to be really tight - Schwarzkopf looper cars are like this as well - so that arms and legs can't stick out very far.

 

That small reach envelope lets you design track layouts that have very close calls (Look at how close the tracks are in this vertical loop.) with surrounding track and terrain. Imagine what a coaster would be like if you had just a foot of space between the side of the train and the ground! Using a fixed train with proper banking would do the trick and eliminate the lateral Gs that come from improperly-banked track and reliance on swinging.

 

The model I made was done using Autodesk Inventor. I never got farther than the actual car (no chassis, no track, etc).

[Hilltopper39]

^I would argue that even with the swinging and floorlessopen ride vehicle you could still design a ride with "close calls", look how close B&M is able incorporate different set pieces in some of their Wing Riders. You have to remember that the Arrow suspended ride system was designed in the mid 80s/ early 90s, design technology has come a long long ways since then.

[Jew]

^Absolutely. You could still easily have the optical illusion of a close call without ever actually being in danger.

[ThanksforRiding]

Unfortunately Arrow went out of business a bunch of years ago so there won't be any more. It's a shame because they were, and still are, some of the best rides ever made.