Why roller coaster loops aren't circular

The G forces were out of this world.
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If you’ve ever been on a modern looping roller coaster, you’ve probably experienced a thrilling, safe, and mostly comfortable ride. But this wasn’t always the case. Just over 100 years ago, loop-the-loops were painful, not sturdy, and much more dangerous than they are today.
Between the 1840s and early 1900s, loops on roller coasters were perfectly circular - meaning riders would go from traveling in a fairly straight line to immediately moving into a curve. This rapid onset of curvature caused extreme G force spikes that rattled passengers to their core.
The first looping roller coaster in North America - Coney Island’s Flip-Flap Railway - could exert up to 14 G's on a person. For reference, astronauts in a spaceship launch experience 3 G’s. Fighter pilots with very special equipment and training can handle 10 G’s for short periods of time. 14 G’s was (and still is) tremendous.
More people paid to watch others ride these early coasters rather than ride themselves. Without sustained success, most looping coasters closed down within their first decade of operation.
Looping coasters wouldn’t find success again until the 1970s with a new loop shape, new materials, many more cars - and, thankfully, fewer G’s. In this video, we break down all the advancements that helped make looping coasters the popular ride they are today.
Links:
www.aceonline.org/
/ yoprofmatt
vc.bridgew.edu/honors_proj/459/
gizmodo.com/why-roller-coaste...
www.washingtonpost.com/archiv...
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[@Vox]

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: kzbin.info And if you’re looking for a deep dive into physics, Professor Matt has a channel too: kzbin.info Thanks for watching!

[@julianmuller9567]

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

[@jdmagic]

@@julianmuller9567 They deserve a month smh

[@julianmuller9567]

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

[@jdmagic]

@@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]

Very interesting

[@SaarimaaSauli]

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]

this!

[@HeidenLam]

Poor customers

[@explodingsofa1563]

I just came to the same conclusion!

[@sjakierulez]

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

[@sebastiandingleswitch3757]

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]

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]

Agreed with your 289 text in this comment 👍

[@jakethecake6952]

what engineering did you study?

[@andrejones4696]

Anaconda at Kinds Dominion too hahah

[@JosephPojunis]

Listen to this guy, Andre iz smart

[@Nova3674]

@@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

[@muhammadazneel]

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]

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

[@TheJeleb]

@@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]

I loved that game as a kid!

[@MadameSomnambule]

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]

@@MadameSomnambule shoutout Marcel

[@khalilahd.]

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]

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

[@PogieJoe]

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

[@zorgbarley1762]

I co-sign EVERY part of your comment!

[@TheSecondBeef]

Farming subscribers here too, I see

[@Nan-59]

@@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.

[@cobblecobb9419]

As someone who loves roller coasters, works as a roller coaster operator, and loves the nerdy details about roller coasters. I appreciate this video being made and brought to a larger audience.

[@maxhagenauer24]

That's actually the reason I don't like this is cause it reminds me that we are getting coasters that are less and less intense. There wasn't to much wrong with the circular loop coasters.

[@naiknaik8812]

@@maxhagenauer24 the video talks about whats wrong with circular loops though???

[@maxhagenauer24]

@@naiknaik8812 And ok saying from experience that he is wrong. Well, maybe I just find a lot of coaster loops boring and I find them more fun the more intense there are, maybe the 12 Gs on Flip Flap Railway was a but much but the 6, 7, 8 G loops were the best thing ever, they were forceful enough to be very fun but not quite uncomfortable.

[@Celatra]

@@maxhagenauer24 and they also caused people actual injuries

[@teodorhellgren5613]

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]

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

[@ally-gh3hv]

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]

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

[@parrisgeorge9708]

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]

my first upside down coaster as well! love Hershey ❤️

[@alexz5620]

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]

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

[@josephfisher426]

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]

Yea transition tracks increase the centripetal force gradually and not immediately

[@murdo_mck]

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]

SCIENCE!

