Why roller coaster loops aren't circular

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  • Опубліковано 21 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,2 тис.

  • @Vox
    @Vox  2 роки тому +811

    June is World Roller Coaster Appreciation month and if you love roller coasters check out American Coaster Enthusiasts, the group that Randy Geisler is a part of. Check out their channel here: ua-cam.com/users/ridewithace
    And if you’re looking for a deep dive into physics, Professor Matt has a channel too: ua-cam.com/users/yoprofmatt
    Thanks for watching!

    • @julianmuller9567
      @julianmuller9567 2 роки тому +23

      Why is there an entire month for Roller Coaster Appreciation like it's some kind of issue we want to make aware of

    • @jdmagic
      @jdmagic 2 роки тому +38

      @@julianmuller9567 They deserve a month smh

    • @julianmuller9567
      @julianmuller9567 2 роки тому +6

      @@jdmagic I mean who says what's being appreciated that month? They just made that up?

    • @jdmagic
      @jdmagic 2 роки тому +23

      @@julianmuller9567 Literally every coaster enthusiast, and plenty of parks that assist ACE with planning events across the world, including many of the biggest chains such as Cedar Fair, Six Flags, Herschend, etc.

    • @whatanamazingspawn6782
      @whatanamazingspawn6782 2 роки тому +1

      Very interesting

  • @SaarimaaSauli
    @SaarimaaSauli 2 роки тому +12470

    I did learn about this after playing Roller Coaster Tycoon as a kid and wondering why customers find my 20 g-force hypercoaster a bit too intense.

    • @machupikachu1085
      @machupikachu1085 2 роки тому +243

      this!

    • @HeidenLam
      @HeidenLam 2 роки тому +523

      Poor customers

    • @explodingsofa1563
      @explodingsofa1563 2 роки тому +103

      I just came to the same conclusion!

    • @sjakierulez
      @sjakierulez 2 роки тому +366

      But some customers would think the merry go round is too intense

    • @SebastianDingleswitch
      @SebastianDingleswitch 2 роки тому +268

      All you have to do is *not* test it before opening, and then force it to only start with a full car. They'll ride it the first time. Then when no one will get on again, you just need to delete and rebuild a single piece of track. Rinse and repeat.

  • @Nova3674
    @Nova3674 2 роки тому +3040

    As someone who studied engineering, works in theme park design, and is just an all around coaster enthusiast, can confirm this video is on point. Even using the the correct geometry based terminology of clothoid loops to describe the “teardrop” loop., made famous by the manufacturer Arrow Dynamics (who also helped make the Matterhorn). Fun thing to notice, Arrow built a number of geometry based coasters (as opposed to force-based) with the clothoid loop. But for a long time only used one size for the loops design. So the bigger the first drop, the higher the same sized loop had to be off the ground. Examples, Great American Scream Machine, or the still operating Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

    • @a.o.e7168
      @a.o.e7168 2 роки тому +4

      Agreed with your 289 text in this comment 👍

    • @jakethecake6952
      @jakethecake6952 2 роки тому +1

      what engineering did you study?

    • @andrejones4696
      @andrejones4696 2 роки тому +2

      Anaconda at Kinds Dominion too hahah

    • @JosephPojunis
      @JosephPojunis 2 роки тому +4

      Listen to this guy, Andre iz smart

    • @Nova3674
      @Nova3674 2 роки тому +15

      @@jakethecake6952 I studied civil and structural engineering, though mechanical may be more preferred if wanting to deal with the physics and movement of the coaster. Structural obviously deals more with the non-moving parts of a coaster like the supports

  • @khalilahd.
    @khalilahd. 2 роки тому +4414

    I love Vox because I never know what I’m going to learn about when we get an upload but I’m never disappointed ☺️ this is so interesting and makes sense. I still don’t like rollercoasters but I like the science behind it lol

    • @jorg3023
      @jorg3023 2 роки тому +106

      I love how they always get an expert in something super random.

    • @PogieJoe
      @PogieJoe 2 роки тому +48

      I've seen your comments on a lot of channels I love, and they're always so thoughtful and positive!

    • @zorgbarley1762
      @zorgbarley1762 2 роки тому +7

      I co-sign EVERY part of your comment!

    • @TheSecondBeef
      @TheSecondBeef 2 роки тому +6

      Farming subscribers here too, I see

    • @Nan-59
      @Nan-59 2 роки тому +22

      @@Zorajit Um 😐 We have a gazillion political channels.
      I agree that we’re losing our democracy though, and watching pretty cool channels about it. Take care and VOTE 🗳
      We voted Tuesday here in Illinois.

  • @muhammadazneel
    @muhammadazneel 2 роки тому +1732

    I would like to thank Chris Sawyer for his RollerCoaster Tycoon series for introducing the concepts of rollercoasters (and theme parks) to millions of children like me, who are either unable or less fortunate to go to one. But I'll always enjoy to go on one in any shape or size...

    • @chris1z142
      @chris1z142 2 роки тому +4

      You could’ve afforded to go a couple times with the cost of that game

    • @TheJeleb
      @TheJeleb 2 роки тому +136

      @@chris1z142 They didn't mention cost in their comment. There's plenty of reasons why a child may have never been to one. I know for my family, the issue was that my parents worked a lot of hours just to barely scrape by, and were simply too exhausted to make a multi-hour journey to one on one of their rare days off. Though on the point of cost, I borrowed the game from a friend, as I'm sure many did at that time (and knockoff copies were definitely widely available).

    • @GarisonC
      @GarisonC 2 роки тому +4

      I loved that game as a kid!

    • @MadameSomnambule
      @MadameSomnambule 2 роки тому +38

      I'd also like to thank him for introducing me to the concept of g-forces and how that can make or break a ride. Didn't fully understand what caused ultra-extreme g's tho until more recently, thanks to Marcel Vos's vids.

    • @jdmagic
      @jdmagic 2 роки тому +4

      @@MadameSomnambule shoutout Marcel

  • @teodorhellgren5613
    @teodorhellgren5613 2 роки тому +621

    I live half an hour from HersheyPark and visit frequently. When I was younger, I hated coasters, but SooperDooperLooper was one of the first ones I tried to get over my fear and it barely even realized I was going around the loop! Thanks Vox for explaining the technology behind smoothing the g force and the mechanisms in place to make these things awesome (yes I do love coasters now)!

