MAURER FLYING LAUNCH COASTER - Maurer Rides

MAURER
FLYING LAUNCH
COASTER
MAURER‘S NEW LSM
SYSTEM MARRIES
THE LAUNCH AND THE
MAGNETIC BRAKE
Stop in the station or roar straight
through for another round and
double the ride from 500 meters
to 1000 meters
But don‘t worry! Our marriage
reduces costs by sharing the brake
and the launch with an
enviromentally friendly low cost
power system.
www.maurer-soehne.com

THE FLYING
LAUNCH
3 1
IN
The “Flying Launch” principle was
first used at the Bayern-Park in
Southern Bavaria: Including a spectacular
start, gripping excitement
up to the very last moment, different
ride variations combined with
the flying start while still maintaining
a low energy cost, characterize
this coaster. Additionally, it has
other great innovations such as its
illuminated wheels. But we won’t go
into detail about that right now. The
coaster innovators from Maurer
Rides Munich are already planning
the next ride with a Flying Launch,
for example, in the Ningbo Park in
China. But what exactly does the
Flying Launch mean? What added
value does the principle really of-fer
to amusement park operators?
Let us first take a look at the classic motion
sequence during a catapult launch, so
that we can see the potential of the novel
Flying Launch: The passengers get into
the coaster at the station. The car is transported
out of the station by electrical friction
wheel drive units and accelerated up
to the desired speed by a launch shot. At
the end of the journey and just before the
station, it shoots into the braking section
and is slowed down being returned
THE FLYING LAUNCH COMBINES THREE
FUNCTIONS IN ONE IMAGINATIVE
CONCEPT WITH ENORMOUS POTENTIAL
FOR CREATIVITY AND SAVINGS
to the station by drive wheels. To summarize,
there are three motion elements that
need to be taken into consideration in the
planning, construction and operation of a
roller coaster with regard to the station:
Launch, brake and drive wheels.
All in one: the Flying Launch principle
The new Flying Launch handles all three
elements simultaneously and integrates
the launch, brake and drive wheels in one
system. Once the passengers have gotten
on board, the car is accelerated straight
from a standstill position, and on its return
there is no braking phase just before the
station. Instead, the car shoots through
the station from its residual energy and
is braked electrically in the launch section
by switching the electrical currents polarity
thus changing the launch into a magnetic
brake. The braking energy is stored
temporarily and then reused for the next
launch. The car comes to a standstill in the
drive section and is quickly transported to
the station. Then the classic “changing of
the guests” takes place.
This concept offers a whole series of
development possibilities, from various
points of view:
• More fun from the very first second of
the ride with the launch at the start.
• More attractions can be included into
the layouts, hence, they can be designed
to be more exciting. This is too vague?
What does this mean?
• The “flying through the station” makes
different ride variations possible by either
stopping in the station or continuing the
ride
• Innovative technologies make a positive
contribution to the ecological and
economic balance by recycling some of
the braking power into the next launch.
More fun for the guests: from the
very first to the very last second
The most important target group in the
park is, of course, the guests – and here
the Flying Launch scores a number of
“higher points” from the very first second.
Since the launch stators are installed right
at the station, there is no gradual starting
up and gentle station exit. The roller
coaster experience begins at once with a
start like that of a Formula 1 race car, a
bullet being fired or being beamed into
another world.
The riding experience can be savoured
right up to the very last second
because there is no braking before the
station. A highlight at the end, a big
finale that is like a last minute sprint
FORCES IN MOTION
Launch Coaster XL 2000
Custom Designed / Bayern Park
·Length: 483 m [1585 ft]
·Height: 24 m [79 ft]
·Run time: 55 sec
·Max. speed: 80 km/h [50 mph]
·Cars: 1 [2 x 6 seats]
·Capacity: 600 people per hour
•One single LSM launch at the ride’s start
•Acceleration through same LSM (no braking)
for a second round is possible
•Regenerative braking energy is recovered
for the next launch

