As I was nearing 200 coaster credits (that is riding 200 unique coasters), I wanted to make sure that my count was accurate before I left on my summer coaster trip. Provided everything is open, I would hit 204!
My kids were looking over my list and noticed one coaster that didn’t count. The debate ensued. After a lot of discussion and research, those kiddos were right; it wasn’t a coaster.
Now we are here to clarify what is and is not a coaster credit.
Join the great debate and we determine what is and is not a coaster inversion. Most of us inherently know what an inversion is, but can we define it? There are several edge cases where the answer is not so clear. What about an overbanked turn or a beyond 90° drop? Inversions? Maybe…
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Cover image from Wikimedia Commons
As we get started building our roller coaster, we need a sufficient power source. I would like this to be “portable” so plugging it into the wall is an attractive idea. Well, you can’t plug a 3 hp motor into the wall. It’ll trip the breaker every time.
The solution is to store energy in capacitors! But how do we safely use capacitors charged to 96V? Since we only get 15-20 amps out of a socket, how do we limit the in rush current?
Traditional charging methods waste power and take too long to charge. Let’s to this smarter.
But I Need Your Help!
Projects like this are expensive and take a while. I need help. I’ve created a YouTube Membership channel to help others design and build your own backyard coaster. Take a minute to check out the channel. Perks of joining are:
Click the link here and join today!
After a lot of thought and planning, I’m going to do it.
After seeing the John Ivers’ Blue Flash, I’ve wanted to make my backyard coaster with an inversion. After looking at a vertical loop, I decided it would be too tall to construct on my land for it to be smooth and safe. So I abandoned that idea.
Then I saw Will Pemble attempt a barrel roll. That looked like it hurt tremendously….challenge accepted.
But why stop there? If I make it a shuttle coaster, I can get 2 inversions for the price of one.
But why stop there? Instead of a spike, why not a scorpion tale? There’s only one of those around…
In conclusion, I am making a 3 inversion backyard coaster with a 25 mph Dragster style launch and professional control system. It will be ledgendary!
Projects like this are expensive and take a while. I need help. I’ve created a Patreon channel to help others design and build your own backyard coaster. Take a minute to check out the channel. Perks of joining are:
My buddy can find strange things. On a recent trip to the dump he found a worn out air conditioner compressor with the shaft broken off. Trash right?
Well not for him; he wanted to melt it down and cast stuff. Luckily for me, I was able to intercept and use it as a teaching tool!
Compressors and hydraulic piston pumps are a lot alike, but there is a reason they’re different. Let’s take a minute to see how they work and what makes them cool.
As many of you know, Fury 325 suffered from a structural crack and was shut down on Saturday. This beloved attraction is already missed and we hope that it will be up and running in no time.
I will be live tomorrow evening, July 5th at 9:00 pm EDT with Brandon from Theme Park Predictions. Brandon has been on site all week giving updates and talking with those “in the know.” I will be joining his audience to bring and engineering and product support angle to the discussion. Join us!
