Innovation

WORLD’S FIRST FREE FALL TOWER FEATURING A TRUE “SKY DIVING” EXPERIENCE

The SKY JUMP is a highly unusual attraction, which is the first of its kind to offer the guests an unforgettable sky diving experience. The development of this very unique attraction was only possible by using a special magnetic braking system designed by INTAMIN. This patented brake system allowed INTAMIN to create this absolutely unique free fall tower attraction.

After the very successful introduction of the first SKY JUMP at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida in 2014 (which features a 102m high tower, a ring-shaped vehicle holding up to 32 passengers and the unique 95° tilting mechanism), Intamin has now developed a less talland lower capacity version, resulting in a very attractive price for this type of unique thrill ride.

The SKY JUMP 16 – 76M  features a 76 meters high lattice tower structure and is equipped with two independent vehicles, each holding up to 8 passengers, which are tilting 95° face forward.

The vehicles are located on the opposite side of the tower structure. Each of the two vehicles consists of a special carrying structure, which holds 2 seat units for 4 passengers each and are equipped with the unique 95° tilting mechanism.

The passengers are seated in a moulded seat and are secured by a redundant shoulder restraint system for optimum passengers safety and comfort, which was specially designed for this highly unusual free fall tower attraction.

The two catch cars, which lift the vehicles to the top of the tower, are connected via a steel chain to the drive motor, which is located at the top of the tower. The two ride vehicles are lifted alternately and are guided on the lattice tower corner main tubes. Once the vehicle has reached the top of the tower (and after the tilting and waiting sequence), the vehicle is automatically released from the lifting system and rushes downwards giving the riders an exciting experience of weightlessness.

For the passengers the actual ride experience begins when one of two vehicles is lifted to the top of the tower. On the way up, the passengers – in an upright position like on a “normal” free fall tower and with their feet dangling freely – can enjoy the view before the vehicle comes to a stop at the top of the tower. Then the seat-unit is tilting 95° backwards and the passengers are about to experience a ‘flying’ sensation.

Being with the torso almost parallel to the ground, this is exactly the position sky divers assume once out of the airplane. The vehicle and consequently the passengers will remain in this position for a few seconds, before the vehicle is disconnected from the catch car and the riders are “skydiving” towards the ground. Accelerated by gravity only, the vehicle reaches in a 100% real free fall a speed of approx. 90 km/h.

After the pure free fall in a face-down dive position the vehicle enters the braking section and this is when the seats are automatically moving backwards into upright position and consequently take the passengers back to a vertical position – just in the same way when skydivers open their parachute. The passengers will experience a powerful but at the same time very smooth deceleration of up to 3.5 g’s within the fail safe “Eddy  Current Brakes” (magnetic braking system) along the bottom part of the tower.

The pure ride time from “take off” until “landing” is approx. 90 seconds with the highlight of an unforgettable sky diving experience and all the thrills and excitements that come along with it.

ORIGINALITY OR UNIQUENESS OF THE PRODUCT

• There is no doubt of the uniqueness: it is a world’s first free fall ride featuring seats tilting 95°, facing riders straight down while dropping.
• For the first time, a drop ride offers a real sky diving experience
• Two (2) independent vehicles which hold 2 seat units for 4 passengers each
• The elements of surprise are omnipresent: riders cannot estimate when the seats will tilt since they cannot see the top of the tower. They cannot know how long the vehicle will hold them in horizontal position facing the ground before the drop. The ground gets closer and they are wondering when the seats will tilt back again to vertical position
• It offers extreme sensations never experienced before
• The Sky Jump is another milestone in the development of free fall towers
• The freefall time is approximately 5 seconds
• The deceleration and braking is made smooth with the use of Intamin’s patented magnetic brake technology, even though the vehicle reaches a speed of 90 km/h (59 mph) during the drop

ORIGINALITY OR UNIQUENESS OF THE PRODUCT

• There is no doubt of the uniqueness: it is a world’s first free fall ride featuring seats tilting 95°, facing riders straight down while dropping.
• For the first time, a drop ride offers a real sky diving experience
• Ring vehicle of 32 seats arranged in 8 seat units of 4 passengers
• The elements of surprise are omnipresent: riders cannot estimate when the seats will tilt since they cannot see the top of the tower. They cannot know how long the vehicle will hold them in horizontal position facing the ground before the drop. The ground gets closer and they are wondering when the seats will tilt back again to vertical position
• It offers extreme sensations never experienced before
• The Sky Jump is another milestone in the development of free fall towers
• The freefall time is approximately 7 seconds
• The deceleration and braking is made smooth with the use of Intamin’s patented magnetic brake technology, even though the vehicle reaches a speed of 95 km/h (60 mph) during the drop