to the end, the last big bang as in a fireworks
display leaves the guests breathless
when they arrive back at the station.
And more than that: The guests are surprised
as they pass through the station
to what might be considered “late braking“
by returning into the launch section.
This “late braking“ lengthens the
ride’s adventure. Even the entry into the
station becomes an experience: by travelling
backwards, something that is otherwise
rare on roller coasters. The roller
coaster ride remains interesting right up
to the last moment instead of the leisurely
cool-down phase that is part of
more conventional roller coasters. More
action and interaction is provided by
the headchopper element when shooting
through the station. A Flying Launch
can be braked after the station, but need
not be. Quite simply, what it means for
the guests is this: There is a second round
over the entire track without any stopping
in between. This provides many
times the riding excitement relative to the
track length. It goes without saying that
Maurer Rides provides the Flying Launch
coaster with the multiple award-winning
X-Seat, meaning: There are no interfering
shoulder restraints to get in the way
during inversions and negative g forces
allowing for more freedom and fun.
Space-saving layouts or more highlights
on the same track
The design advantages for roller coasters
with Flying Launch can be seen at once. If
there is no separate braking section, then
there is more space for special elements –
or to look at it from another point of view:
Even if space is limited, it is still possible
to design tracks with compact and interesting
layouts: The “shooting through the
station” that is possible at any time, doubles
the track length as well: For example,
1000 m of riding pleasure for a track
length of 500 m – the ride experience
was not possible up till now.
On top of that, these short tracks can
be designed with high speeds, since the
excess energy does not need to be dissipated
through external brakes but
instead is recycled in the launch section.
The same technical approach “recovering
energy” can be applied to high track
elements with a short track length: High
track elements are attractive for the
guests (view, sheer adrenaline) and serve
as an advertisement for the park by being
a landmark. This now means that even
parks that are short of space can build
such a highlight.
The Flying Launch opens up the possibility
of building attractive steep sections
directly before or after the station: Thus,
the launch can shoot into a camelback
immediatlely or let the car “drop” into the
station at the end. The camelback immediately
after the start also means that the
reverse-downwards entry into the station
is even more exciting for the riders.
Ecological and economic arguments
Last but not least, the Flying Launch principle
offers a whole series of economic
and ecological advantages.
The track is more cost-effective, since
the transport drives in the station and
the station brakes can be eliminated and
hence the regular maintenance of the
brake pads and friction wheel drive units
that are subject to wear. In addition, the
maintenance costs are reduced, since the
remaining launch element also functions
without any wear. The markedly lower
amount of time and money required for
maintenance also means less downtime,
fewer staff is required, fewer materials are
used and the system lasts longer.
A technical benefit with multiple uses
is the recovery of the braking energy
through a generator. The energy that has
been recovered can be stored temporarily
and without any losses in the Supercaps
and used again at the next start.
This means: Only a low electrical capacity
is required for the launch shot when it
comes to the electrical connection to the
local power plant. This greatly reduces
the costs, because smaller transformers
and distributor stations are perfectly adequate
and because the lower current consumption
peaks reduce electricity costs.
The central data point for the profitability
of the amusement park is the capacity.
A roller coaster with Flying Launch allows
high capacities of up to 1000 pph. Since
the ride is intensely dynamic from the first
to the last second, there are no longer any
lengthy transport sections in and out of
the station that reduces capacity.
With a Flying Launch coaster, the section
that is travelled is longer than with
a classical layout because the launch area
is travelled through twice (at the beginning
and at the end). There are potentials
for saving by designing a smaller launch
and bringing the car up to the final speed
by building up accelerations. A shorter
launch provides more freedom in designing
the layout and entails lower costs.
And lastly, the safety aspect should not
be forgotten either: The Flying Launch
guarantees a high degree of safety due to
the almost wear-free short-circuit braking
in the unlikely event of a failed launch.
FORCES IN MOTION
conventional coasters
Station
Brake
Green coaster
Station
Launch
Brake manoeuvre
Visit us:
IAAPA Attractions Expo
13 - 16 November 2012
Orlando, Orange County Convention Center
- Booth No. 4806
LSM Launch & Brake
ENERGY RECOVERY