    • @sheeshert
      @sheeshert 2 роки тому +14

      As a Marylander, Hershey also got me over my fear of coasters. Fahrenheit was sick!

    • @allygator616
      @allygator616 2 роки тому +6

      I also live about an hour from Hershey! I also live close to Knoebels! If you live in PA it’s definitely worth a try. They have some of the best wooden roller coasters i’ve ever been on. So much fun.

    • @posheditor
      @posheditor 2 роки тому +2

      i'm from PA and always loved going to Hershey Park as a kid. Skyrush is my fave roller coaster!

    • @parrisgeorge9708
      @parrisgeorge9708 2 роки тому +2

      Upstate NY checking in. Hersheypark is my families favorite park for many reasons. My favorite 2 coasters there are Great Bear and Lightning Racer. Our son and I enjoy MOST of the coasters there with his favorite being Skyrush and Lightning Racer. Our least favorite though is Wildcat.

    • @tart8228
      @tart8228 2 роки тому +1

      my first upside down coaster as well! love Hershey ❤️

  • @Turkeyslam
    @Turkeyslam 2 роки тому +86

    Vox over here making a video about rollercoaster engineering and they did their research to the point where enthusiasts won't be able to rip this video apart. I'm impressed. Well done!
    I loved the quick flash to Olympia Looping in that transition near the end there.

    • @CrumsTheCreator
      @CrumsTheCreator 2 роки тому +1

      The only thing is that round loops do exist. Just not made by arrow. You can however find them on geurslauers.

    • @Celatra
      @Celatra Рік тому

      @@CrumsTheCreator Yeah but they're not perfectly circular + they're massive in size

    • @eduardofarias5397
      @eduardofarias5397 Рік тому

      Funny thing, Art of Engineering explained it very similarly about 3 years ago, so...

  • @willemrood
    @willemrood 2 роки тому +155

    This is also exactly why the radius of turns in roads are variable, just such that the steering input is gradual rather than you having to flick it in. This is especially evident with on-off ramps of highways.

    • @AgentOffice
      @AgentOffice 2 роки тому +1

      I've hit a couple abrupt ones and almost wrecked

    • @maxhagenauer24
      @maxhagenauer24 2 роки тому

      I still don't see why big roads need to be curved, they are way to wide for you to feel an unforgettable lateral force if they were not banked.

    • @Laeiryn
      @Laeiryn 2 роки тому

      @@maxhagenauer24 So your brain doesn't phase out staring down a long stretch of fuckall.

    • @ebogar42
      @ebogar42 2 роки тому +9

      @@maxhagenauer24 They curve them to get around things like mountains or hills we don't really notice much while driving. Probably made their job much easier when putting them in. If you're in the midwest that seems fairly straight to me. In the appalachians very curvy because of all the hills and mountains.

    • @MrSaemichlaus
      @MrSaemichlaus 2 роки тому +2

      @@maxhagenauer24 I have no idea what you're asking about, but if you're asking why roads are BANKED or slanted in other words, that's for rain water to flow off of them more quickly instead of flowing along the length of the road, making it slippery especially with icing in winter.

  • @alexz5620
    @alexz5620 2 роки тому +305

    For a similar reason train tracks and street curves (like offramps) aren't perfect circle sections like you may find on a model railway either. If they were, turns would be really violent or require you to turn your wheel in an instant.

    • @tristiancapozzi1194
      @tristiancapozzi1194 2 роки тому +19

      Exactly, instead of semicircles they use segments of a spiral arc to make the turns smoother

    • @josephfisher426
      @josephfisher426 2 роки тому +6

      It isn't that the circular section is "violent," but that it starts and ends too smoothly, and drivers' reaction delay leads them to go past the point where they should start turning noticeably. Making an unnaturally abrupt start to the curve (which is often how the curve is altered) forces the driver to start the curve sooner. With roads, which are much wider than most of the vehicles traveling on them, this is also an adjustment to the better drivers who will turn sooner on their own and run on the shoulder if you don't give them more space on the inside of the curve. With roller coasters it's different because there can be no deviations.

    • @CombraStudios
      @CombraStudios 2 роки тому +1

      Yea transition tracks increase the centripetal force gradually and not immediately

    • @murdo_mck
      @murdo_mck 2 роки тому

      Partly similar but in a rollercoaster the speed drops predictably as the car goes up then increases as it goes down which is why the bend radius is much smaller at the top. At 5:13 it's clear the G force is nearly constant.

    • @mightyjerseys93
      @mightyjerseys93 2 роки тому

      SCIENCE!

  • @hypercane2023
    @hypercane2023 2 роки тому +232

    Been putting off watching this video because it didn't seem interesting from the title and thumbnail. I'm glad I was proven wrong. Absolutely amazing story telling and the amount of work required to tell it is inspiring and the quality is AMAZING! Here's hoping this becomes a new genre of investigative journalism throughout UA-cam. Please do more of this!

    • @PogieJoe
      @PogieJoe 2 роки тому +10

      All of their videos are this high-quality, so subscribe for more!

    • @hypercane2023
      @hypercane2023 2 роки тому +3

      @@PogieJoe I just did :)

    • @ckq
      @ckq 2 роки тому +26

      Bro saying putting off for 1 hour lol. You definitely on YT 24/7.

    • @Vox
      @Vox  2 роки тому +32

      Thanks Hypercane. We'd love to hear more from you - please get in touch with us at voxvideo@vox.com!

    • @concan96
      @concan96 2 роки тому +15

      You commented 1 hour after the video was uploaded… lol

  • @MetalisForever666
    @MetalisForever666 2 роки тому +40

    You forgot to mention that the engineer who invented the modern looping coaster is Werner Stengel from Munich. He invented also many other things in Rollercoaster design. Revolution in six flags Magic mountain was built by Schwarzkopf and designed by Stengel. Stengel also designed Top Thrill Dragster, Millennium Force and Kingda La (and many hundreds more).

  • @puspamadak
    @puspamadak Рік тому +3

    I had not even noticed the non-circle shape before watching this video. This explains everything in a good way!

