Still being presumptuous, in my view.
If that's how my post read, that was not my intent. I do not claim to have any "backstage" information on the project. What I do know has been gleaned from conversations and from reading. There's a lot of information that's been put out there - unfortunately it requires a lot of reading between the lines and processing what's NOT been said. It's tedious and half the time I don't have the patience or even gumption to care. So again, if I came off as presumptuous - not the goal and definitely not a desired effect.
The fact that they said it's going to be a "first of its kind" can be virtually anything. Why insinuate that "first its kind" is 100% related to the trains spinning?
I think this has more to do with the notion that there are very few "first-of-its-kind one-trick ponies" left out there to flaunt. We (the amusement community in general) seem to keep circling back to the notion that this is a launched spinning coaster with inversions. That is certainly something that has never been done before and just as good of a guess as any at this point.
What little has been shared from the park relating to this being first of its kind could mean the first multi-launch coaster with inversions in the U.S., the first Mack vertical lift coaster with multiple launches and inversions, etc.
The first multi-launch coaster with inversions in the US title has been taken by Maverick at Cedar Point and the first with forwards and back launches with inversions in the US was taken by Full Throttle. See what I meant above by the list of tricks is very slim. I also do not think that the park would stoop so low as to taunt a first by a specific manufacturer. No one outside of the amusement community (and even then with as well) is going to care about the manufacturer. The General Public couldn't tell you who built what ride. In fact most would probably be surprised to learn that they are not all from the same company -- and then proceed to not care anymore as they jump back in line for another go. All they care about is 1. Is it fun? 2. Is it safe?
Point being, clearly no one other than the PTB know what the definition of first of its kind means as it relates to this ride. I think its unfair and misguided to continue making making the assumption this claim is exclusively related to the technology within the train(s). If that comes to fruition, so be it.
I think the whole spinning launched concept came about when the PTB were invited by Mack to go check out the factory and then were treated to a private showing of Blue Fire with the spinning seats. While there is an outside chance that all of that is a coincidence - I'm having a very hard time writing it off as so. For one thing, you don't travel halfway around the world to visit a company's plant just on a vacation.
Speaking of speculation, what about the idea of a vertical lift? They're obviously beefing up the support system right out of the station for a very definitive reason. Could a vertical lift be possible to give this coaster the height and/or drop to put it in some "first/tallest/fastest" category of its own? As it stands we haven't seen or heard anything suggesting this coaster will incorporate a significant lift hill or drop. Just throwing it out there for discussion. Seeing Cobras Curse and thinking about all of the work that continues around the station just got me wondering.
While I won't rule out anything until the final layouts are released so that we can stop relying on the line drawings that someone posted on another site a long time ago (don't ask which one, I don't remember, I thought I had saved the image on my phone but I cannot find it and it is frustrating the heck out of me) I just do not think there will be one. Now I totally see a launch up onto a platform like structure that ends with a near vertical drop down, but we will just have to see. I still do not think that that would be enough to be a "first of its kind" though.
All that said, thanks Swoosh for the updates and pics you're sharing on the progress of the ride. Really appreciate all of the nuggets for someone who doesn't have the luxury of visiting as often as I would like.
You are quite welcome. I officially came on the amusement industry scene 20 years ago with my coverage of MAMBA's construction at Worlds of Fun. Since that time I have been blessed to meet a lot of people in the industry and make a lot of connections. I do realize I rub people wrong at times, which has never been my intent. I think people like to jump to conclusions about me and read emotion into my text when there was never emotion intended. I can be straight to the point at times, though in my defense I work in education and have to put up with teenager stupidity and most of the time we don't have time for that - so you shut down the behavior and move on.
Truth be told, other than 3 posters on here, I have no ill feelings towards any of you. I don't know most of you in real life, how could I possibly hate you? Those that have met me in real life will tell you I am one of the nicest people you could meet.
At first it sounds like you are saying there will not be a turntable. Near the end you say there will be a swivel track that rotates 180°. Please explain the difference.
I can understand your confusion. Let me see if I can explain what I meant better.
What I am saying is that there will not be a turntable in the station to allow for two different types of trains. Ever since the IAAPA video came out with the pretzel Mack coaster, this has been a big "hope" for a few posters that there could be more than one type of train. Ignoring the logistical nightmare of having to create two queues to accommodate the different styles, there's just not the room for this system in the station.
Now to the "other turntable" - What I am saying is there will be a a piece of track that swings 90° degrees or less (sorry I put down the wrong degrees above - that might explain the confusion) to line up with the track that would go into each maintenance bay. This would only be for the bays and not to accommodate different train styles.
I hope that makes more sense.