Three Ways to Unique Launches
In 2023, 24 coasters with a track length of over 400 m were opened worldwide. Of these, 8 were equipped with a chain lift, while the other 16 were all equipped with a launch drive (13 LSM/LIM and 3 with friction wheel launch).
With twice as many launch systems as classic chain lifts every year, launch coasters have set the standard for larger roller coasters. Formerly classified as a special feature and rarity, this technology is now widespread.
In the search for novelties and unique experiences, the normal launch propulsion system is increasingly losing its potential, which leads to the question: what tops the launch?
We see the following three approaches that can be realized excellently with Spike coasters, among others:
1. Infini-Launch
More and more roller coasters have additional boost sections, that bring extra energy into the system and upgrade the ride experience. Double and triple launches are now quite common, albeit at a high additional cost.
With powered coasters such as Spike coasters, the vehicles are equipped with their own motors. This means that drive power is permanently available and can be used specifically for boosting at no extra cost. Double and triple launch coasters become real multiple or, as we say, infini-launch coasters, which, especially in the case of Spike coasters, surprise the rider every time anew with their brute force.
Maurer Rides Infini Launch Coaster
2. Speed-controlled Launch
The classic launch system accelerates continuously from the initial to the final speed. However, the specific control of acceleration and speed during launch opens up a variety of additional options and ride experiences. One well-known example is the boost at the end of the ascent on Incredible Hulk at Universal Studios in Orlando, which turns the entire ride into an extraordinary experience.
For a roller coaster with Spike drive, such an effect can be easily realized at any time by setting the ride profile in the software. In addition, surprises, acceleration variants depending on external influences as well as adjustments to the ride profile by the operator, such as a particularly intense ride for thrill-seekers or reduced requirements for children, can be easily programmed.
Maurer Rides Humpty Lift
3. Centrifuge Launch
A completely new perspective on making launch sections an unforgettable and unique experience is offered by Spike coasters with their ability to boost at every bend and twist. With such a Centrifuge Launch, the ubiquitous straight acceleration section at the beginning of the ride is a thing of the past. Imagine instead a large banked curve, where during acceleration not only forces are generated in the x-direction, but also various additional forces that are felt as pressure, lateral force or, in the case of reverse banking, as lift-off and with airtime.
When accelerating through an S-curve, the change of direction becomes an exciting game of forces. The whirl of a tornado, on the other hand, is experienced with increasing speed in the twists and turns of a heart roll. Virtually every ride element is suitable for the Centrifuge Launch, offering almost unlimited opportunities to experience something new and unique on roller coasters.
Around 50 years after Anton Schwarzkopf built the first launch coasters with his catapult roller coasters in 1976, the potential shown can completely reposition the topic of launches and enable the construction of unique rides and breathtaking visitor magnets in the future.