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MASON ????????? Visitors to Kings Island can see the amusement park is building a ride that park managers refuse to discuss except to say that it will open in 2009.
But drawings Kings Island filed with the city of Mason Planning Department provide new clues about the ride they've tried to hide:
The plans describe a coaster 4,200 feet long, based on scale drawings. It will span from just behind International Street and the Eiffel Tower and over the Rivertown area, between The Crypt and Potato Works and over into what appears to be a wooded area.
It will be smaller than The Beast, which is 7,400 feet long, and bigger than the Vortex, which is 3,800 feet long.
Plans show that each train on the new ride holds 32 people in eight attached cars. The track appears to run over a water feature near the end of the ride.
The ride is designed by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard and it is listed as a "hypercoaster," according to the plans filed with the city of Mason.
A photo on the Swiss company's Web site for "hypercoaster" characterizes the ride as having "height, speed and airtime." The water feature was not shown.
Kings Island's drawings filed with the city of Mason also indicate three loops.
Neither representatives of Kings Island nor its Swiss ride manufacurer could be reached for comment on Tuesday, July 8.
Detailed drawings of the ride itself were not submitted to Mason, since the city only has oversight over the design and construction of a building where riders will depart and return. Inspection of amusement park rides falls under the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
However, state officials are not privy to design details about the new ride, either.
Bill Schwaderer, a spokesman for the agriculture department, said the amusement park industry uses standards developed by the American Society of Testing & Materials. The state does not review or approve ride designs before construction.
"We look at the records and certifications that this ride has met the ASTM standards," Schwaderer said. "A lot of those rides are proprietary and they won't let anyone know anything. You can't see the engineering stuff on it, it's all copyrighted. They don't want anyone to find out what their secrets are. Even for us, we just see the certifications."
Len Morrissey, ASTM staff manager for amusement park rides, said most manufacturers follow the ASTM standards for design, G-force, acceleration and restraint and safety systems.
"You can sort of self certify, but there isn't some sort a watchdog out there that checks it, unless there is an incident or something like that," Morrissey said.
But drawings Kings Island filed with the city of Mason Planning Department provide new clues about the ride they've tried to hide:
The plans describe a coaster 4,200 feet long, based on scale drawings. It will span from just behind International Street and the Eiffel Tower and over the Rivertown area, between The Crypt and Potato Works and over into what appears to be a wooded area.
It will be smaller than The Beast, which is 7,400 feet long, and bigger than the Vortex, which is 3,800 feet long.
Plans show that each train on the new ride holds 32 people in eight attached cars. The track appears to run over a water feature near the end of the ride.
The ride is designed by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard and it is listed as a "hypercoaster," according to the plans filed with the city of Mason.
A photo on the Swiss company's Web site for "hypercoaster" characterizes the ride as having "height, speed and airtime." The water feature was not shown.
Kings Island's drawings filed with the city of Mason also indicate three loops.
Neither representatives of Kings Island nor its Swiss ride manufacurer could be reached for comment on Tuesday, July 8.
Detailed drawings of the ride itself were not submitted to Mason, since the city only has oversight over the design and construction of a building where riders will depart and return. Inspection of amusement park rides falls under the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
However, state officials are not privy to design details about the new ride, either.
Bill Schwaderer, a spokesman for the agriculture department, said the amusement park industry uses standards developed by the American Society of Testing & Materials. The state does not review or approve ride designs before construction.
"We look at the records and certifications that this ride has met the ASTM standards," Schwaderer said. "A lot of those rides are proprietary and they won't let anyone know anything. You can't see the engineering stuff on it, it's all copyrighted. They don't want anyone to find out what their secrets are. Even for us, we just see the certifications."
Len Morrissey, ASTM staff manager for amusement park rides, said most manufacturers follow the ASTM standards for design, G-force, acceleration and restraint and safety systems.
"You can sort of self certify, but there isn't some sort a watchdog out there that checks it, unless there is an incident or something like that," Morrissey said.
Under this link you can see the latest construction pics: http://www.brandonscoasters.com/rcdbkki ... known1.htm
Screamscape added pictures showing off teaser signs, sort of looking like the ones that Cedar Point posted for Maverick. Below you can see them hanging on the construction fence.
What are your thoughts?
