Knoebels to receive Flying Turns!!!!

[Ryan F]

I'm going to be very disappointed if I cant ride it when I go in June.

[coasterdude28]

Thanks for the update. I understand that they have not set a projected opening, or completion of construction date yet. It would be nice however if they could give a very rough estimate as to when they may be done. Name a month or something.

Anyway, I know the crew is working hard on this one of a kind ride. Keep up the good work. I can't wait to ride!

[Johnny Upsidedown]

Once the photos come up we should get an idea of how much more is to be done..
One thing to consider, work on the Turns may loose a guy or two, as they are the same guys doing the Starliner rebuild. Opening, Steve wont even venture to guess as to when,
The answer I always get is, it will be done when its done.
From the sound of it I am guessing many many more months. Opening is coming soon and there is a tour with one of the clubs so maybe some new info plus alot of photos will give us some idea,.
.
The new photos will be here I guess tomorrow or so, check it over the next day or 2
http://www.cyclonic.smugmug.com/gall...7917#136675762

[Wes]

I really hope after all this, that the first test run train doesn't go flying out of the trough or something. lol

At the rate they're going, I'm beginning to suspect a very late 07 opening or early 08.

[Leo C]

Luckily I'm close enough to the park to give them the patience to get this thing done.

[raser]

My question is what is the difference between a flying turn and a bobsled coaster. If this was answered I'm sorry but I didn't see it...

[Ryan F]

My guess is just that one is wooden, and one isn't.
I can't see any other differences. Not like one can do inversions or anything special that the other can't.

[cannonballer]

Arent the cars different as well? Slightly anyways.

[Jerry S]

Bobsleds have trains, flying turns have cars. Technically, Intamin Bobsleds are Flying Turns.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

Flying Turns is just a name used for this coaster. They are part of the Bobsled type coaster category. Bobsled I would say are any of the trough designed rides. Some have various trains, some are wood but generally they are about the same..
http://www.rcdb.com/ir.htm?design=3

[Jim S.]

I've never been on a bobsled coaster, but I was under the impression that a Flying Turns (aside from the wood issue) was specifically a very tightly-turning ride whereas a regular bobsled coaster was spread out a little more like an actual bobsled run.

As for cars vs. trains, the Flying Turns have all, as far as I know, had trains of cars, although I think in RCT they call a single-car ride a Flying Turns. I don't know where they got that.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

My guess would be something along the lines of the Hyper coaster generation of coasters. Its a basic roller coaster with a coined catch phrase. So I am thinking back in the day when the Flying Turns were built in the 1930 to 1935 era. It was something similar where if you heard the name flying truns at another park you know what it was.

It may also be that the orginal designs of the ride were coined as Flying Turns and later has been just classified as a bobsled coaster because of later developments of the rides. I have heard Steve refer to it as a bobsled coaster.
I will ask Coastin Steve in my next email if he would ask Mr Fetterman for what would be the classification, as he my know the answer or have a good explination.

For me I would just go with a the bobsled category only because it is the basic ride design.

[darque]

I was wondering about that too, but figured it was just a matter of who built it. E.g. Inverted/Suspended Looping Coaster, Suspended/Swinging Turns. etc.

Mind you, it's "Head Scratchers" like this, and the amount of thought people like us invest into them is what sets us apart from all the others on this little Blue "Coaster filled" Planet of ours.

[Zingoman]

I don't think there is a difference in flying turns versus a bobsled coaster. Flying turns were invented with an airplane theme to so simulate flight on an aircrapt. The trough design was used to allow the cars to bank with the natural forces acting on it as apposed to a train fixed on a track that will only bank how it is designed. In this way I supposed it was supposed to feel like flying through turns in an air craft, hence the name. The modern versions were not themed to airplanes and at their conception were more marketed as a bobsled ride. Purists could say that a flying turns is a wooden version, but it's really all about what the rides were designed and marketed to simulate from the beginning that gave them their categories.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

http://community-2.webtv.net/Coastin...CS/page14.html
Some new photos from last week, hopefully they will be up on the smugmug site soon that Steve has which have larger versions of the photos.. Still long way to go.

[Jim S.]

Here are some aerial photos: http://www.flyinphilsphotos.com/coas...ns/album0.html

As you can see, it has a lot of turns.

[SheikraTTD]

I thought they had more than that done. Isn't it supposed to be open by this summer?

[Jim S.]

They said they were hoping it would be open this summer, they didn't give an exact time. Remember that nobody has built one in a long time. There hasn't even been one running in over 30 years.

There's a little more done since the photos, which are almost a month old, but yes, there's still a lot to go. The station needs built, the lifts need the mechanical parts installed, the helix needs finished, and bits of track connecting the troughs and the lifts need built.

Hopefully better and longer days will result in faster construction.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

Looks pretty good from the latest large photos.
http://www.cyclonic.smugmug.com/gallery/2557917#P-14-15
Hit previous to see more.
From Coastin Steve, over on RRC
This weekend was Knoebels opening for the 2007 season.
Because of this, work by the FT crew ended up being on "other
things", so progress during the week was minimal.
Waiting for steel rings to get back from the galvanizer, and w/ the
WNYCC constr tour,
any work that went on this weekend was prep work, and done on the
benches.
This is some of the work that doesn't show
any visual progress to the ride, but is just as important in the constr
of the trough.

