Six Flags Great America: General Discussion

[Benzin]

The upside down airtime hill looks awful... An excessive amount of hangtime is usually a bad thing...

The layout as well seems rather uninspiring as well, like, there's nothing exceptional about it...

 

[CGM]

The upside down airtime hill looks awful... An excessive amount of hangtime is usually a bad thing...

The layout as well seems rather uninspiring as well, like, there's nothing exceptional about it...

Nothing exceptional about the layout? It's got that ridiculously profiled overbank, the inverted stall, the bizarrely banked final turn and a dive loop...on a wooden coaster! It's probably the most radical wooden coaster layout ever produced, even more so than Outlaw Run.

As for the hangtime, I can't see it being a huge issue with lapbars. It's usually the pressure exerted on the shoulders by OTSRs that makes hangtime uncomfortable. Without that, it just becomes inverted airtime.

I think that this coaster looks awesome. Yes, it's short but we always knew it was going to be and I think it can be forgiven for a ride on this scale with such crazy manouevres. It's certainly much longer than Oblivion or Stealth.

 

[Nick]

I think it looks great. It's much smoother than the other RMC's, has a ridiculous drop and that inverted stall just looks like it works really well. And let's not forget it's all lap-bars, as well. I guess it is a little bit short, but who can blame them: it's fit into a small plot of land and, for that, they can't have expected to get as much coaster in if they tried. I'm very impressed, but I can't wait to see the POV of Medusa. I reckon that could be just as good as this, but in a different way- as long as it's smooth enough.

 

[TheMan]

It's certainly much longer than Oblivion or Stealth.

Had to thank you post for that. I love stealth. It's a great point you make, I'm not convinced they're remotely on the same level, and I still question "woodie"? Not really. There is a fine line between great technology and a gimmick, no matter how impressive it may look.

 

[Benzin]

Nothing exceptional about the layout? It's got that ridiculously profiled overbank, the inverted stall, the bizarrely banked final turn and a dive loop...on a wooden coaster! It's probably the most radical wooden coaster layout ever produced, even more so than Outlaw Run.

As for the hangtime, I can't see it being a huge issue with lapbars. It's usually the pressure exerted on the shoulders by OTSRs that makes hangtime uncomfortable. Without that, it just becomes inverted airtime.

I think that this coaster looks awesome. Yes, it's short but we always knew it was going to be and I think it can be forgiven for a ride on this scale with such crazy manouevres. It's certainly much longer than Oblivion or Stealth.

But it's not a wooden coaster, but a hybrid... The only reason it can do these loops and overbanked turns is because of the steel track they use...

This is why I don't get the hype, at the end of the day the RMC rides are steel coasters that have wooden supports... And in that sense they don't really do anything that ground breaking... And they also look really ugly as a result of that support choice... They might well be fantastic rides but if they didn't have the whole 'wooden' coaster stuff surrounding them the hype wouldn't be as high as it is...

 

[CGM]

But it's not a wooden coaster, but a hybrid... The only reason it can do these loops and overbanked turns is because of the steel track they use...

This is why I don't get the hype, at the end of the day the RMC rides are steel coasters that have wooden supports... And in that sense they don't really do anything that ground breaking... And they also look really ugly as a result of that support choice... They might well be fantastic rides but if they didn't have the whole 'wooden' coaster stuff surrounding them the hype wouldn't be as high as it is...

There's wood in the track construction and it uses a track system that can be integrated seamlessly into traditionally constructed wooden coasters. Perhaps just as significantly, the trains have steel wheels giving the ride a very different character to a coaster with polyurethane wheels. RCDB lists it as a wooden coaster, so I'll go with that. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what the track construction is so long as the ride is good.

I cannot disagree more with the idea that this coaster does nothing ground breaking. Even if it were a by-the-book steel coaster, most of the elements on Goliath have never been done before or at least never like this. I'd argue that RMC have produced more innovations in the last few years than B&M have managed over the last decade.

Whether you like the look of the coaster comes down to personal preference but I think it looks incredible. It's like a child's unrealistic drawing of a coaster brought to life.

 

[Rob]

Got to say I do think it looks good and once it's been running more and has really warmed up it could be quite something. It's got some very unique elements and looks like it will be crazy good fun.

These RMCs get very good reviews from American enthusiasts yet there seems to be a trend of enthusiasts in the UK not being quite so convinced. I would imagine that you have to ride one of these coasters to really get what they are like. With the amount of people who have ridden them and loved them, RMC are clearly doing something right.