  • @paoloplayssoccer
    @paoloplayssoccer 2 роки тому +23

    Amazing that a news company can get you interested in almost anything

  • @5MadMovieMakers
    @5MadMovieMakers Рік тому +146

    I mean, you could make them circular, if you wanted people to be flatter

    • @tom58358
      @tom58358 Рік тому +2

      Why does this comment have no replies
      also hi 5mmm

  • @DaveTexas
    @DaveTexas 2 роки тому +6

    I went on my first looping coaster in 1978 at Astroworld in Houston. The ride was a shuttle-loop coaster named Greased Lightnin’. It was unbelievably thrilling at the time. A few years later I went on the Judge Roy Scream at Six Flags Over Texas, which was a full coaster with two loops! It seemed like no roller coaster could ever get more exciting than that. Now, that sort of ride is very tame compared to most other coasters.

    • @ARMTOAST
      @ARMTOAST 2 роки тому

      shoutouts to judge roy scream, the rattler, and the texas giant!

  • @arods
    @arods 2 роки тому +2

    As someone who has Ph. D. in Mechanical Engineering, I enjoyed, learned, and also nod throughout the entire video. I loved it, thank you. Nice work!

  • @SDSUSciences
    @SDSUSciences 2 роки тому +26

    So great to see our very own Professor Matt!

  • @KirtFitzpatrick
    @KirtFitzpatrick 2 роки тому +535

    This explains why athletes have so much trouble when they try to ride full pipes or loops. Every loop I've ever seen built for skateboard, bike, motorcycle, etc were all perfect circles.

    • @rollercoaster24
      @rollercoaster24 2 роки тому +49

      I wonder if any of them ever tried these types of loops

    • @kirablagoev8534
      @kirablagoev8534 2 роки тому +6

      @@MrStamperh your*

    • @bmxscape
      @bmxscape 2 роки тому +2

      wow good point

    • @colehancock7146
      @colehancock7146 2 роки тому +7

      @@kirablagoev8534 no, they used the correct use. "Without christ, YOU ARE lost"

    • @MrStamperh
      @MrStamperh 2 роки тому +5

      @@kirablagoev8534 it’s correct. Learn English

  • @petitthom2886
    @petitthom2886 2 роки тому +18

    “Superdooperlooper”
    Best name ever for a roller coaster

  • @pragyachakravarty1324
    @pragyachakravarty1324 2 роки тому +77

    Are you serious??? 😑 few days ago I searched up the whole internet for this question cause I needed it for my Physics class. If only u had made this video before 😓

    • @YogaPratama-gt7bd
      @YogaPratama-gt7bd 2 роки тому +25

      Maybe one of the vox's editor is your classmate and he made this after he finished the assigment

    • @khalilahd.
      @khalilahd. 2 роки тому

      Lol dang 😭

    • @maxhagenauer24
      @maxhagenauer24 2 роки тому +1

      Its kinda everywhere you search, there are tons of other physics videos of it.

  • @Justin.Franks
    @Justin.Franks 2 роки тому +9

    Sooperdooperlooper's loop is still quite a bit more circular than the loops on newer coasters. You can definitely feel more force in the loop than you would expect given the fairly paltry 45 mph speed. It's actually pretty surprising since the first drop is so gentle (as is the rest of the ride). It is cool though having the track pass through the interior of the loop. More coasters should do this, especially since coaster loops have gotten so much bigger with a lot more space inside. Maybe even put it towards the end of the layout after the mid-course brake run, so there's a chance your train passes through the loop as the next one is traversing the loop.

    • @dancingbird
      @dancingbird 2 роки тому

      there are still other loop coasters right? I was watching this and I was so confused because I swear there are tons of loop coasters!!

  • @sk8razer
    @sk8razer 2 роки тому +121

    One time I was seated next to a blind middle schooler on Magic Mountain's Revolution. A bunch of people started screaming like as soon as the ride started moving and this 13ish year old just yelled " *WHY ARE YOU ALL SCREAMING??? I'M BLIND AND I'M NOT EVEN SCARED!!* "
    Classic pubescent snark 😂

  • @ryans.8366
    @ryans.8366 2 роки тому +3

    The amount of research that went into this is so awesome

  •  2 роки тому +29

    I love the "Olympia Looping" at 5:51, it seems to be the biggest mobile multiple loop roller coaster in the world.
    I try to ride it every time it is in town.

    • @escapefromtibet2530
      @escapefromtibet2530 2 роки тому +1

      Oh yeah absolutely. Olympia is always such a fun ride

    • @prestonksp3432
      @prestonksp3432 2 роки тому

      The photo of Olympia looks very circular, is that just camera angle?

    • @aequus2196
      @aequus2196 2 роки тому

      @@prestonksp3432 Schwarzkopf coasters like the Olympia Looping are pretty old, and as far as I know it wasn't that big of a standard to make the teardrop shaped loops back then. It shows when you're riding it, the loops are pretty intesnse!

    • @svenlakemeier
      @svenlakemeier 2 роки тому +1

      @@aequus2196 No, Schwarzkopf together with Werner Stengel introduced the clothoid loop back into roller coaster making, they are the base of the reemergence of the loop. The first loop on Olympia Looping is a deviation of the clothoid form, but only because they knew how to do it. It rides wonderful.
      With the "Thriller" they even managed to build two loops behind each other, a feat Arrow could've never managed with their cookie cutter elements.

  • @regulusmuphrid4891
    @regulusmuphrid4891 2 роки тому +7

    I never thought there eould be an expert on roaler coasters, turns out there is in fact an expert for literally everything.

  • @Jesus_is_savior
    @Jesus_is_savior 2 роки тому +82

    Tysm I was always uncomfortable about how rollercoasters aren’t round . I thought it would look gorgeous round.

    • @fastinradfordable
      @fastinradfordable 2 роки тому +48

      Good thing engineers don’t aim for gorgeous.

    • @fastinradfordable
      @fastinradfordable 2 роки тому +5

      Oh ya he died.
      But u should have seen the loop to loop he went thruu
      Sooooo legit perf

    • @traplover6357
      @traplover6357 2 роки тому +12

      There's a reason why even planetary orbits are eclipses.

    • @orbrat212
      @orbrat212 2 роки тому +6

      @@traplover6357 Even earth itself is an elongated spheroid. nature abhors a circle i guess.

