Originally posted by dcs221
70-75 mph may have cost more money, and may not have been as family friendly. There are a million other reasons why they may have gone with a slower top speed.
Also consider, as long as elements are sized well relative to speed, 40 mph can be very exciting. That hill after the 40 mph launch should have very strong airtime.
But I too don't understand straight sections without a ton of speed. The first one after the roll may be a block, but the rest of that section before the next launch seems to meander to me. I'm all for well done straight sections (read: Apollo's Chariot), but that one in particular in that context doesn't seem like a good element.
I like the concept of multiple launches...keeps that pacing up (though in this case, maybe not as much as we might like). Not like most rides are going much faster than 40 mph toward the end, anyways.
"Family friendly" leads to travesties like InTrimidator305.
Now, I'm not disputing that you can make good coasters at 40 MPH, but I don't think launched coasters are as suitable for low speed.
Multiple launches are a good concept. However, I would make each launch FASTER than the last, such as on Mach 3 (search YouTube for it). This way, instead of just maintaining its pace, the ride would build up in a crescendo of adrenaline.
I'd also like to note that with 1 or 2 launches reaching 70-75 MPH, the ride could reach the end of a track the same length at speeds exceeding 40 MPH.