Hydra: The Revenge

[Stu]

Woo and indeed Yay, take a look at the

Hydra Mini Site

Dorney Park's new for 2005 floorless coaster which begins with a heartline roll out of the station and also features the first inclined dive loop

the terrain route looks very impressive, when it was initally announced it was said to feature lots of tunnels and heavy terrain route, so i was expecting the floorless equivilent of tremors but i'm not at all dissapointed looks a very unique twisty adventure, the larger than normal flat spin into the cobra roll looks great, i've always thought a "larger" corkscrew would make a much more comfortable and thrilling element, sure it will be an incredible coaster experience

interesting it doesn't have a mid-course block section yet can still take over 1200 people an hour

[in2ob1ivion]

It sure does look impressive (but then we expect no less from B&M), it also proves that good ideas dont have to be record breaking, just a little rearrangeing and the odd novel twist here and there and hey presto, another world class unique work of art. One thing that slightly puzzles me is how will they get the trains to invert so soon after the station? will it be launched or is the track out of the station on a sharp decline?

[Graeme]

Broken record time from me again, I'm afraid!

This is America's 8th floorless coaster and 11th B&M sitdown looper in general. They seem to be able to put them up so easily - how come the UK can't get one?

1999 - Medusa (SFGAdv)
2000 - Medusa (SFMW)
2000 - Kraken
2000 - Dominator (Knight Flight)
2000 - Superman Krypton Coaster
2002 - Batman: Dark Knight
2003 - Scream
2005 - Hydra

Yup, sorry, just checking! (Three other floorlesses around the world.) Plus of course:

1993 - Kumba
1999 - Hulk
2001 - Wildfire

But anyway, as to Hydra itself, I'm glad B&M are doing some different designs now, although I wouldn't say it looks the best so far. Even though I haven't been on them, I'd favour Medusa West and Kraken for the straight drop, large vertical loop, dive loop and zero G roll. And Krypton Coaster, which just looks great. But it looks good. I'd rather have a class act like this than a more sensationalist coaster.

If the large corkscrew is good, it may become an essential element! I'd rather have a large corkscrew than two small ones.

In2Oblivion, I don't think it will have a launch. I think either the jo jo roll will be angled downwards slightly or there will be a small drop/incline before it. It's only like the inlines on Colossus, so shouldn't need much energy at all.

[Stu]

would you count the 7 stand up coasters too?

1990 - Iron Wolf
1991 - Vortex (great America)
1992 - Vortex (carowinds)
1996 - Mantis
1997 - Chang
1998 - Riddler's Revenge
1999 - Georgia Scorcher

i know they're not "sit down" but it's a variation on the "traditional" car on top of the track (not hanging underneath or owt) multi element coasters

They really do get them up without too much trouble in america, it's always been a shame to me we couldn't have a Georgia Scorcher sized sit down looping coaster along the front of kantaga canyon at alton towers, or a Vortex (carowinds) sized stand up coaster at Chessington running around the mystic east interacting with dragon river / falls ride

The illustrations of Hydra suggest that the elements and track are more stretched out than usual, this hopefully should in turn stretch out the sensations created by the elements, it's a trick that worked fantastically on Kraken, that really is an awesome coaster, i'd go as far to say it's my favourite coaster of all time

Dorney Park will be a great park in 2005, Hydra is going to be an excellent addition to the oustanding pair of coasters the park already has, the incredible (yet compact) inverter Talon, which also uses "stretched out" track shapes to great effect and the pure awesome Steel Force, the second best hyper coaster i've had the priviledge of riding (it is a very good coaster but sorry it's hard to beat Apollos Chariots)

[Graeme]

stu said:

would you count the 7 stand up coasters too?

I didn't know whether to count them, but decided against it. I guess a park wouldn't have both a B&M sitdown looper and a B&M floorless, yet Magic Mountain has a B&M stand up and a B&M floorless.

But the stand ups are certainly a further indication of how many B&Ms the Americans have!

[Stu]

Hydra is now complete! They certainly get them up quickly across the pond, check the

Latest Hydra Photos

from the official site, now it's built the route is much more twisty / freeform, well less rigid than the usual B&M looping coasters, i wonder if this could be a new era of multi element coasters from b&m,

steel coaster are a lot more flexible than they were a few years ago, spawned from the first gerstlauer bobsled coasters, and now moving into the euro fighters, xtended coasters and now the B&M floorless

be interesting to see if this style of coaster continues / how it wears in after a few seasons

[Graeme]

stu said:

from the official site, now it's built the route is much more twisty / freeform, well less rigid than the usual B&M looping coasters, i wonder if this could be a new era of multi element coasters from b&m,

I hope so. They seem to have stopped selling a bit. The coaster looks fantastic though, and I actually think it looks much more like one of the best ones now I've seen more of it.

I love that aerial pic of the cobra roll from November 22nd. I love the giant corkscrew leading into the cobra roll - never seen one big enough to happen before a cobra roll before! It's funny to see the jo-jo roll, as it looks like the element you've been able to do for years in RCT with the B&M track, yet their coasters have always had zero G rolls instead (which I love).