Random Ideas

I'm only going to upload one picture, as It may be kind of large, but just know I've had multiple ideas before this. What follows is what I'm thinking about as my general layout. (Yes it's on notebook paper. Yes it's rediculous. No it's not accurate to any scale.) It's merely an idea, and as such is just a rough sketch. But this is the product of not paying attention in class! I rather like the idea of having a sprawling section towards the beginning and then as the momentum decreases getting more compact to increase the feeling of speed, if that makes any sense. That last sentence seems like a run-on, but I don't think it is; but it could be.

Anyway, the long straight bit at the right of the sketch is going to be the lift hill, first drop (which I'm thinking of making a double-down: a sort of half-drop, level out, then the rest of the drop; e.g. lots of airtime), that sort of hammer-head turn around (which isn't really used on wooden coasters I don't think), then some more airtime goodness.

Slow Going

Having been overrun by other school work and things, I've not had much time to do a lot with this, but as a quick update, I'll say: I'm kind of excited.

As there are many many functions and ideas and departments that have input on something as grand as a roller coaster, this ride will not be a complete, all-encompassing project. Rather it will focus on dynamics such as speed/velocity, gravity, potential and kenetic energy, and on stresses with respect to the wheels and possibly some supports. And of course the child in me getting to put a working model together! (What kind of child likes to do tedious work like this? Oh yeah, the one obsessed with jigsaw puzzles! #Nerd)

I'm not sure if I've said it before, but I'll say it now just in case: Manticore will be a terrain-based wooden rollercoaster, similar in nature to rides like Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce, Voyage at Holiday World, and Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer. That's about as far as I've gotten in this, so obviously I've got a long ways to go. I will say that I plan to have a virtual semi-model (thank you NoLimits) done within the next two or three weeks.