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 2 роки тому

      have you ever heard of the fireball or ring of fire.

  • @NatashaVincent
    @NatashaVincent 2 роки тому +331

    Nah, we jumped a whole part of history once the tubular steel was mentioned: who thought to go from a one car structure to multicar? And how much testing was involved? I don't like coasters at all but this was an interesting video. Thank you!

    • @mr.meloetta1939
      @mr.meloetta1939 2 роки тому +23

      That jump was pretty made with the first modern loopers like Corkscrew at Knott's and Revolution at Magic Mountain.

    • @finlaymcewan
      @finlaymcewan 2 роки тому +30

      They made the loop much bigger to reduce the G force and that also allowed them to fit bigger trains

    • @bocahdongo7769
      @bocahdongo7769 2 роки тому +9

      Multicar train already exist before bottom wheel even exist for rollercoaster.

    • @arkitect156
      @arkitect156 2 роки тому +12

      Multiple cars just kinda happened. Arrow dynamics ahd Schwarzkopf did it around the same time. Except arrow was wildly more popular.

    • @duon44
      @duon44 2 роки тому +3

      Multiple cars in a train had been a thing for a long time, earlier ones even featuring a brakeman who had to manually brake the train

  • @_P4nth3r_
    @_P4nth3r_ Рік тому +34

    i live super close to hershey and i’m basically there every week or two in the summer and it’s super fun, the sooperdooperlooper was my first ever coaster and it’s what go me into coasters really. it’s a really interesting and fun ride even though it seems kinda lame to today’s standards.

    • @eagle25311
      @eagle25311 Рік тому +8

      I live close to the grocery store I bought bread butter and cheese. Then I made and ate a grilled cheese sandwich.

  • @arkitect156
    @arkitect156 2 роки тому +18

    Corkscrew at cedar point was technically the first tear drop/Clothoid shaped vertical loop. Revolution was the first to do a successful vertical loop with more of a circular shape. The 2 we're by different manufactured and different styles.

    • @drdewott9154
      @drdewott9154 2 роки тому +2

      Yup. The Corkscrew was built by the American builder "Arrow Dynamics" who also made the Matterhorn bobsleds, but the Great American Revolution, as well as the Sooperdooperlooper were made by the German Rollercoaster builder Anton Schwarzkopf, who by this point were Arrow's biggest competitor for large scale steel rollercoasters.

    • @gemnifan6045
      @gemnifan6045 2 роки тому +2

      Since revolution opened a week before I'm sure that's why it's gets the credit that's how it goes sometimes

  • @bicyclist2
    @bicyclist2 2 роки тому +11

    I'm a massive roller coaster fan. Thankfully I had the chance to go to Six Flags a few times and Sea World once growing up. I had no idea that the physics were like this. Very interesting. Great video. Thank you.

    • @missylou725
      @missylou725 2 роки тому

      What does Sea World have to do with this?

  • @tomasvrabec1845
    @tomasvrabec1845 2 роки тому +30

    Spin a ball on a string in your hand and just sense the forces you feel in your hand.
    Then try to make a Smith circular spin straight after starting and try make a Smith sensible exit mimicking the shapes of these loops.
    You will see the circular spin exerts more pressure on you and is much more tricky to complete in a perfect circle as it naturally wants to break up the shape. It also shows that a less circular path exerts less pressure on the Shape as a whole meaning that structural integrity is safer not only due to material but the trajectory it's self

    • @Smplkxn
      @Smplkxn 2 роки тому

      First step: actually learn how to spin a ball on a string in your hand

  • @janmelantu7490
    @janmelantu7490 2 роки тому +7

    Tom Scott, on Citation Needed: “[the flip flap railway] was the first loop the loop in America”
    Matt Parker: “and they got the shape wrong? Were they lured in by the easy appeal of a nice circle?”

    • @JouvaMoufette
      @JouvaMoufette 2 роки тому +1

      No other biscuits will ever be issued

  • @Sharonmxg
    @Sharonmxg 2 роки тому +33

    holy cow, I rode the Revolution at Magic Mountain the year it debuted. I had no idea it was so special in the history of coasters! I was so scared to go on but after my first ride I was addicted to coasters! Sadly, back problems make me hesitant to test out the newest iterations.

  • @hypercane2023
    @hypercane2023 2 роки тому +16

    And they also want you to spin round and round:
    Watch out, here I come
    You spin me right 'round, baby
    Right 'round like a record, baby
    Right 'round, 'round, 'round
    You spin me right 'round, baby
    Right 'round like a record, baby
    Right 'round, 'round, 'round
    You spin me right 'round, baby
    Right 'round like a record, baby
    Right 'round, 'round, 'round
    You spin me right 'round, baby
    Right 'round like a record, baby
    Right 'round, 'round, 'round

    • @Ryanwesleyrouth1
      @Ryanwesleyrouth1 2 роки тому

      MEATSPIN VIBES

    • @carultch
      @carultch 2 роки тому

      You spin me right round, baby, right round, in a manner depriving me of an inertial reference frame, baby.

  • @Vinemaple
    @Vinemaple 2 роки тому +11

    I first heard about the Flip Flap Railway on "Citation Needed." While that was fascinating and hilarious, this is much clearer.

    • @Autoskip
      @Autoskip 2 роки тому +4

      To be fair, the mashmellow bearings were an excellent inclusion.

    • @taylorboulton177
      @taylorboulton177 2 роки тому +2

      Those poor donkeys

    • @Vinemaple
      @Vinemaple 2 роки тому

      @@taylorboulton177 IKR

  • @katiewennerberg210
    @katiewennerberg210 2 роки тому +1

    Love ACE! I ride a coaster called Shockwave all the time, and true to its name it’s incredibly forceful. This thing opened in 1978 and pulls a whopping 5.9G’s during its double loop sequence, making it the second most forceful in the world. Incredible ride. Always fascinating hearing how these things are engineered

  • @bobbymoss6160
    @bobbymoss6160 2 роки тому +8

    Cool! I like how the video avoided reporting how many people died from those early days 14G loops.

    • @williamhaynes7089
      @williamhaynes7089 2 роки тому +3

      Most lily any damage to health was felt later, after ride long over.

