Roller coaster elements
Encyclopedia
Roller coaster
s are composed of various elements, the individual parts of the design and operation, such as a track, hill, loop, turn, etc. Variations in normal track movement that add thrill or excitement to the ride are often called "thrill elements."
meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train
. Brake runs may be located anywhere or hidden along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed. The vast majority of roller coasters do not have any form of braking on the train but rather forms of braking that exist on track sections. One notable exception is the scenic railway roller coaster, which relies on an operator to manually control the speed of the train.
On most roller coasters, the brakes are controlled by a computer system, but some older wooden roller coaster
s have manually operated brakes. These are controlled by large levers operated by the ride operators.
on roller coasters, as ratcheting lap bars tend to lock further during the ride in many installations.
The traditional "pirate ship
" style thrill ride often utilizes this type of restraint, as does the Troika
.
tire
used to propel a roller coaster train along a piece of track. Although they are most often used in station areas and brake run
s, they can also be used to launch trains at greater speeds. However, they are generally used to propel the train at speeds between 5-8 mph. The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure
is notable for using drive tires to launch the train up an incline. Some roller coasters, most noticeably Vekoma
Roller Skaters (Vekoma's version of a junior coaster) also use drive tires instead of a chain on lift hills.
Drive tires are also used to power other types of amusement rides, such as ferris wheel
s and other spinning rides.
Drive tires are often used in one of two ways on roller coasters. When oriented horizontally, drive tires are often put in pairs so as to "squeeze" a portion of the train as it crosses that section of track. In this case, it is usually the brake fin that is used to propel or slow the train with the tires. When oriented vertically, they contact the underside of the train as it crosses a particular section of track. This underside area is a flat area which often has a grated metal surface to increase friction between the car and the tire. One disadvantage of vertical drive tires is that rainy weather can greatly reduce friction between the tire and the train, possibly causing the train to slightly overshoot its intended position and cause an emergency stop.
The inverted roller equivalent is a footchopper. Footchoppers are designed such that rider's legs appear to come close to the ride's support structure, water, or other ride surroundings. Suspended Looping Coasters, such as Vekoma
's The Mind Eraser
, are known for their footchopper effects because of their compact layout. For example Dragon Challenge
at Universal's Islands of Adventure has many footchoppers, where the rider's feet come within feet of the ride's supports. Vekoma's Mind Eraser (and clones) also feature an intense footchopper during an in-line-twist, in which the train approaches a section of track directly below, making it appear that the riders' feet will impact the track if the train remains on that course; but the train undergoes an in-line-twist right before the obstruction, twisting the riders onto their backs as the above track crosses safely over the track below.
in which the train
is accelerated to its full speed in a matter of seconds. A launch track is always straight and is usually banked upwards slightly, so that a train would roll backwards to the station in the event of a loss of power.
A launch track serves the same basic purpose as a lift hill
—providing power to the train—but accomplishes it in an entirely different manner. A lift hill gives the train potential energy
by raising it to the highest point in the track (and not significantly accelerating it). A launch track gives the train kinetic energy
by accelerating it to the maximum designed speed (while not significantly raising it).
A launch track normally includes some form of brakes. Depending on the type of coaster, these brakes may be used in every run of the coaster (this is normally found on a shuttle roller coaster
where the launch track also serves as the main brake run) or they may only come into play when a rollback
occurs, normally on a complete-circuit coaster such as Stealth
, Top Thrill Dragster
, Kingda Ka
, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and Xcelerator
. In either case, the brakes are retracted to allow trains to launch and are engaged at all other times.
A lift hill, or chain lift, is often the initial upward section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point. Upon reaching the top, the train is then disengaged from the lift hill and allowed to coast through the rest of the roller coaster's circuit.
Lift hills usually propel the train to the top of the ride via one of a few different types of methods: a chain
lift involving a long, continuous chain which trains hook on to and are carried to the top; a drive tire system in which multiple motorized tires push the train upwards; a cable lift system as seen on Millennium Force; or a linear synchronous motor
system as seen on Maverick
.
