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Six Flags spends Six Flags Great America
North America’s first Wing coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) has been confirmed for Six Flags Great America in Illinois. X-Flight will open in spring 2012 at the park north of Chicago, taking riders on a flight with no track above or below them. Sitting in pairs, passengers will be suspended either side of the track with their feet dangling.
The huge, wide trains will speed at up to 55mph (89km/h) through 3,000ft (915m) of intense drops and five inversions,
including a barrel roll and zero-g roll. One of the most thrilling moments will be where the coaster speeds straight toward a structure, before making a last-minute vertical flip through a keyhole cut-out. The wing coaster will make its home in the County Fair section of the park. Construction begins this fall. The ride’s opening is likely to be eclipsed by another B&M Wing coaster, Wild Eagle at Dollywood.
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, is to erect the world’s tallest vertical drop ride, Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom.
The 400ft-tall (121m) attraction will be built on the side of the tower to the park’s Superman: Escape from Krypton ride (pictured below), in a similar fashion to Tower of Terror at Dreamworld in Australia. The adaptation will be performed by Intamin, which also constructed the original Superman ride. Sitting eight abreast, riders will plummet
40 stories, all while the Superman: Escape from Krypton cars are blasted to the top of the same structure. Tracks will be attached to both sides of the tower to accommodate two floorless gondolas. Passengers will be pulled to the top of the tower, experience a brief pause before being released and dropped at speeds of up to 85mph (136km/h). After five seconds of freefall, the gondola will be stopped by a magnetic braking system.
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New or refurbished rides are promised for 2012 at most Six Flags parks in North America, including one of the United States’ first ever B&M Wing coasters, the world’s tallest drop ride, two new Star Flyers and a new style of coaster from Premier Rides. Here are some of the key additions to look out for. Next month we’ll bring news of some of the new waterpark attractions planned across the group
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
California’s Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will introduce a new rollercoaster from Premier Rides for 2012.
Superman Ultimate Flight will be the first ride of its kind from the American ride manufacturer, featuring one of the tallest coaster inversions in the world. Racing up to 150ft (45m) high, riders will experience speeds of 62 miles per hour (100km/h), with two upside-down twists and two vertical rolls over a track length totalling of 863ft (263m).
The ride will be the first at the park north
of San Francisco to feature a DC Comics theme. Brightly painted in Superman’s colours – vibrant blue, red and yellow – the steel coaster will be visible from Highway 37 and beyond from its location on the eastern side of the park. Construction will begin in early 2012.
Six Flags Great Adventure
and Fiesta Texas Six Flags has announced that two more parks will open ‘Sky Screamer’ (Star Flyer) rides in 2012, courtesy of the Austrian ride manufacturer Funtime.
Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas, will each open a version of the ride following its successful introduction this season at Six Flags St Louis in Missouri and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in California. The new ride in Texas will stand 200ft-tall (60m), while the version at Six Flags Great adventure will be just 150ft (45m), located next to the park’s classic big wheel. Each will seat 32 riders in 16 twin seats suspended by chains. At full swing, guests will soar at speeds of up to 40 mph (65km/h) over the rest of the park far below. By night, SkyScreamer will provide a totally different experience with lighting adding to the visual appeal to those down on the ground.
New home for first B&M The first ever rollercoaster produced by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) is on the
move. The stand-up ride, which opened in April 1990 as Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America in Illinois, is destined for a new home at Six Flags America near Washington DC.
The coaster will be located in the Skull Island area of the park, where it will feature a new black and yellow colour scheme and a new name, Apocalypse. When it originally opened at Six Flags Great America, the ride was billed as the world’s tallest and fastest stand-up looping coaster. The attraction features 2,900ft (884m) of steel track, including a 90ft (27m) drop and reaches speeds of 55 mph (88km/h).
SEPTEMBER 2011
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