[@Turkeyslam]

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]

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

[@Celatra]

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

[@eduardofarias5397]

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

[@willemrood]

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]

I've hit a couple abrupt ones and almost wrecked

[@maxhagenauer24]

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]

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

[@ericbogar9665]

@@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]

@@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.

[@petitthom2886]

“Superdooperlooper” Best name ever for a roller coaster

[@hypercane2023]

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 KZbin. Please do more of this!

[@PogieJoe]

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

[@hypercane2023]

@@PogieJoe I just did :)

[@ckq]

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

[@Vox]

Thanks Hypercane. We'd love to hear more from you - please get in touch with us at [e-mail]!

[@constancecandice7695]

You commented 1 hour after the video was uploaded… lol

[@KirtFitzpatrick]

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]

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

[@kirablagoev8534]

@@MrStamperh your*

[@bmxscape]

wow good point

[@colehancock7146]

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

[@MrStamperh]

@@kirablagoev8534 it’s correct. Learn English

[@pablofromny]

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

[@pragyachakravarty1324]

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]

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

[@khalilahd.]

Lol dang 😭

[@maxhagenauer24]

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

[@MetalisForever666]

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).

[@just-dashin]

you mean Kingda Ka

[@MetalisForever666]

Of course Kingda Ka. Just a typo.

[@NatashaVincent]

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]

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

[@finlaymcewan]

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

[@bocahdongo7769]

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

[@arkitect156]

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

[@duon44]

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

[@sk8razer]

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 😂

[@puspamadak]

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

[@Jesus_is_savior]

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

[@fastinradfordable]

Good thing engineers don’t aim for gorgeous.

[@fastinradfordable]

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

[@traplover6357]

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

[@orbrat212]

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

[@thewewguy8t88]

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

[@SDSUSciences]

So great to see our very own Professor Matt!

[@Sharonmxg]

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.

[@BernhardVodicka]

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]

Oh yeah absolutely. Olympia is always such a fun ride

[@prestonksp3432]

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

[@aequus2196]

@@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]

@@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.

[@_P4nth3r_]

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]

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

[@Justin.Franks]

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]

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!!

[@5MadMovieMakers]

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

[@novaa802]

Why does this comment have no replies also hi 5mmm

[@regulusmuphrid4891]

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

[@DaveTexas]

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]

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

[@arkitect156]

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]

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]

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

[@janmelantu7490]

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]

No other biscuits will ever be issued

[@jacksonpalmer8955]

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]

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

[@arods]

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!

[@ryans.8366]

The amount of research that went into this is so awesome

[@Vinemaple]

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

[@Autoskip]

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

[@taylorboulton177]

Those poor donkeys

[@Vinemaple]

@@taylorboulton177 IKR

[@hypercane2023]

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]

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

[@fandroid6491]

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

[@JazonHart]

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

[@ShirleyLestrade]

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

[@tomasvrabec1845]

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]

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

[@oscarcacnio8418]

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

[@dhruvpatel6604]

The research and the presentation is excellent! Sustained quality of videos impresses me Vox!

[@viniciusrafer3055]

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

[@bicyclist2]

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]

What does Sea World have to do with this?

[@bobbymoss6160]

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

[@williamhaynes7089]

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

[@dollcefina]

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

[@jefferson4213]

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.

[@machupikachu1085]

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. 🤢

[@hypercane2023]

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

[@Storm-tracker-HQ]

MEATSPIN VIBES

[@carultch]

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

[@lahavzaken6638]

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

[@hypercane2023]

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]

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

[@missybarbour6885]

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

[@JaxMerrick]

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

[@maxhagenauer24]

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.

[@legendsofmyself]

Awesome. Didn't know I needed this. But I did and I'm glad. Please when is the "explained series" going to continue, if it's going to continue. Thanks

[@L00PdeL00P]

As a rollercoaster enthusiast, this video is refreshingly well-researched. Keep it up fellas :)

[@Sythern0]

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]

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%.]

[@juanduran7699]

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

[@Missmethinksalot1]

Excellent editing, graphics and commentary!

[@zingcool1740]

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

[@joermnyc]

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]

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

[@fyre5287]

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

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

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]

@@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]

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.