Launch lift hills are like launch tracks, but instead of having it flat, it is rather at an incline. Sometimes, launch lift hills serve the same purpose as lift hills but faster transport to the top of the lift hill; or they are sometimes used to power the train up into an element, like the Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal Orlando. Launch lift hills use mostly linear synchronous motors or linear induction motors but sometimes use drive tires.
is a simple but powerful type of electric motor used to propel the cars. Rather than using a standard enclosed spinning rotor and drive wheels, there is a long flat magnetic pole plate with closely spaced electric coils. This pole plate mounts on the track underneath the car and a matching metal plate attached to the car moves across the magnetic pole faces. By applying a multiphase alternating current to the poles, the pole plate induces eddy currents into the moving plate and can be used to accelerate or brake the car.
Compared to other drive mechanisms, the linear motor is typically maintenance-free. The pole faces on the track and moving plate attached to the car do not need to touch, and the gap between them can be quite wide to accommodate any side-to-side car motion, so there is no friction or wear between them. Further, the magnetic coil assembly on the driving pole plates are either potted or sealed in a weathertight enclosure, so that rain, vibration, and dust do not affect motor performance or cause drive motor slippage.
mounted alongside the track of a roller coaster that automatically photographs all of the riders on passing trains. They are usually mounted at the most intense part of the ride, to capture the best possible pictures. The pictures are available for viewing and purchase at a booth outside the ride's exit. On some rides, such as the Saw: The Ride at Thorpe Park, and the Sierra Sidewinder at Knotts Berry Farm, video as well as still photographs can be purchased upon exiting the ride.
(s) which transports passengers around a roller coaster's circuit. More specifically, a roller coaster train is made up of two or more "cars" which are connected by some sort of specialized joint
. It is called a "train
" because the cars follow one another around the track as a railroad train
. Individual cars often vary in design and can carry anywhere from one to eight or more passengers each.
Some roller coasters, notably Wild Mouse roller coaster
s operate with individual cars instead of trains.
The name "trick" comes from the fact that these hills also are designed to trick riders into thinking they are at a large hill, causing a "false alarm" element.
Some roller coasters, specifically Wild Mouse roller coaster
s and launch coasters
do not require tester hills.
-shaped roller coaster inversion that consists of two loops
that turn riders upside down twice. The train goes into a mini-reverse sidewinder, followed by a mini-sidewinder. This inversion is the inverse of a cobra roll.
Like other inversions, the batwing has different names depending on the manufacturer. This element is called a batwing on Bolliger & Mabillard
(B&M) coasters, such as Afterburn
at Carowinds or Montu
at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa
, Florida
. On Arrow Dynamics
coasters, such as The Great American Scream Machine
at Six Flags Great Adventure
, it is called a boomerang.
The first roller coaster to use the batwing element was Orient Express at Worlds of Fun
in Kansas City
, where it was called a "kamikaze curve." The ride was demolished after the 2003 season.
Another version of the batwing is the bowtie, where the second half of this element is rotated so that the train exits the elements heading in the same direction of travel as at the entrance to the element. Dragon Mountain
at Marineland
is an example of a coaster with this element.
. A butterfly begins like a normal loop, but as the track goes up it twists 45 degrees to one side or the other, and then when it is headed down the track twists back. The maneuver is then repeated but in reverse. It is essentially the same in construction as a batwing / boomerang, however the coaster exits the element traveling in the same direction as it began. An example of this is found on Goudurix
in Parc Asterix
in Plailly
, France
, or Ninja
at Six Flags Over Georgia
.
's head. Riders traverse forward through an upwards half-vertical loop
, corkscrew perpendicular to the first direction, enter another corkscrew that merges into a downward half-vertical loop that exits in the parallel but opposite direction of the entrance. It takes riders upside-down twice.
There is much confusion pertaining to the correct naming of this inversion. This is because different roller coaster manufacturers give their own names to inversions. Cobra roll is the standard name used by Intamin and B&M for this type of inversion.
The first coaster to use a cobra roll was Vekoma's Boomerang
model, the first of which was built in Mexico in the early 1980s.