    • @dollcefina
      @dollcefina 2 роки тому +2

      @@williamhaynes7089 OMG - I'm surprised if there weren't any lawsuits over this!! 🙀

  • @viniciusrafer3055
    @viniciusrafer3055 Рік тому +1

    I remember feeling very frustrated when I was a kid playing Roller Coaster Tycoon and not having perfectly round loops. Then I switch to playing NoLimits Coaster 2 and my dream of a circular loop was fulfilled lol

  • @jainamshah44970
    @jainamshah44970 2 роки тому +33

    Lets just say that they found a loophole

  • @jefferson4213
    @jefferson4213 2 роки тому

    I rode the Super Dooper Looper many a time as a young kid on the early 80's. It was quite the sensation. Loved it! Never got the t-shirt though.

  • @rooneye
    @rooneye 2 роки тому +9

    I really wanna go on those mental 14g perfect circles. they sound awesome

  • @JazonHart
    @JazonHart 2 роки тому +2

    Fantastic job, Vox team!
    Animation, story, edit, and sound were all on point :)

  • @lawrencesmeaton6930
    @lawrencesmeaton6930 2 роки тому +30

    The same rules apply to roads! You'll never find a circular turn, for example, on a motorway or highspeed road, the change in gradient is just impossible to steer into. Instead, curves are made up of a series of parabolas which feel circular, but are not.
    If turns were circular, you would have to turn your steering wheel from 12 o'clock to the angle of the turn in an instant. But we all know that's not how you take a motorway curve, you slowly adjust your steering as you go round the bend, with your wheel turned the furthest at the apex, and then you slowly return it to the 12 o'clock position as the road straightens out.

    • @aidanp3088
      @aidanp3088 2 роки тому +4

      Roundabouts for the win

  • @ShirleyLestrade
    @ShirleyLestrade Рік тому +1

    Short simple to the point and informative! Thanks, I actually learned something!

  • @positiveG
    @positiveG 2 роки тому +8

    The coaster community has got room for more folks!

  • @DWUnkown
    @DWUnkown 2 роки тому +1

    this is the journalism we want!

  • @oscarcacnio8418
    @oscarcacnio8418 2 роки тому +5

    Oh! I've heard of this one from Tech Diff with Matt Parker!

  • @TheSharter
    @TheSharter 2 роки тому +2

    first time I rode Revolution at Magic Mountain was back in the 80's when it was just a lap bar and no headrest. I remember my head going down by my legs in the loop.

  • @jacksonpalmer8955
    @jacksonpalmer8955 2 роки тому +14

    I once convinced my sister that the sooper dooper looper did not have a loop in it. She still hasn’t forgiven me, and the rest of our family hasn’t let her hear the end of it 😂

    • @seitanbeatsyourmeat666
      @seitanbeatsyourmeat666 Рік тому +1

      Your sister is blind, and you tricked her like that?
      I’m not sure how I feel about you now…

  • @imreallyagoat
    @imreallyagoat Рік тому

    Proud to say that Hershey park is 2 hours away from me in NYC and I have ridden the Sooperdooperlooper every time I go to Hersey. That ride is so much fun and the loop is no joke 😂

  • @medexamtoolscom
    @medexamtoolscom 2 роки тому +45

    Did the first one actually subject the passengers to 14 g's? Or was that just AN example of a circular loop and not a model of one that was actually put into practice? Because 14 g's is a lot. The hypothetical euthanasia coaster would only be about 10 g's but it would keep it up for a minute. Never mind the acceleration function being discontinuous, just it being 14 is a problem.

    • @danielking6426
      @danielking6426 2 роки тому +18

      It was also troubling that it was suggested that circular coaster riders were subject to an instantaneous jump from one to fourteen g’s.
      That is not possible. It could be very dramatic change - but not instant.

    • @englishatheart
      @englishatheart 2 роки тому +4

      Man, seeing people use apostrophes to make plurals (it should either be Gs or "G"s) makes my eye twitch.

    • @balthazothrenier9048
      @balthazothrenier9048 2 роки тому +5

      @@englishatheart Actually if you wanna be totally pedantic/correct about it, the correct way to spell out a reference to the letter G is to write "gee" or "gees." Not makin this up, Google it!

    • @spencerlively3049
      @spencerlively3049 2 роки тому +4

      @@balthazothrenier9048 thanks, I hate it LOL

    • @philb5593
      @philb5593 2 роки тому +14

      There's something off about those graphs. No way it is 14 g. The graph shows the modern coaster at 9 g, which also wrong. Halve those numbers and you're on the money. A circle would be more like 7 g and a modern loop 4.5 g.

  • @MK-of7qw
    @MK-of7qw 2 роки тому +1

    The Souper dooper Looper is a pretty smooth coaster.

  • @sadjesse
    @sadjesse 2 роки тому +8

    Very interesting video, I never thought about it but it's cool how they perfected it.
    Also, why are people disliking this video (Browser plugin sees all)? It's science, that's how it is.

  • @MoonFairy929
    @MoonFairy929 2 роки тому +1

    Grew up on Revolution! They kinda make a big deal about it at the park, but it’s super cool to know it’s the first of the hollow steel tracks and modern loops!

  • @oriolephan
    @oriolephan 2 роки тому +8

    Hershey is my home park. I love when riders get on the SooperDooperLooper and go that's it? Expecting more than one loop.

    • @MSmithNYC
      @MSmithNYC 2 роки тому +2

      They must be missing out - it''s three great parts - the circular shape of the loop that makes it so unique and fun, then swinging back through the loop and then winding along the terrain along the hill and through the trees. It's a classic!

    • @jlk311
      @jlk311 2 роки тому

      i love the SuperDooperLooper; Its the first coaster I ever rode and there is hardly ever a line

  • @brandoreid2962
    @brandoreid2962 2 роки тому +1

    Sooper Doppler Looper was my first roller coaster 🤘🏽. What a timeless ride

  • @yoriskerkhoff
    @yoriskerkhoff 2 роки тому +31

    How are you talking about loopings without mentioning Werner Stengel?! That man essentially revolutionized the entire rollercoaster industry when he designed Revolution at SFMM! He deserves more recognition.
    Edit: Ron Toomer also deserves a mention for creating the first modern inversions with his Arrow Corkscrew coasters

  • @user-zq1vg8xm1p
    @user-zq1vg8xm1p 2 роки тому +2

    being a president of coaster enthusiasts is now one of my goals in life

  • @Lobstrique
    @Lobstrique 2 роки тому +6

    this ties perfectly with my recent roller coaster tycoon obsession, thank you!

