S
Steve
Guest
Anyone into roller coasters should be interested in this. It has only just opened making it the tallest, fastest coaster in the world. As usual the Americans do things bigger than us Brits so if you want to ride this beast you will have to travel to Six Flags theme park in New Jersey.
Kingda Ka Stats
Type of coaster: Hydraulic launch, aka rocket coaster
Height: 456 feet (tallest in the world when it debuts)
Top speed: 128 mph (fastest in the world when it debuts)
Location: Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey
Coaster elements: 456-foot tall top hat tower, with 90-degree ascent and descent
129-foot second hill designed to provide free-floating airtime.
It is over in the blink of an eye. Well, OK, 50.6 seconds to be exact. But, what an exhilarating not-quite-a-minute Kingda Ka (Swahili for "omigod, what a ride") will be. According to Six Flags Great Adventure, the coaster uses a hydraulic launch to blast off horizontally and reach 128 mph--yeah, you read that right, 128 freakin' mph--in 3.5 seconds. That'll be 8 mph faster than Cedar Point's similar Top Thrill Dragster, which will be downgraded to the world's second-fastest roller coaster in 2005.
Like Ohio's Dragster and other launched coasters, Kingda Ka climbs a top-hat tower at 90 degrees. In this case, the apex of the tower will reach a staggering 456 feet, or 36 feet taller than Cedar Point's reigning (but not for long) champ. We're talking over 45 stories in the air. You won't have much time to either appreciate the view or get freaked out, however. The trains crest the tower and plummet 418 feet straight down the other side before entering into a 270-degree vertical spiral.
Kingda Ka uses some of its incredible height and speed to deliver some of that delirious airtime that coaster lovers crave. After the top hat, it climbs a 129-foot tall hill designed to induce weightlessness. Then it's back to the station.
Anticipating huge demand, the rocket coaster has four trains and two loading platforms in its station. Manufactured by Swiss ride manufacturer Intamin, the thrill machine will use an over-the-shoulder safety restraint system.
You can see photos of the coaster here
And a video here
Kingda Ka Stats
Type of coaster: Hydraulic launch, aka rocket coaster
Height: 456 feet (tallest in the world when it debuts)
Top speed: 128 mph (fastest in the world when it debuts)
Location: Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey
Coaster elements: 456-foot tall top hat tower, with 90-degree ascent and descent
129-foot second hill designed to provide free-floating airtime.
It is over in the blink of an eye. Well, OK, 50.6 seconds to be exact. But, what an exhilarating not-quite-a-minute Kingda Ka (Swahili for "omigod, what a ride") will be. According to Six Flags Great Adventure, the coaster uses a hydraulic launch to blast off horizontally and reach 128 mph--yeah, you read that right, 128 freakin' mph--in 3.5 seconds. That'll be 8 mph faster than Cedar Point's similar Top Thrill Dragster, which will be downgraded to the world's second-fastest roller coaster in 2005.
Like Ohio's Dragster and other launched coasters, Kingda Ka climbs a top-hat tower at 90 degrees. In this case, the apex of the tower will reach a staggering 456 feet, or 36 feet taller than Cedar Point's reigning (but not for long) champ. We're talking over 45 stories in the air. You won't have much time to either appreciate the view or get freaked out, however. The trains crest the tower and plummet 418 feet straight down the other side before entering into a 270-degree vertical spiral.
Kingda Ka uses some of its incredible height and speed to deliver some of that delirious airtime that coaster lovers crave. After the top hat, it climbs a 129-foot tall hill designed to induce weightlessness. Then it's back to the station.
Anticipating huge demand, the rocket coaster has four trains and two loading platforms in its station. Manufactured by Swiss ride manufacturer Intamin, the thrill machine will use an over-the-shoulder safety restraint system.
You can see photos of the coaster here
And a video here
for the mere mortals amongst us that cant afford helicopter rides or have friends that fly them, going on theses extreme coasters is big thrill. Put bluntly they allow you to be scared out of your wits whilst remaining fairly safe. Some people ride them for that fear feeling, others for the extreme G forces and feelings of weightlessness that are common forces experienced whilst on these rides. For most people these rides are the only affordable and safe ways to experience those feelings.
