Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom

[josht]

To be honest I think it looks great I'm a big fan of drop towers it looks the closes thing to a skydive (as a ride)

 

[Alastair]

Really interested in this. It's not the drop that really gets me on drop towers this size, it's the sheer height and anticipation of dropping that I love. The whole concept of it being built onto an existing ride is pretty interesting too, and the fact it's said the structure will sway anywhere between 1-2ft when it's all in operation is awesome .

Since I'm more or less a 100% definite to visit California next year, I absolutely can't wait to ride this one!

The fact that each gondola drops at a different time heightens that anticipation even further. Also, I think if you were incredibly lucky then on some drops you could look to your left or right and see the S:EFK train coming up the spike that the tower is installed on. That would be a brilliant piece of interaction.

Anticipate huge queues though, especially with only 550pph capacity! I might be going in August - I'll probably be waiting for this for the entire day

 

[DiogoJ42]

If they time it right, the gondola could "race" a car down the tower!

 

[Sammy]

Guys, tip your head to the right and click here.

I have to say, I think I would actually cry!!!

Seriously though, that car is soo exposed and sooo far away from the tower! ???

 

[Craig]

Have to say it stops earlier than i thought it would but it's still one huge freefall! Not sure on the restraints though. As open as they are shoulder wise they may end up looking you in more than I'd like on your lap.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Benzin]

Opening today!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWBM9kLXtCE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Looks awesome...

 

[Mi-Nigle]

Utterly terrifying. Not gonna lie, Detonator had my heart racing. It's the only drop tower I've ridden but I've never had the chance to ride others. Think I could be persuaded to do Apocalypse but this looks insane.

How high would one have to be to reach terminal velocity I wonder?

 

[Alastair]

If they time it right, the gondola could "race" a car down the tower!

You were right, it seems they are deliberately releasing the gondolas when the EFK reaches the top of the spike - it looks brilliant!

 

[Alexsutton]

I would imagine the timed releases were more for the purposes of filming, rather than what what actually happens. I imagine it will still happen occasionally, it will be down to luck though.

 

[Alastair]

I would imagine the timed releases were more for the purposes of filming, rather than what what actually happens. I imagine it will still happen occasionally, it will be down to luck though.

Maybe but it will still happen quite a bit - EFK launches often enough for the coincidence to be a regular one.

 

[Sam]

If they were really releasing the cars in sync with EFK, the ride's throughput would be even more dire than it was to begin with.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2

 

[Alastair]

If they were really releasing the cars in sync with EFK, the ride's throughput would be even more dire than it was to begin with.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2

Yeah I was just saying that it will inevitably coincide quite regularly - although I'm not sure on Intamin drop towers whether the drop is controlled by the ride op or whether it's just automatic?

 

[DiogoJ42]

You were right, it seems they are deliberately releasing the gondolas when the EFK reaches the top of the spike

It sure does. Though let's be honest, you are not going to see that on ride, as it is behind you. It's more for spectators really.

By the way, is it me, or do those helicopter shots look like RCT3 flying camera shots?

 

[Fredward]

Perhaps because its a 'flying' camera around a theme park Diogo!


Looks amazing, I really want to go on it now.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

[Alastair]

You were right, it seems they are deliberately releasing the gondolas when the EFK reaches the top of the spike

It sure does. Though let's be honest, you are not going to see that on ride, as it is behind you. It's more for spectators really.

By the way, is it me, or do those helicopter shots look like RCT3 flying camera shots?

Yeah, I actually thought it was an animation at first the camera is so steady and well controlled. Wonder it it's a helicopter or a RC balloon thing?

 

[Dave]

If they were really releasing the cars in sync with EFK, the ride's throughput would be even more dire than it was to begin with.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2

Yeah I was just saying that it will inevitably coincide quite regularly - although I'm not sure on Intamin drop towers whether the drop is controlled by the ride op or whether it's just automatic?

Intamin drop towers are usually Automatic (found this out in Holiday Park Germany when the op dispatched the ride then started doing some cleaning around the indoor queue whilst he waited for it to rise then drop).

No reason they couldn't make it manual though as there are less gondolas to think about than on the circular drop towers. Detonator at Thorpe is manual.

 

[James]

Yeah, I actually thought it was an animation at first the camera is so steady and well controlled. Wonder it it's a helicopter or a RC balloon thing?

Judging by the video it's a mounted camera on a helicopter. Just like this:

That's just a guess though. Mounted cameras on helicopters can get you some very smooth shots.

 

[Alastair]

Yeah, I actually thought it was an animation at first the camera is so steady and well controlled. Wonder it it's a helicopter or a RC balloon thing?

Judging by the video it's a mounted camera on a helicopter. Just like this:

That's just a guess though. Mounted cameras on helicopters can get you some very smooth shots.

Yeah those gyroscopic cameras do produce really steady shots, I suppose it probably was that considering the distance between the different shots.