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 2 роки тому

      this ties in perfectly with my general roller coaster obsession lol.

  • @danmorrison8194
    @danmorrison8194 2 роки тому +1

    I loved riding the Laser Loop when it was in Kennywood Park here in Pittsburgh. The ride was sold and taken out in the mid early to mid 90’s.

    • @ltpenniss6691
      @ltpenniss6691 2 роки тому +1

      I rode it many times before joining the Navy. The Laser Loop was powered by an old steam catapult from the USS Lexington aircraft carrier, that oddly enough I got to ride in 1987 for a "CQ demo" out of Ft Lauderdale while in VA-37 stationed at NAS Cecil Field. GO BULLS !!..

  • @gamefront
    @gamefront 2 роки тому +11

    Your graph at 5:12 shows the Clothoid Loop peaking at above 10G, but then you claimed that it peaks at 4.9G - are all your graphs inaccurate?

    • @eatyourvegetables1449
      @eatyourvegetables1449 2 роки тому +1

      I think the 4.9 is like the average all around. You only have those high spikes of 10 G’s for not even half a second. So 4.9 Gs is around the average a rider will feel during the loop in total. I don’t know if I make sense. But I hope I help

    • @thebestplayerispatapete4564
      @thebestplayerispatapete4564 2 місяці тому

      @@eatyourvegetables1449 no, 10 g is dangerous even for less than half a second. i think that 4.9 g is the max force, so the graph may be inaccurate

    • @eatyourvegetables1449
      @eatyourvegetables1449 2 місяці тому

      @@thebestplayerispatapete4564 Fighter pilots are trained to pull up to 9g's.

    • @thebestplayerispatapete4564
      @thebestplayerispatapete4564 2 місяці тому +1

      @@eatyourvegetables1449 but most people aren't fighter pilots

  • @juanduran7699
    @juanduran7699 2 роки тому

    That´s the type of information I demand from internet. CLASSIC !!! love it

  • @anthonyfaye3344
    @anthonyfaye3344 2 роки тому +3

    What! Matt Anderson was my physics professor at SDSU. Great professor and great guy!

    • @carultch
      @carultch 2 роки тому

      Did you see him teach in person when he uses the learning glass writing board?

    • @anthonyfaye3344
      @anthonyfaye3344 2 роки тому

      @@carultch Yes! I had his class in 2017, so post-pilot program I guess. They interviewed me about the system and used that clip in some early promos for Learning Glass. I even got to go to see him get an award for it and my interview was in the presentation.
      I'm a big Matt Anderson fan and the system was a fantastic idea!

    • @carultch
      @carultch 2 роки тому

      @@anthonyfaye3344 What was it like seeing the two mirror images of him while watching his lectures? Did you feel inclined to watch the real version of him, where the writing is backwards from your point of view, or did you instinctively look to the screen to see his writing reversed so it is legible?
      I feel like that's the drawback is that the live audience would be more inclined to watch him in the flesh where his writing is backwards, than to watch the live video where it looks the way it is intended. The best part is when he has to go against his instincts and use his left hand for the right hand rule, so that the figure in the video uses his right hand.

  • @AmusementArchitect
    @AmusementArchitect 2 роки тому +2

    Awesome seeing Sooperdooperlooper on here!

  • @gamebred5662
    @gamebred5662 2 роки тому +12

    What they said about 6 gs making you pass out, there's a coaster at kings dominion in VA called the intimidator or something like that it's a Dale Earnhardt themed coaster. The first drop is like 300ft straight down then you hit a 80° banked turn. EVERY single time I've rode it I black out on that first turn. So I'm guessing it's right at 6gs

    • @teathe427
      @teathe427 2 роки тому +18

      Intimidator 305 goes to about 4.5 gs (which is still a lot for a rollercoaster), but people still black out because it's a sustained force throughout that whole helix turn. Very few rollercoasters nowadays reach 6 gs.

    • @OffByHearttt
      @OffByHearttt 2 роки тому +5

      I believe they had to re-profile intimidator 305 after it opened because the initial layout was too intense

    • @fyre5287
      @fyre5287 2 роки тому +1

      @@OffByHearttt Yep, the second half of the turn leading into the airtime hill was raised off the ground so you would go through it slower and experience less gs.

    • @SunshineStateCoasters
      @SunshineStateCoasters 2 роки тому +2

      @@fyre5287 Typical Intamin as usual

    • @dasher3532
      @dasher3532 2 роки тому

      Shockwave at Six Flags Over Texas actually pulls more Gs, 5.9 I believe. I305 pulls around 4.5.

  • @CharmagneChaCha
    @CharmagneChaCha 2 роки тому +1

    Me, an sdsu alum, "Professor Anderson? Still teachin me physics, years later". Nice 👏🏾

  • @comenting3207
    @comenting3207 2 роки тому +17

    There is a small problem that yall forgot which is that the flip flap railway and loop de loop needed circular loops to complete the loop without passengers and cars falling off the track and crashing into the bottom of the loop because they didn't have upstop wheels.

    • @Robbedem
      @Robbedem 2 роки тому +2

      You mean they needed enough speed and thus high g-forces to create enough centrifugal force. The loops would still have been better with the cochloid shape.

    • @comenting3207
      @comenting3207 2 роки тому +2

      @@Robbedem Exactly but they didnt think clothoid loops because in the 1800s to early 1900s safety was the second priorty

    • @maxhagenauer24
      @maxhagenauer24 2 роки тому

      I don't actually know if they had upstop wheel back then but if not, you still get a little under 12 Gs on the top of the loop when you only need 1 G to keep it up so it doesn't fall.

  • @diegodesigns3976
    @diegodesigns3976 2 роки тому

    It’s amazing what you find in the middle of the night on UA-cam 😅

  • @zingcool1740
    @zingcool1740 2 роки тому +5

    I love vox so much like they have a very wide scope of contents to share. A+ for their research based ideas too. Its like there are things im so curious but never popped a question yet but vox is here to give an absolute great answer haha

  • @rockjays7926
    @rockjays7926 2 роки тому

    I love it when they post loopy videos like this!