All Vekoma Boomerangs, Drachen Fire
, the Tornado
at Särkänniemi
Park in Tampere
, Finland
, and almost all B&M 7-inversion coasters have a cobra roll.
that has been 'stretched' in terms of the element's entrance and exit points being a distance away from each other. The main difference is that riders are inverted at a point angled 90° horizontally from the incoming track, whereas in a loop, the inversion comes parallel to the track but traveling in the opposite direction. On Bolliger and Mabillard sit-down, stand-up, and floorless coasters, corkscrews are known as flat spins. On B&M inverted coasters, they are known as wingovers.
It was named because of its resemblance to the corkscrew tool used to remove corks from bottles. Riders enter the corkscrew element and are transported significantly to the left or right while being flipped upside down 360 degrees.
Corkscrews are normally found towards the end of layouts and often exist in pairs. This may take the form of a double corkscrew, where the end of one leads straight into the next. It is also common to see interlocking corkscrews, where the entrances and exits are parallel, but both corkscrews cross over the other corkscrew's track.
Corkscrew is the name of several roller coasters, including a three-loop coaster at Valleyfair in Shakopee
, Minnesota, a three-loop roller coaster at Cedar Point
in Sandusky
, Ohio, a two-loop coaster at Genting Highlands
theme park in Malaysia, and a three-loop coaster at Seaworld, Australia. Canobie Lake Park
in Salem
, New Hampshire has a coaster known as the Canobie Corkscrew
.
The first roller coaster with a corkscrew element was the Arrow Dynamics designed Corkscrew
, opened in 1975 at Knott's Berry Farm
. In 1989, the ride was relocated to Silverwood
where it continues to operate.
Bolliger and Mabillard created a variation of the corkscrew, a flat spin. Flat spins begin on flat track and "snap" through the top of the inversion, whereas Arrow and Vekoma coasters use completely curved corkscrews which start on banked track. On an inverted roller coaster
, a flat spin is referred to as a wingover.
was the only roller coaster to have a cutback inversion. The roller coaster designs today tend to incorporate overbanked turns, which are a more fluid way of performing an exciting turn than cutbacks. Drachen Fire was closed on July 11, 1998, and subsequently demolished. Today, the only two cutback inversions can be found on Space Mountain: Mission 2
in Disneyland Paris and the newly built Sky Rocket at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
. This element is seen on B&M sit-down, stand-up
and floorless
coasters. Arrow and Vekoma use a similar element known as a reverse sidewinder. Just as a dive loop is the reverse form of an Immelmann loop, the reverse sidewinder is the reverse form of a sidewinder element (Arrow and Vekoma's version of an Immelmann). It can be seen in Arrow's Cyclone at Dreamworld in Australia and Vekoma's Ninja at Six Flags over Georgia.
s. Examples of these coasters are Nitro
at Six Flags Great Adventure
, Behemoth
at Canada's Wonderland, Diamondback at Kings Island
.
A heartline roll is a roller coaster inversion in which the rider performs a 360-degree roll. Heartline rolls are commonly confused with inline twists.
In a heartline roll, the center of the train rotates on one axis. The track itself changes in elevation so as to keep the train moving in the same line
in which it started the element. In an inline twist, the track with the 360-degree twist remains straight. As such, the train moves downward and then back up during the twist. In some cases, such as Vekoma's Flying Dutchman coaster, the degree to which the train deviates from the line in which it enters the twist is so great, the element is indistinguishable from a corkscrew.
There is also some confusion over the difference between a heartline roll and a zero-g roll. A zero-g roll is basically a standard hill with a 360 degree twist at the top. The trains ascend, twist, and then descend again (providing a brief moment of airtime). In a heartline roll, once again, the trains do not leave the line from which they entered the inversion.
, with a semicircular shape at the top. It is found on coasters such as Sonic Spinball at Alton Towers
.
