Arrow Development Flying Turns Testing | National Roller Coaster Museum & Archives

From scale models to full-size prototype; see how Arrow Development was this close to bringing a modern version of the Flying Turns to life.
Had it been successful, the first model was scheduled to debut at Six Flags Over Texas for the 1980 season. Instead, Judge Roy Scream - a Bill Cobb-designed wooden coaster - took it's place in the park's coaster arsenal.
Ironically, the park would eventually receive a Bobsled Coaster from Intamin - the spiritual successor of the Flying Turns - in the exact spot this coaster was planned to go!
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[@JNattyBoi]

Really awesome stuff! I knew Arrow attempted to revive the Virginia Reel, but I had no idea they took a crack at the Flying Turns as well. Thanks for sharing this piece of history!

[@haveagoodday6846]

The Ride was going to be called the Bobsled Ride. Pete's Woodworking in Morgan Hill made three wooden troughs for this ride, that were going to be used to make fiberglass molds from. Then the ride got cancelled.

[@AmusementInsider]

satisfying physics

[@RollerCoasterMuseum]

"Run #6 looks too intense for me."

[@Benthetrainkid]

Ironically, Knobels would revive the Flying Turns concept in 2006-2007 (tough its opening would be delayed to 2013 due to issues during testing)

[@utahcoasterenthusiasts]

Amazing! Loving the Utah History here!

[@RollerCoasterMuseum]

Actually, all of this footage was filmed in Mtn. View, CA - before Arrow moved and become Arrow Dynamics.

[@utahcoasterenthusiasts]

@@RollerCoasterMuseum ah cool. Eventual Utah history then lol

[@billkeithchannel]

My spine hurts just watching that last test.

[@easynhonest]

👍 And have you ridden the wooden one that was built in 2013 , 70+ years after the last wooden one was built in 1940 ?

[@Yikes_its_Psychs]

Amazing footage. It seems like Arrows only problem was not increasing the radius of the turns. The turns were WAY too sharp.

[@RollerCoasterMuseum]

Plus, the trains can't take those sharp curves. Arrow's tried and true chassis system served them well, but not on this model.

[@billkeithchannel]

YT: /watch?v=rwqVlSAjDAE This would be a nice addition. A workable backyard coaster that was closed and ordered torn down by the city for ordinance violations. This actually worked and was built by a 17 and 19 year old. The design was the same as a professional 8-layer wood stack build but thinner wood since it did not need to support as much weight.

[@jonny-b4954]

I can see why they abandoned it. Hahah Just needs wider turns really. Way too tight for how long those cars are. Let alone the train. Also probably not having free spinning wheels would help. Limiting their ability to turn would have led to more predictable results. Just think of all the money and time spent on that alone just to find out it's not super feasible or not worth it at least. Makes me wish I was a billionaire and could just have people come help me build random rides and what not for fun.

[@RollerCoasterMuseum]

Wider turns and additional articulation on the cars.

[@jeffshepherd1342]

Trains are too long for any bobsled coaster

[@billkeithchannel]

I waited in line 3 hours to ride the Avalanche Run at CP in its opening season and holy wow was it a boring ride. It didn't take too many years before they built that building around it to turn it into the Disaster Transport. An improvement but not by much.