  • @lahavzaken6638
    @lahavzaken6638 2 роки тому +224

    Only Vox can get you interested in the shape of a roller coaster.

    • @hypercane2023
      @hypercane2023 2 роки тому +8

      You spin me right 'round, baby
      Right 'round like a record, baby
      Right 'round, 'round, 'round
      You spin me right 'round, baby
      Right 'round like a record, baby
      Right 'round, 'round, 'round
      You spin me right 'round, baby
      Right 'round like a record, baby
      Right 'round, 'round, 'round
      You spin me right 'round, baby
      Right 'round like a record, baby
      Right 'round, 'round, 'round

    • @bluetoes591
      @bluetoes591 2 роки тому +8

      I would argue that Tom Scott would also succeed at this.

    • @missybarbour6885
      @missybarbour6885 2 роки тому +6

      Nah, there's a whole channel called Art Of Engineering that's just this and it rules

    • @JaxMerrick
      @JaxMerrick 2 роки тому +1

      @@bluetoes591 Considering one of the Citation Needed videos he did was on the Flip Flap Railway... Yeah.

    • @maxhagenauer24
      @maxhagenauer24 2 роки тому

      Yeah no I couldn't disagree more, I have always been so interested in the subject of G Forces on roller coasters and vehicles but I feel like this was one of the worse videos explaining it tbh.

  • @nathank9579
    @nathank9579 2 роки тому +1

    I just went to Alton Towers yesterday this video is very well timed

  • @StanLeeGhost
    @StanLeeGhost 2 роки тому +4

    I have never been on one seemed scary but now I want to try it.

  • @Amorstopineed
    @Amorstopineed 2 роки тому +2

    Sad that you didnt mentioned the genius behind the first looping; Werner Stengel, a german engineer, who developed the clothoid shape and also drawed the conctruction. He also developed even more systems like the heart-line role and other forms.

  • @Sythern0
    @Sythern0 2 роки тому +31

    Nice and interesting video!
    As a improvement point, please include some form of metric measurements, I found myself having to google feet to meters to get a size perspective

    • @wendyweaver8749
      @wendyweaver8749 2 роки тому +1

      dfrocha1 - Simple estimated conversion of feet to meters: There are 39 inches in a meter, 12 inches in a foot and 3 feet to one yard. I.e., there are 3+ feet/1+ yards to a meter. So, 150 feet = 50 yards = 50 meters less 8% = ~46 meters (yards x 92% OR feet x 92% divided by 3). [To simplify further for head calculations: convert feet to yards (feet divided by 3), times 90% then add 2%.] Once you have done this a few times, you should find it quite quick to calculate a rough estimate.
      Being in the U.S., I use the reverse for rough estimates: 1.08 times meters = yards then times 3 for feet. Or use meter plus 3 inches per meter. This means 16 meters equals 16 yards + one foot per four meters = 17 yards and one foot. [To simplify further for head calculations: Use 1.10 times meters then subtract 2%.]

  • @thomasbernecky2078
    @thomasbernecky2078 2 роки тому +2

    I grew up riding the wooden coaster the Comet in Crystal Beach, brother to the one in Coney Island.

  • @zacharyhenderson2902
    @zacharyhenderson2902 2 роки тому +13

    Teardrop shaped loops help make the ride more gentle on the human body.

    • @maxhagenauer24
      @maxhagenauer24 2 роки тому

      Unfortunately, yes.

    • @chrono9503
      @chrono9503 2 роки тому

      @@maxhagenauer24 ah yes, the chaotic evil.

    • @maxhagenauer24
      @maxhagenauer24 2 роки тому

      @@chrono9503 What im saying is they never needed to get rid of circular loops, that's what made them fun and now they are forceless. All we have left are Schwarzdof Looper loops that are almost circular but aren't.

  • @doingtheellathing
    @doingtheellathing Рік тому

    I live close to Hershey and also used to work there. The first time I went on it, my head went forward and was like that for the whole loop but then came back up haha! Just my advice, press your head back as you enter the loop. Fun though and you feel secure even though it’s not an over your shoulder seat

  • @hypercane2023
    @hypercane2023 2 роки тому +23

    1889: circle roller coaster
    1976: oval roller coaster
    2879: s q u a r e r o l l e r c o a s t e r

    • @jadenthomas1169
      @jadenthomas1169 2 роки тому +2

      Why are you thinking in shapes instead of dimensions? :)

    • @fandroid6491
      @fandroid6491 2 роки тому

      4879: 4 d r o l l e r c o a s t e r

  • @machupikachu1085
    @machupikachu1085 2 роки тому

    Thank you Vox! This video makes so much sense! Does anyone remember 'SuperLoops'? It was a carnival ride that was literally just and enclosed perfect circle, going round and round, stopping at the top. 🤢

  • @trevor1925
    @trevor1925 2 роки тому +11

    Man, the people that designed the Flip Flap Railway must've been lured in by easy appeal of a nice circle. They clearly needed some citations

    • @JouvaMoufette
      @JouvaMoufette 2 роки тому +3

      The bars on this show are really wide

  • @TopherCedar
    @TopherCedar Рік тому +2

    More roller coaster videos please!

  • @joermnyc
    @joermnyc 2 роки тому +54

    Then there’s the enclosed water slide from Action Park that ended in a loop that was a perfect circle… and sent so many people to the hospital because of either whiplash, or bashing their head into some part of the inside. 🤦‍♂️

    • @bornh8r
      @bornh8r 2 роки тому +10

      omg that's terrible.. u would think the experts at tasked with designing and building waterslides would know better

    • @fyre5287
      @fyre5287 2 роки тому +10

      @@bornh8r Amusement park safety was not really a thing in the 80s

    • @SmallSpoonBrigade
      @SmallSpoonBrigade 2 роки тому +3

      Yep, this is why when you're engineering something like that, you'd likely want to go with a shape that keeps acceleration to a tolerable level and adjusts the radius to make that work.

