Injured? wtf are you smoking?
Project 2025/Caldera: Rapterra (Launched B&M Wing Coaster)
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“Getting injured on it” and expecting CF/SF to construct theming on the scale of the mountain that Paramount built lmfao please tell me this is ragebait?
No, it's not normal, but it's also not surprising and not anything approaching a disaster.
This discussion just needs context. If you have ridden a new B&M from the last year or two, you very much know what this "new B&M rattle" is. It IS a thing and I do think it IS an issue—but probably not in the way that someone who hasn't experienced it yet would immediately think.
When people who haven't experienced it hear "new B&M rattle," they reasonably assume we're talking about, say, the rattle of an Arrow Corkscrew or Vekoma SLC. This isn't that scale at all and, even if it were, thanks to modern trains and restraints, the rider experience would STILL be night and day vs those older examples.
That being said, anyone who tells you the "new B&M rattle" doesn't exist is also massively exaggerating in my opinion. There is a VERY noticable difference in the smoothness between B&M dives from a few years ago and Iron Menace. Iron Menace isn't at all uncomfortable let alone even remotely painful, BUT it rattles and shakes in ways that previous B&M products and some current products from other manufacturers just simply do not.
B&M is no longer selling the Rolls-Royce of roller coasters. Their coasters don't seamlessly glide through the air anymore—they don't feel almost unnaturally glued to the track these days. They jitter, lightly rattle, and even occasionally nudge their way around their courses now. They're not running as smooth as the smoothest new Intamins, Vekomas, etc, but they're still infinitely smoother and more comfortable than lower-teir manufacturers and most anything from any non-B&M manufacturer 10 years ago.
To put this solely in the context of KD, I think you should expect Rapterra to be smoother and notably more comfortable than Dominator, infinitely smoother than Flight of Fear, and more comfortable than Twisted Timbers. It won't feel like a the glass smooth gliding of a new B&M hyper from 2018 and that, in my opinion, IS a problem—but not because the coaster will be bad or even notably degraded, but because it harms the previously immaculate reputation and prestige of B&M and it feels like a cheaper product even if the experience overall is still very, very good.
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To @Zachary ’s point, the concern that this shift of B&Ms rattle isn’t that it’s “rough”. It’s that it kinda suddenly happened and has been on all coasters. To me it makes me wonder if there’s a lowering of QC with tolerances, compound in wheels have changed, or quality of the steel has changed.
I wouldn't be surprised, given the consistently and timing of the issue. Companies in all industries have had to make major cutbacks since COVID 5 years ago, so I'm sure with the price of manufacturing skyrocketing, B&M has had to make compromises to their standard in order to offer a product that's affordable to potential buyers (but of course not compromising safety).
Can I also point out that most of these recent B&M's have been smaller scale too as far as chassis/track width/capacity goes (Iron Menace, Phoenix Rising, Pipeline, Mandrill Mayhem, and Rapterra and Big Bag Wolf included). We'll see if Wrath of Rakshasa suffers from the same issues.
Maybe B&M should find a new fabricator. Or tighten up what they allow as acceptable tolerance from spec. Ultimately B&M is to blame for this because they contract Clermont Steel Fabricators to build the track pieces and they haven't thrown them to the curb. The deviations (Rapterra's launch section) are visible to the naked eye - how could that ever get through QA and leave the factory? Clermont Steel Fabricators shouldn't be paid until they can actually produce a decent piece of track.
My question to all of you... Is it a B&M Rattle or a Clermont Shimmy?
My question to all of you... Is it a B&M Rattle or a Clermont Shimmy?
Clermont isn't a new contract though right? I thought they've been making B&M's track for a long time, but maybe I'm wrong. Even if B&M isn't happy with the results, they are probably contractually obligated for a set number of years, barring any major misstep or issue, and steel manufacturing the way it is, I would bet B&M would hope to try to get results resolved in stead of trying to find an entirely new company with which to work.
KD’s site states the cost of the Lost World was $7mil. The inflation calculator at bls.gov says $7 million in 1977 (year the LW project started) would be $38,180,752.14 in today’s dollars, so that’s within striking distance of what Rapterra is purported to cost, considering this is one ride instead of three.
There’s no way this ride cost anywhere near $40 million dollars. Maybe half of that
Could be, but I still wouldn’t feel disappointed—that’s a significant investment, and I’m sure the Volcano teardown and cleanup wasn’t cheap, either.
Does anyone who went to the commercial shoot know where the on-ride photo is taken on the ride or did they not have that set up yet?
At the bottom of the first element, right before the dive loop. There were technicians setting it up towards the end of the day.
As far as complaints of shacking are concerned, I am convinced the issue is with the trains. I am not trying to discredit anyone saying work is being done to the track, but I have not seen any evidence to support this theory. My suspicion that the rattling is more to do with the train is due to how different the rattling is between the same seat between the two trains. Also I could not find a patern of which seats were more rattlely than others. (Front or back, right or left, inside or outside) although I am working from a small sample set. My first ride was near perfect (third row, outside left) although I would not call it an outlier as the third ride (fifth row, inside right) was also near perfect. The worst ride was in the second row, inside right. Worst here is an comparative term and is not intended to mean the experience was bad. If you disagree, I will be very happy to enjoy a shorter line.
If anyone thinks the rattle will hurt riders, they might want to join the queue for Condor at Walibi Holland (T3's sister coaster).
As far as the straightness launch track is concerned, I don't think it matters. Yes, it can be felt. No, it does not impact the ride experience in my opinion. My sisters, who have more pressing issues than to do spend hours a day reading forums, did not recall a wobble on the launch until the ride after I asked them how straight the launch track felt. [By more pressing issues, I mean they spent twenty minutes today at the hardware store matching their clothing colors to the paint samples.]
If anyone thinks the rattle will hurt riders, they might want to join the queue for Condor at Walibi Holland (T3's sister coaster).
As far as the straightness launch track is concerned, I don't think it matters. Yes, it can be felt. No, it does not impact the ride experience in my opinion. My sisters, who have more pressing issues than to do spend hours a day reading forums, did not recall a wobble on the launch until the ride after I asked them how straight the launch track felt. [By more pressing issues, I mean they spent twenty minutes today at the hardware store matching their clothing colors to the paint samples.]
Looks fantastic. Seems to be going very fast, way faster than I thought it would be especially in the Wing Slide. The launch looks a LITTLE bouncy but not enough to ruin the ride, controversial opinion I know.
Ugh. Reverse POVs on this thing aren't a good look. That bounce is super evident throughout the course. I'm not seeing any huge jolts like that one turn on Iron Menace so it's probably "fine"... just also definitely suboptimal.
I do agree that it looks like it runs faster than I was expecting though! Love to see that. I'd prefer a bit of a bouncy ride to a completely forceless one.
KD live on Facebook just had a solo reverse pov and it looked really smooth. Beautiful dawn ride must be nice.
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