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Superman: Krypton Coaster

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Superman: Krypton Coaster
Superman Krypton Coaster entrance.jpg
FiestaTexas2.jpg
An overview of Superman: Krypton Coaster from the ride's lift hill
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Park section Spassburg
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Status Operating
Opening date March 11, 2000 (2000-03-11)
Cost $20 million
General statistics
Type Steel – Floorless Coaster
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Model Floorless Coaster
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 168 ft (51 m)
Drop 163 ft (50 m)
Length 4,025 ft (1,227 m)
Speed 70 mph (110 km/h)
Inversions 6
Duration 2:35
Max vertical angle 58°
Capacity 1600 riders per hour
G-force 3.8
Height restriction 54 in (137 cm)
Trains 3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Flash Pass available
Superman: Krypton Coaster at RCDB
Pictures of Superman: Krypton Coaster at RCDB

Superman: Krypton Coaster is a Bolliger & Mabillard Floorless Coaster at the Six Flags Fiesta Texas amusement park in San Antonio, Texas, USA. Opened in 2000, Superman: Krypton Coaster was one of the first floorless roller coasters in the world. The well-received ride held the title for the world's tallest vertical loop (145 feet) from its opening until 2013.

History

In 1999, Six Flags Great Adventure spent $42 million on new attractions including a prototype Floorless Coaster by Bolliger & Mabillard, Medusa (later Bizarro).[1] The immediate popularity of the ride,[2] led to Six Flags Fiesta Texas and three other amusement parks to announce plans to install Floorless Coasters in 2000;[3] aside from the announcement of Superman: Krypton Coaster on November 1, 1999,[4] Six Flags Discovery Kingdom announced Medusa, Geauga Lake announced Dominator, and SeaWorld Orlando announced Kraken.[3] The $20 million Superman: Krypton Coaster was announced as part of a wider multimillion-dollar expansion of Six Flags Fiesta Texas.[5]

At the time of the ride's announcement, construction had already begun on unused land bordered by quarry walls and an irrigation pond.[5][6] The initial plans for the ride specified it would have seven inversions including a 114-foot-tall (35 m) vertical loop and a 96-foot-tall (29 m) dive loop.[6] Following the ride's announcement, the design was altered to remove the dive loop and increase the size of the vertical loop to 145 feet (44 m).[7][8] This saw Superman: Krypton Coaster obtain the record for the world's tallest vertical loop when it officially opened to the public on March 11, 2000.[7][8]

On March 6, 2010, Six Flags Fiesta Texas offered exclusive ride time on Superman: Krypton Coaster to help celebrate the ride's 10th anniversary.[9] On June 22, 2013, Superman: Krypton Coaster lost the title of having the world's tallest vertical loop since Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California opened Full Throttle which features a 160-foot-tall (49 m) vertical loop, 15 feet (4.6 m) taller than the loop on Superman: Krypton Coaster.[8][10][11][12]

Characteristics

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The ride's vertical loop and mid-course helix

Statistics

The 4,025-foot-long (1,227 m) Superman: Krypton Coaster stands 168 feet (51 m) tall.[7] With a top speed of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h), the ride will tie with Iron Rattler as the fastest roller coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.[7][13] The ride features six inversions including a 145-foot-tall (44 m) vertical loop, a zero-g roll, a 78-foot-tall (24 m) cobra roll and two corkscrews.[7][8]

Trains

Superman: Krypton Coaster operates with three floorless trains. Each train seats 32 riders in eight rows of four. This gives the ride a theoretical hourly capacity of 1600 riders per hour.[7] The open-air trains feature seats which leave riders' legs dangling above the track. Riders are restrainted with over-the-shoulder restraints (OTSRs).[5] As the trains are floorless, the station has a retractable floor for safe boarding.[6]

Ride experience

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Superman: Krypton Coaster's initial plunge over the quarry wall

After riders have boarded and the station floor is retracted, Superman: Krypton Coaster departs with a left turn out of the station. This leads directly to the 168-foot-tall (51 m) chain lift hill. At the top, the train crests the lift hill and follows a fairly level 180 degree turn to the right above the quarry wall. This leads into a 168-foot (51 m) drop off the quarry wall directly into the 145-foot-tall (44 m) vertical loop. With the quarry wall on the track's right, the train inclines to the top of the wall where it performs a helix to the right. After dropping from the quarry wall again, the train enters the zero-g roll where riders experience a feeling of weightlessness. This is followed by the 78-foot-tall (24 m) cobra roll and a mid-course brake run. The exit from the mid-course brake run banks down to the right into the two interlocking corkscrews. This leads to a final turn before the final brake run and return to the station.[7][14][15]

Reception

Prior to launch, General Manager of Six Flags Fiesta Texas John Odum stated Superman: Krypton Coaster was "the big-league ride we have really needed". He stated the design of the ride, which interacts with the quarry wall, would make a thrilling ride: "being that close to the wall there is a good sense of speed".[5] In May 2000, two months after Superman: Krypton Coaster opened, it was reported that the park was "off to a flying start" for the season.[16] Six Flags Fiesta Texas officials stated the ride proved popular in its first year of operation.[17]

In Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards, Superman: Krypton Coaster was ranked in the top 50 steel roller coasters numerous times since its opening. It peaked at position 24 in 2002,[18] before it dropped to 50 in 2008[19] and rose again to 38 in 2011.[20]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters
Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Ranking N/A[21] 36[22]
24[18]
25[23]
27[24]
33[25]
33[26]
36[27]
50[19]
44[28]
 N/A[29]
38[20]
 N/A[30]

In Mitch Hawker's worldwide Best Roller Coaster Poll, Superman: Krypton Coaster entered at position 20 in 2001 and peaked at 17 in 2004. The ride's ranking in subsequent polls is shown in the table below.[31]

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Steel-Tracked Roller Coaster[31]
Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Ranking
[nb 1]
20
20
23
17
25
63
42
42
45
48
[nb 2]
54

Notes

  1. ↑ No steel roller coaster poll was held in 2000.
  2. ↑ No steel roller coaster poll was held in 2011.

References

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  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

  • Official website
  • Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
Preceded by World's Tallest Vertical Loop
March 2000 – June 2013		 Succeeded by
Full Throttle
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