RCPro: Designing roller coasters takes a lot of imagination. Where do you
find the imagination to not make your coaster's have a certain sense
of "repetition?"
Stengel: Very popular effect are been used again (of course). We have taken several
figures from aerobatics, e.g. barrel roll, Immelmann, etc.
RCPro: How has varying terrain been a factor in designing terrain-based
coasters such as Nemesis?
Stengel: There are several reasons why Roller Coasters are terrain-based: 1)Short columns to get steel prices down 2)Over all limit in height due to authorities 3) Nice effects. Also tunnels or nearness to water surface.
RCPro: Kingda Ka - The most critically acclaimed coaster in 2005. Many have
often questioned why you've taken a much similar design approach as
Top Thrill Dragster, labeling it as nothing more than a "copy." Can
you explain the reasoning behind why you did not choose to change the
designing a little more?
Stengel: The influence of the client is very strong. If there is a popular ride it would be
copied several times, this saves money. But Kingda Ka isn’t an exact copy of
Dragster. Sure it has a very similar tower with a little more height, but it has an
additional hump and this is unique.
RCPro: Speaking of record breaking, there has always been the debate of what
is too high, what is too fast. What do you think the exact limit will
be in terms of height and speed with roller coasters in the future?
Stengel: I don’t see a limit in height and speed, but we have already reached the limit in
acceleration, e.g. 6G from head to toe for maximal 1 second duration. This value
won’t be exceeded in the future, to my opinion.
RCPro: Batman: The Ride has been regarded as not only one of the world's most
intense roller coasters, but perhaps the most successful with 12
clones in operation today. Would you consider this to be your proudest
achievement? If not, have you categorized your favorite achievement?
Stengel: Batman is in my opinion one of the most intense Roller Coaster. My personal
favorites are already mentioned under point 6. Several rankings about steel- and
wooden Roller Coasters can be found in the Internet which I can live with.
RCPro: Roller Coaster: The Roller Coaster Designer Werner Stengel is a new
book publication by Klaus Schutzmannsky, focusing on your work. Do you
have any commentary on it?
Stengel: I like the book very much. Mr. Schützmannsky has done a very good job. On the
other hand there were several errors within the book which were caused by the
publishing house.
RCPro: What would you consider too intense? Will we start seeing 5G or even
5.5G rated elements coming soon, or will there be 12 inversions in one
layout coming soon?
Stengel: Nowadays there are Roller Coasters with 6G maximum vertical accelerations and
there is one Roller Coaster with 10 inversions. I don’t know what the future will
bring. Let’s wait and see.
RCPro: How accurate is the popular roller coaster simulation game No Limits
compared to the programs you use to design rides?
Stengel: NoLimits is a wonderful game for all Roller Coaster enthusiasts and has a really
nice simulation of a created ride. It can’t be a program for us to design rides.
There are several critical points which lose it’s credibility as a professional
program. I think the big popularity is coming mainly from the initial low price and
the Roller Coaster Tycoon import. However we have contact to Mr. Ole Lange
and he already programmed a module for presenting our layouts within NoLimits.
We know that for decision makers which are very often non-technical people (only
businessmen), the imagine of a Roller Coaster simulation is sometimes
necessary to get the contract for our clients (suppliers).
RCPro: Designing a hyper coaster requires a smooth flow, while designing a
multi-inversion roller coaster takes a balance of force and
uniqueness. How do you manage making completely opposite types of
roller coasters?
Stengel: Money rules the world. The customer, the seller and the supplier are having a big
influence nowadays. We have to deal with the given data and conditions and try
to make the best out of it. This is an incredible amount of work also to tie together
agreeable accelerations and excitement for the passengers.
RCPro: Once again, I'd like to thank you for giving your time to RCPro, it's
staff, it's readers, and all your fans. I leave you with one final
question: What will the roller coaster of the future be like?
Stengel: I really believe in Roller Coaster future, but I can’t see into the future. The future
Roller Coaster would depend very much on its riders and this couldn’t be
answered. I would like to finish with that what we always have done in the past
and present, let’s suppose the challenge of the future.