SKY JUMP CONCEPT

NEW TRAIN DESIGN WITH ELEVATED SEATS ON A LSM MULTI LAUNCH COASTER

TARON holds a total of 4 World Records. Besides being the fastest Multi Launch Coaster in the world, having the most powerful LSM launch drive in the world, it is also the longest multi launch of its kind in the world and the number of intersections is breaking any record – the track crosses an unbelievable 116 times.

The most important factor of TARON’s success is Intamin’s new -open- train design. Besides the track quality and obviously also the layout, it is the trains which have a very strong impact on the ride experience and whether the ride is enjoyable and will have many repeat riders or not.

One of the client’s request was that the train had to perfectly match the ride. While the high dynamic layout with its figures and changes of direction together with the quality of the track form the basis for the ride enjoyment, the train is to some extent the bridge to the passenger. Its design brings out the way the track is laid out to build up the drama of the ride experience – and can only at its best increase it.

The very open design was intended to create a particularly free, literally unrestrained ride feeling – creating the special extra kick on the fast-paced ride through Klugheim.

The ride and consequently guest experience was the center point during the train development, looking for the highest passenger comfort, the feeling of flying, an enjoyable ride experience and at all times complying with the most stringent safety standards. At first sight a contradiction.

Safety, comfort, thematic embedding and spectacular ride enjoyment are merged into the train

TARON’S TRAINS:
THE RIDE EXPERIENCE

1. The reduced train weight (for details please refer to “TARON’s trains – technical advantages” outlined below) results in the most power efficient LSM drive system in the market. Alternatively, it is now also possible to use the higher power efficiency to launch stronger, more powerful than with any other available LSM launch system.
2. The seat height and especially the raised seat position where the feet do not touch the floor, allow for an experience and feeling of “flying through the air”, even for taller people.
   It guarantees a more thrilling ride experience, because it combines the advantages from a sit down and a suspended roller coaster (easy and fast load / unload, no obstructed view by track above the rider, feeling of suspended riding).
3. Flat floor at entire vehicle. The flat floor of each train vehicle is at same height as the station floor. This barrier-free passage between the seats significantly speeds up the load/unload process and allows for a low dispatch time.
   In addition the subjective ride feeling is very “open” because no side walls, steps, etc. are obstructing the seating position.
4. The new ergonomically formed seat with over-the-shoulder lap bars, is seating kids from 130cm as well as “big boys” up to 135kg most safely and at the same time highly comfortable in this ‘all in one’ seat. There is no need to equip the train with special dedicated “big boy seats” negatively affecting operations, the hourly capacity of the ride and the personal feelings of some guests.
   • The seat design allows highly comfortable seating while keeping the upper body in position even at extreme lateral accelerations without obstruction of the view (compared to competitors).
   • The restraint padding offers soft, big contact areas to upper legs guaranteeing high comfort seating even during extreme uplifting g-forces.
   • The lap bar system enhances the ride experience on Taron without rigid fastening of the guest into a restraint system.
   • The seat design and consequently arrangement results in a larger than usual distance between the seat rows, which further increases the feeling of comfort and enhances the ride experience.

TARON’S TRAINS:
THE TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES

1. All main chassis elements are made from machined material without any welded components. With the exception of the seat brackets there are no welds, since all the other parts of the train are made from solid/forged components.
2. By using the latest machinery technology the chassis weight was significantly reduced, it weighs less than its welded counterpart and the chassis tolerances are much smaller and more precise which is crucial on LSM driven trains, as this makes it easy to maintain uniform air gaps with the track-mounted stators throughout the trains.
3. The new chassis generation has no weld seams at all, so the maintenance efforts are significantly minimized. E.g., the NDT tests are minimized to surface NDT checks at heavily loaded spots only. In the past chassis were welded, resulting yearly / bi-yearly in extensive NDT checks depending on train cycles. These checks are very time and cost intensive.
4. Latest “state of the art” maintenance friendly bogie system, using aluminum as light weight material instead of “heavy” steel.

THE RIDE IN ACTION