[@katiewennerberg210]

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

[@brandoreid2962]

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

[@rooneye]

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

[@carultch]

Until you blackout from weighing a ton.

[@jazzabighits4473]

@@carultch LOL

[@medexamtoolsdotcom]

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]

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]

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

[@balthazothrenier9048]

@@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]

@@balthazothrenier9048 thanks, I hate it LOL

[@philb5593]

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.

[@christophercarpenter7536]

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

[@MoonFairy929]

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!

[@jainamshah44970]

Lets just say that they found a loophole

[@ruthie_rosario]

Get out

[@lawrencesmeaton6930]

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]

Roundabouts for the win

[@nvrndingsmmr]

This video rules, thanks for all the interesting info! It's also nice to see all the other people here who also grew up playing Rollercoaster Tycoon!

[@imreallyagoat]

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 😂

[@trevor1925]

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]

The bars on this show are really wide

[@positiveG]

The coaster community has got room for more folks!

[@rockjays7926]

I love it when they post loopy videos like this!

[@heygtc]

Well done video. Bravo Vox!

[@oriolephan]

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

[@MSmithNYC]

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]

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

[@zacharyhenderson2902]

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

[@maxhagenauer24]

Unfortunately, yes.

[@chrono9503]

@@maxhagenauer24 ah yes, the chaotic evil.

[@maxhagenauer24]

@@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.

[@suzylu333]

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

[@nathank9579]

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

[@ig-nat-ius1891]

I've passed out on a few different rides before during the loops and didn't make the connection to it being g-force, even though it makes total sense. The physics of this makes me wonder if roller coasters that are better for people with dysautonomia might be something in the future of roller coaster design, what with everyone getting long COVID now and developing dysautonomia.

[@StanLeeGhost]

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

[@diegodesigns3976]

It’s amazing what you find in the middle of the night on KZbin 😅

[@vibratingstring]

my first was Lightning Loops at Great Adventure. That was scary! You dropped into the loop and had a negative G in the drop and at the end of the run --- then you did it backwards! my second was at Old Dominion. I still have a set of playing cards with it printed on it.

[@sadjesse]

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.

[@Lobstrique]

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

[@thewewguy8t88]

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

[@danmorrison8194]

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]

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 !!..

[@TheSharter]

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.

[@gamebred5662]

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]

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]

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

[@fyre5287]

@@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]

@@fyre5287 Typical Intamin as usual

[@dasher3532]

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

[@HyperionNotHere]

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]

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]

@@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.

[@user-zq1vg8xm1p]

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

[@tezra9085]

man this some top tier journalism, kudos!

[@comenting3207]

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]

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]

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

[@maxhagenauer24]

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.

[@anthonyfaye3344]

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

[@carultch]

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

[@anthonyfaye3344]

@@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]

@@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.

[@thomasbernecky2078]

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

[@TopherCedar]

More roller coaster videos please!

[@yoriskerkhoff]

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

[@meggiem4685]

I wish the graph more accurately matched what you're saying... at 5:17 the G-Forces are still around 10 (which wasn't that big of an improvement from the 14 in the first-ever loop), but you said in your real-world example that the G-Forces maxed out around 4.9 (which is very impressive, but not demonstrated properly on the graph).

[@DelGTAGrndrs]

Make a better video then…

[@machupikachu1085]

@@DelGTAGrndrs IKR!!

[@johnsyborg]

Very well made video. Loved it.

[@oldhoodieboyfan7736]

ty for this vid bro I learned something new :)

[@gamefront]

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]

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

[@B1lly_]

Graystillplays: "Amateurs. MORE ZEROES!"

[@jennifervan75]

My fellow intellectual

[@itsytyt5192]

דכ

[@Amorstopineed]

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.

[@atribecalledjudah5436]

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

[@ashutoshchatterjee]

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

[@twstf8905]

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.

[@IanG99]

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

[@maxhagenauer24]

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.

[@ztl2505]

Even after watching this I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to at least try the 14G Victorian skull-thrasher.