 

[Nick]

At the end of the day it doesn't matter what the track construction is so long as the ride is good.

I would agree with this. Calling it a wooden coaster is really only a marketing tactic, as having it marketed with the largest and steepest drop and a wooden coaster as well as being the fastest wooden coaster is going to get the crowds in more than simply calling it a good coaster. I think Six Flags and enthusiasts both know that it doesn't really matter if it's a wooden coaster or not, because they're concentrating solely on the ride experience- for which this would be great if it was wooden or steel.

 

[nemesis1994]

If it still brings the airtime woodies normally have, I'm fine with it.

 

[Rob]

I love this photo that RMC have just posted on Facebook:

The drop is crazy, and the backdrop to the photo is pretty damn good too! It's just clicked with me that Six Flags have given this park two coasters in two years, certainly moved the park up in my list of parks I wish to visit!

 

[TheMan]

Like the coaster or not that view is spectacular for any coaster fan

 

[Alastair]

It already had a great lineup before X-Flight and Goliath. Those additions have made it a must visit tbh. World's first B&M invert too

 

[Rob]

Initial reviews from the media day are that it's a good ride, not as intense as other RMCs but has some crazy and unusal hang time. It opens tomorrow so we should hear more in the coming days.

EDIT:

Sounds like there may already have been an incident with Goliath. Someone on TPR is reporting that when the train was on its way up to the zero-g stall polyurethane of the wheel ripped off creating a very loud noise and once the train returned to the brake run one of the cars was bouncing like the wheel was lobsided. The train was then removed from the circuit. Assuming people were riding at the time, which they probably would have been, that sounds very scary. A very strange thing to happen and it could have been a lot more serious. Of course this is not confirmed but I can't see why someone would make it up.

 

[MakoMania]

Saw this pop up on my youtube feed, not been announced officially yet but looks legit.

 

[CGM]

Looks like an S&S pneumatic launch which is a bit of a left-field choice if true. As long as it works reliably, no complaints from me. S&S launches are awesome.

The quick cutting in that video makes the layout very hard to follow particularly as it appears to do almost exactly the same element twice. It looks to be a very short layout, effectively a high speed roll bookended by a sort of non-inverting immelmann (that actually inverts) and a mirror image dive loop.

It would be nice if it had a bit more substance to it but interesting nonetheless.

 

[Rob]

Here is the official video for Maxx Force, which is better quality than the one that leaked:

Record-Breaking Launch Coaster to Debut at Six Flags Great America

GURNEE, Ill. — August 30, 2018 — Six Flags Great America, the Thrill Capital of the Midwest, today announced a revolutionary, triple-record breaking, new roller coaster coming to the park in 2019. Maxx Force will be the fastest launch coaster in North America, and feature the fastest inversion and highest double inversion of any roller coaster in the world.

“Six Flags reigns supreme for record-breaking, one-of-a-kind rides and world-class thrills,” said Six Flags Great America Park President Hank Salemi. “The new Maxx Force coaster is in a class all by itself, launching riders from 0 to 78 miles per hour in under two seconds. No other coaster in the country accelerates at that blistering speed.”

Maxx Force highlights include:

- A unique air-powered launching system propelling guests forward at record speeds;

- The world’s highest double inversion at 175 feet above the ground;

- The fastest inversion on any roller coaster in the world with a 60 miles-per-hour zero-G roll;

- Five high-speed inversions; and

- One-of-a-kind custom coaster trains modeled after Formula One racing cars

Maxx Force will be the park’s 17th roller coaster and is scheduled to debut in summer 2019 in the Carousel Plaza area of the park.

For more information on Maxx Force and the 2019 season at Six Flags Great America, visit http://www.sixflags.com/greatamerica/newfor2019

Like many new Six Flags coasters these days, it does appear to be rather short. However it looks like it should pack a nice punch, and the park is missing a proper launch coaster!

 

[Rob]

The full animated POV of Maxx Force was revealed over the weekend, and as feared, it is incredibly short:



It has also gone vertical:

 

[Rob]

The track of Maxx Force has now been completed:



Rather a lot of supports for so little track!

 

[Danny]

Is this the new hipster trend for coaster manufacturers these days? Who can over support their coasters the most?

 

[DiogoJ42]

Is this the new hipster trend for coaster manufacturers these days? Who can over support their coasters the most?

I'd say the current fad is "back and forth" launches to try and make a very short ride seem longer. I'm shocked that this doesn't do that, actually.