skydiver77
Monday, October 13, 2003 5:04:06 PM
Yes, they showed on channel 11 news the Larson FireBall, it had Strates Shows logo on the rear of the trailer, so that's theirs. I sure hope they set up the Top Spin, i love to watch it, i could stand there for hours & watch it go 'round, a Monster of a ride, that's for sure! ...Next to the Rainbow, yet the Top Spin's gondola is unpredictable, ya never know how many times it'll flip each ride.

~Ben
Midway Provydr
Monday, October 13, 2003 5:06:41 PM
Hey Ben, the Topspin was on the train too. so it will be there too!![:p][:p]
britt
  •  britt
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  • Operations Foreman
Monday, October 13, 2003 5:47:48 PM
hey, when is everyone going to ncsf. i might be there friday but will be there for sure next wednesday. i will be working in the county fair exhibit outside the kerr scott building from 1-3. have a meeting at 3 but will be around until maybe 6.
TopSpinJay
Monday, October 13, 2003 6:14:55 PM
all the rides that are on the strates roster will be at the state fair includen the topspin of course
You'll miss us when were gone....
MidwayProvydr
Monday, October 13, 2003 6:51:40 PM
Hey Britt, I didnt get to make it down to Lumberton over the weekend since i was in Winston but maybe ill catch you at the state fair, im going to go on tuesday to get some pics and again the following weekend. Where will your booth be? i will come by to see you.
cny_chris
Tuesday, October 14, 2003 12:20:20 PM
Quote:

quote:


Posted - 10/13/2003 : 9:04:06 PM by RainbowBen

<snip>

the Top Spin's gondola is unpredictable, ya never know how many times it'll flip each ride.

~Ben



Actually, it is usually very predictable. The number of flips is controlled by what is programmed into the computer. On a single revolution of the arms, the way that Strates runs it, you get 4 flips. Depending on the weight of the riders and a few other factors, it might appear that you might get a 5th flip, but the computer puts the brakes on, and you don't get it. The usual ride sequence that they run gives you two of these and a few other moves (like locking the gondola, so that you drop towards the crowd face first). So in an average ride, you're looking at 8 flips, and a few additional inversions when the gondola is locked. I've been told that you can do a heck of a lot more flips (I seem to recall Michael posting something about 72 consecutive flips, somewhere in Germany), but Strates doesn't run it like that. And before anyone starts whining about that, keep in mind how Six Flags runs most of the ones that they own (pretty lame, IMHO).

I have been on this ride as the only rider and with a full load. Not a whole heck of a lot of difference, other than the rocking of the gondola that you get with the extra weight. So what may look "unpredictable", is actually pretty much controlled by the computer.[:D]

Chris
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Lao-Tsu

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King Jr.

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." - Robert F. Kennedy
shiftgreen
Tuesday, October 14, 2003 12:27:38 PM
The top spin is very scary to me, and its not b/c of the flips, but the holds and rocking when its flipping.. It just looks unstable when it flips, the supports are going back and forth. I know thats what the yare suppose to (i guess) but its still erie, also when your being held face down to the ground and it gradually falls is scary b/c your total weight is on the shoulder harnest, I wish they had seat belts for extra support. Anyway, it looks like the train came , I went by there erlier and they have the top spin on the grounds..weird thing.. this is the first time I beleive that the top spin is at the bottom of the midway instead of the top near the dorton arena, so thats kinda interesting. Its kewl seeing different layouts every now and then.
cny_chris
Tuesday, October 14, 2003 12:59:38 PM
Quote:

quote:


Posted - 10/14/2003 : 4:27:38 PM by shiftgreen

The top spin is very scary to me, and its not b/c of the flips, but the holds and rocking when its flipping.. It just looks unstable when it flips, the supports are going back and forth. I know thats what the yare suppose to (i guess) but its still erie, also when your being held face down to the ground and it gradually falls is scary b/c your total weight is on the shoulder harnest, I wish they had seat belts for extra support. <snip>



The movement of the supports is pretty minor. Having watched Reithoffer's Flip N Out many times, the movement in the supports and towers of it is significantly greater than the Top Spin, IMHO.