It seemed as tho the WNYCC event was a success.
Around 180 attendees gathered to eat pizza and listen to Dick
Knoebel, took the constr tour of the Flying Turns main section trough
and enjoyed an ERT session on the PHLYIN!! Phoenix and the Twister.
The Phoenix was running the best I think I've ever experienced and
the work they've done to the Twister's lower campground turn can really
be felt.
It was something, I didn't really think the Twister's lower
campground turn was that bad @ the last PPP, til I felt how good that
part is now. It just seems to take all of the energy that the train
has comng out of the post helix drop, and transfers it into it's timber
corridor run.


The constr tour went well. Some of carpenters involved in the
building of the ride stationed themselves at various spots and answered
questions the best they could.
(we're working on the "track", we know nothing about the trains lol )
I was delighted to see many familiar faces from riding the coasters
here in PA.
Everyones' reaction was pretty much the same, WOW !! I know
I've tried to share w/ all of you, the amazing way this ride has come
together in pictures. But a picture can't compare to actually standing
in that trough and seeing what's been done by bending wood.
I'm one of the ones who's doing it, and it amazes me <G>


When Dick Knoebel spoke at the pizza picnic it was a short but
informative speech. He started by amusing us by showing just how few
actual members there were in the WNYCC and from there discussed park
improvements for 2007 and finally about the Flying Turns
When he was asked about the trains he really didn't have much to say
other than the whole process of creating a prototype train is a long and
involved one. Because of this, the ride will only have 1 train built
for it initially, until they are sure that everything about the train
is "correct"
And when asked the "When?" question, Mr K responded that "We're
trying to get the ride open in the beginning of July"


I've added a bunch more photos to Cyclonic's Smugmug page. I
also move the link to that page to the first page of my FTF page


thanks for reading and following the rides progress

[Katie]

http://www.knoebels.com/images/turns-images/July4.jpg

Knoebel's is finally testing with a chasis and train! YAY! Who's going to PPP?

[Wes]

Yay! It hasn't flown off the track!

I was a little concerned really since noone has built one of these in what 80 years? lol

That will be a 5 hour wait with only 1 train.

I'll try and get up there next year for sure.

[Katie]

There are 5 trains. They carry two people each. I would say probably about an hour wait.

[Jim S.]

Just to clarify: the train will be 5 cars, holding 2 people each. There are supposed to be 3 trains, but there may only be one at opening. Also, this is a rigged test. As of last Friday, there are still two pieces of track missing and no chains on the lifts.

I wasn't there for Twister's opening, but I'm assuming that the sign on the bridge saying that there's a 2 1/2 hour wait from that point is there for a reason.

[Zingoman]

It looks like the train had some pretty wicked banking in the trough on that turn. Looks like the pacing is going to be great! I'm so excited to see something rolled down the trough!

[PANTSFREE]

Man, I honestly don't understand the purpose of building this attraction... It won't open for some time yet based on what i read on screamscape just now, it has horrible capacity and has been delayed for going on 2 years... I honestly just fail to see the point. It would have been a better idea to just tell mach to build a bobsled coaster and get a theming company to build a wood trough on the the outside of the track and structure or something, give the classic look but modern ride... Improvements in technology occur for a reason the way I see it. Theres probably a reason why we haven't seen a wood tracked bobsled coaster in so many years.

With how hyped up this coaster is I am expecting to be let down.

[coasterdude28]

This ride will give a completley different ride than a Mack Bobsled. Watching the very short video clip of it testing makes it look like it will be a wild ride. If you have ever been to Knoebel's, you would understand how this ride is a perfect fit for the park.

[Katie]

The structure is done. The testing has started already. It will be ready for opening day next season.

Here is a pic of the train (only had one and a half chasis done for PPP, but you will get the idea. Only seatbelts will be on this by the way.) There will be a total of 10 people riding in one train at a time.

Knoebels has had reasons that this coaster hasn't opened sooner. The designer is only part time designing due to the fact he is an actual mechanic in the park. If something in the park breaks that takes precedent first.

Anyway here are the trains.


This is a very quiet ride and it's only 2 minutes and 17 seconds from lift hill to break run. It has three lift hills and the curves on this baby are amazing.

[PANTSFREE]

This ride will give a completley different ride than a Mack Bobsled. Watching the very short video clip of it testing makes it look like it will be a wild ride. If you have ever been to Knoebel's, you would understand how this ride is a perfect fit for the park.

I understand that the park likes the idea of classic ride experiences and everything, but with all questions still in the air about the trains and the track still after all this time I question how sound of a decision it is business wise.

[Zingoman]

^That is the kind of thinking that has squashed the classic amusement park. Everything is about nickels and dimes and not about the love of what you do. Knoebel's loves what they do and take pride in the craftsmenship and care that is necessary for a place like it. I think it's fantastic what they are doing. They knew they were taking a risk on this project from the get go, but I think it is bringing them to a whole new level. The reason these aren't built in my opinion is because the quality and art of it has been lost. Everyone wants everything to happen fast, cheap, and with little effort. It's a shame really.

Where can you see a video of a test run?

[SFGAFan4]

http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/b...noebels189.flv

^Credit: BuddyChrist of GAdv Source Forums.