    • @kyliecrown533
      @kyliecrown533 2 роки тому +9

      @@bornh8r it’s because no experts were really consulted lol. The owner of the park who was a wall st businessman and real estate developer drew it on a napkin and they built it. Action park is a fun rabbit hole if you ever feel like watching a video on it

    • @emmarainbow9557
      @emmarainbow9557 2 роки тому +2

      Even action park only had it open for one season! It was about 10g. People were consistently hurt by it, so they added padding. Then people were cut by it. They investigated and they found previous riders had left teeth embedded in the padding.

  • @suzylu333
    @suzylu333 Рік тому

    loved learning about the coaster enthusiasts!! how wonderful :)

  • @HyperionNotHere
    @HyperionNotHere 2 роки тому +13

    As an enthusiast, before watching this video. The simple reason as to why was that with a circular loop, the G-forces coming in to the loop were too high, and too little at the top. The design we have now evens out the G-forces throughout the element.

    • @SmallSpoonBrigade
      @SmallSpoonBrigade 2 роки тому

      Yes, you could lower the g-forces, but then you're likely to have the car fall off the track at the top, or you can have the higher g-forces and risk injuring the passengers. Changing the shape was ultimately the best choice as the varying radius could help to cushion the impact of the acceleration and allow for the car to stay on the track at the top and the passengers to not be hanging from the seat belt.

    • @maxhagenauer24
      @maxhagenauer24 2 роки тому

      @@SmallSpoonBrigade Ok you clearly don't know how coasters work, there are upstop wheels on the bottom of the track to keep the train on, during negative Gs, also the old coasters did not injure the passengers, the high Gs aren't really bad for the human body, its just that the general public didn't like the feeling of greying out and the intensity.

  • @atribecalledjudah5436
    @atribecalledjudah5436 2 роки тому

    This little physics lesson helped me on my Planet Coaster build.

  • @DABUNGINATOR
    @DABUNGINATOR 2 роки тому +5

    I've been on a loop that pushed my head down so hard that I felt like my neck was gonna snap. It seems not all engineers have learned since the late 1800s.

    • @Archman155
      @Archman155 Рік тому +1

      you still probably only felt around 5-6Gs, far safer then 14G which would probably actually injure u

  • @DanHiteshew-oneandonly
    @DanHiteshew-oneandonly 2 роки тому

    I remember the hype when Super Dooper Looper opened. I rode it in 1978 or 79 when I was a kid. Even got the "I survived the Super Dooper Looper" T shirt.

  • @ericbrammer2245
    @ericbrammer2245 2 роки тому +3

    I worked at King Dominion Park, in central Virginia, in the Machinists "Tool Crib', meting out Parts as needed. As Such, I got a nifty "insider's view" of the Constructs of the various Coasters. A Huge concern was 'G-loads', where a Coaster's speed, on a given Curve, would possibly injure a Rider. A good example was in the 'Volcano', a Mag-lev propelled, Vertically accelerated, inverted-loop, spiral descent coaster being 'built & tested' when I first got there. It could exceed 5 g's, and that was a Concern! It got 'down-to under 3-g's, and still made the top 'Immelman roll' out of the Top of the "volcano" mountain construct. But, for the first few weeks of Ops in Public, there was an, um, 'Impact Area', where loosely tied shoes, boots, etc., would Land, about 150 yds. from the 'Top' of the Ride. We had to reconsider, what was 'allowed' as manageable footwear as a result of one unlucky patron, in the I.A.. have his whole Food-Tray taken out, by a size 11 Boot, from Above... Quite unpredictably! If you may the forces too great, things happen beyond the 'expected' Thrill!

  • @isaacmartinez6904
    @isaacmartinez6904 2 роки тому +2

    20th century roller coaster loops are quite a wild ride.

  • @twstf8905
    @twstf8905 2 роки тому +6

    That's awesome that the mechanical engineering "consultant" became so inspired by the question to veer off and do a bunch of scientific analysis on his own lol of course, I suppose we all found ourselves with slightly more time, during the once-in-a-century worldwide Pandemic lockdown situation than usual. 👍
    It's still fairly impressive, answering the question with science.

  • @rajandraverma7605
    @rajandraverma7605 8 місяців тому +1

    वीडियो देखनलाई अति राम्रो छ ।

  • @ashutoshchatterjee
    @ashutoshchatterjee 2 роки тому +3

    5:21 "How many Gs to hit" I hate my mind 🤣

  • @Missmethinksalot1
    @Missmethinksalot1 2 роки тому

    Excellent editing, graphics and commentary!

  • @rehanpoonawalla7406
    @rehanpoonawalla7406 2 роки тому +5

    As a rollercoaster enthusiast, I approve of this video 👍🏽

    • @dustmybroom288
      @dustmybroom288 2 роки тому +1

      As a roller coaster enthusiast I find this video is lacking

  • @gabbro7802
    @gabbro7802 2 роки тому

    5:48 Gardaland, Blue Tornado! Love it

  • @B1lly_
    @B1lly_ 2 роки тому +9

    Graystillplays: "Amateurs. MORE ZEROES!"

  • @christophercarpenter7536
    @christophercarpenter7536 2 роки тому

    I love roller coasters. What a different view I would have had 100 years ago. Thanks for the history lesson.

  • @GerbenDavid
    @GerbenDavid 2 роки тому +9

    It blew my mind when I first knew that there were loops in the Victorian era, even before the mass began to use electricity ... ! people on loopings with top hats and corsets 🤣.

    • @Robbedem
      @Robbedem 2 роки тому +1

      safety wasn't really considered important in the Victorian era. ;)

    • @GerbenDavid
      @GerbenDavid 2 роки тому +1

      @@Robbedem Putting arsenic in wallpaper, chemicals in the things that you sell to make them look nicer, wearing a thing that pinches your ribs (but makes you look nicer).. NICE

    • @jazzabighits4473
      @jazzabighits4473 Рік тому

      @@GerbenDavid Corsets do make women look really hot though

  • @IanG99
    @IanG99 2 роки тому +1

    Thanks for helping explain G Force! Now i can understand all those G Force in Top Gun a bit better

    • @maxhagenauer24
      @maxhagenauer24 2 роки тому

      Is there anything you still don't understand cause I can probably help, I have always been really interested in the study of G forces on all rides and vehicles, if you want to know more, tell me.