Keep in mind that the cylindrical towers on either side of the ride are not just decorative, they are filled with water to act as ballast to keep the ride stable. A little flex in the steel isn't that bad, if it were absolutely inflexible, you would have to worry about it vibrating itself apart.[:D]

Chris
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Lao-Tsu

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King Jr.

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." - Robert F. Kennedy
TopSpinJay
Tuesday, October 14, 2003 7:51:06 PM
the ride can be set to flip based on power settings in the computer and weight, run it in manual and you'll see it do a hell of alot more ive seen it do 14 consecutive flips and follow through with 2 backflips for a total of 16! so realy you never know what you get one day it can be great and give ya more the next they gotta tweak it. they usualy run a programs 2 or 4 and mabie a 5 depending on how busy it is.

the watertanks are filled from the bottom white tank all the way to the top with water. and it does keep the ride stable...this ride wouldent go anywere in a nasty storm or tonado its so heavy you could strap yourself to it and still be there after all the chaos....the ride weighs a total of 107 tons complete and if you go look after its all said and done i garentee it leaves its mark on the ground lol.

on the flexing part, as chris said if it dident flex it would snap like a toothpick so its all good and safe many rides move worse then that, ive seen rides move on the blocks so by far this isent bad at all and its completley safe.

the ride is a little more tamer then what you seen in the past with it... they got a new computer controll which kicks in the brakes a little to calm it down after a set of flips or hangs so it dont swing as violently as it did in the past, but as far as im concerned it should swing it was a better ride to me without the intermideate brake
You'll miss us when were gone....
shiftgreen
Thursday, October 16, 2003 8:26:50 AM
I went by there today and it looks like everything is up, I wish I had my cam with me. anyway they do have both the chance giant wheel, and the kroon wheel up, along with the eli 16.. so 3 big wheels is kinda kewl. also there is the freak out, and kmg fireball,the rainbow is up, topspin is up, and the slingshot, along with everything else ..but there is a lot of rides that I havent seen before, so they must be the new ones..they looked new whatever they were. Ill find out tomorrow.. but the midways are PACKED, it looks more crowded than last year, even though we have 8 less rides. cant wait till tomorrow.
I have no idea what the ride list is , sorry. maybe someone else has it.
Midway Provydr
Thursday, October 16, 2003 8:38:23 AM
Hey shiftgreen, what day or days are you planning on going to the fair?
shiftgreen
Thursday, October 16, 2003 8:48:00 AM
me and my friends are goin tomorrow around 630ish, and then im gonna go again with some other people sometime next week i guess.
i have a job now, so i can afford it. and im gonna take advantage of the maple cotton candy.
Midway Provydr
Thursday, October 16, 2003 9:08:40 AM
Cool, as far as a ride list you can pretty much take the one i posted for the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston then add some. I won't be there till tuesday and then again the following weekend so if you or anyone else hasn't posted a list by then, i will post one.[:)]
shiftgreen
Thursday, October 16, 2003 5:34:30 PM
http://www.ncstatefair.org/2003webcam.htm  .. but its not streamlined so it takes images every so often.
MidwayProvydr
Friday, October 17, 2003 3:51:08 AM
I went up there on thursday to buy some advance tickets, i didn't know that NC State was having a game, one would have thought that the fair had already started with the traffic and all, it was a madhouse there! I ended up going into the fairgrounds office and buying tickets, apparently i was not the only one, there was a line of disgruntled patrons at the office doing the same, i also walked around the fairgrounds to see what they have, it was pretty much everything that was in Winston last week plus more, i think this will be a good year. That Rockin Rapids looks awesome!!![:p][:p]
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