Weight drop launch
A roller coaster with a weight drop launch stores potential energy in a heavy weight that is pulled to a height. The train is launched using the spike of energy provided by letting the weight fall to the ground.
The weight drop launch is believed to be the first ever launch system, alongside the electric motor (utilized by Arrow Dynamics). It was introduced on Schwarzkopf's Shuttle Loop model in 1977. It was superseded by the flywheel launch.
External links
- A detailed article on Schwarzkopf's counterweight launch on Schwarzkopf Coaster Net
- Weight drop launch on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
| Roller coaster descriptions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic elements | Brake run • Station | ||||||||
| Advanced elements | Bunny hill • Headchopper • Inversions • Pre-Drop • Tunnel | ||||||||
| Propulsion | Lift hill (Cable • Catch car • Chain • Electric spiral • Elevator • Ferris wheel • Friction wheel • Spiral)
Powered launch (Counterweight • Friction wheel • Flywheel • Compressed air launch • Electric winch launch • Hydraulic • LIM • LSM) | ||||||||
| Technology | Block brakes • Car • On-ride camera • On-ride soundtrack • Test seat • Train • Track • Transfer track • Wheel assembly | ||||||||
| Other | Chicken exit • Exclusive ride time • POV • Queue line • Rollback • Theming | ||||||||
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