The name "Immelmann" comes from Immelmann turn
, an aircraft
maneuver named after the World War I
German fighter pilot Max Immelmann
.
at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
and iSpeed
at Mirabilandia
. This element is also known as the Italian Loop.
s and Top Fun sit down roller coasters. Examples include: Mantis
at Cedar Point
; Green Lantern at Six Flags Great Adventure
; Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags Magic Mountain
; and Georgia Scorcher
at Six Flags Over Georgia
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, such as Air
at Alton Towers
, Batwing
at Six Flags America
, Superman: Ultimate Flight
at Six Flags Over Georgia
, and Firehawk
at Kings Island
. It can be confused with a heartline roll.
In a heartline roll the center of the train rotates on one axis so the height of the average rider's heart never changes, whereas during an inline twist the train rotates around the track and there is usually little to no elevation difference in the track. Inline twists are sometimes also known as "barrel rolls".
Examples of coasters with interlocking corkscrews:
. This element has been used on only three complete-circuit roller coasters. The first is Loch Ness Monster
at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and the second was Orient Express
at Worlds of Fun. A pair of shuttle coasters
, Lightnin' Loops
at Six Flags Great Adventure, also had interlocking loops. With the closing of Orient Express and Lightnin' Loops, Loch Ness Monster is the only coaster in the world to have this element.
.
in TusenFryd
, Norway
. Another example of a Norwegian Loop can be found on Hersheypark
's roller coaster Fahrenheit
.
of Switzerland
. This element is a turn or curve in which the track tilts beyond 90 degrees, usually in the 100-120 degree range. Two examples of an overbanked turn in the United States
are the first turn-around on Bizarro at Six Flags New England
, and Millennium Force
at Cedar Point
in Sandusky, Ohio, which features four separate and two consecutive overbanked turns.
flying coasters
. It consists of a downward half loop and upward half loop . Since they overlap at the top, the entrance and exit points create the look of a pretzel
, hence the name. Extreme positive g-forces are induced on riders throughout the duration of the element.
There are six roller coasters that include the pretzel loop: the trio of Superman: Ultimate Flight
roller coasters (all 3 of which have the same layout) at Six Flags Great Adventure
, Six Flags Over Georgia
, and Six Flags Great America
; Crystal Wings at Happy Valley (which is also a clone of Superman); Tatsu
at Six Flags Magic Mountain
; and Manta, at Sea World Orlando. While going through a pretzel loop, the rider is upside down at the beginning and on their back and going backwards at the bottom. The rider then regains normal flying position at the exit of the loop.
at the moment and has only been used on two 4D coasters.
The general term raven turn refers to any inversion that follows the design described above; however, there are two types of raven turns. Assuming the train is going round the half-loop first, an inside raven turn is where the rails are below the train at the start whereas an outside raven turn is one in which the rails are above the train at the start of the element. X² at Six Flags Magic Mountain
and Eejanaika at Fuji-Q Highland
are examples of raven turns.
at Kings Dominion, where it takes the ride to its highest point (155 feet) and is known as the inversion where riders are blasted out of the former Lost World mountain.
The sea serpent roll is not as common as many other inversions, like the vertical loop, corkscrew, or cobra roll. It is a common element on most suspended looping coasters. Medusa at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
was the first roller coaster with a sea serpent roll.
at Cedar Point
and Kingda Ka
at Six Flags Great Adventure
are examples of a top hat.
In a top hat inversion, also called an inside top hat, when the train approaches the top of the "hat", it makes a 90 degree twist so that it is on the inside of the element (hence the name), and once it reaches top hat's apex the train is upside down under the track. Example: The picture to the left shows Mr. Freeze's inverted top hat element.
at Busch Gardens Williamsburg was the only coaster to ever have a wraparound corkscrew; this element was incorporated into the coaster’s first drop.
at Islands of Adventure
.
is near the rider's heart. On sit-down and floorless coasters, it is alternately called a spiraling camelback. The name for the roll comes from that fact that the rider feels a zero g-force
, giving the feeling of weightlessness
.
Essentially, a zero-gravity roll is a hill with a 360 degree twist in the middle.
There is confusion over the difference between a zero-gravity roll and a heartline roll. In a heartline roll, there is no change in elevation as contrasted to the zero-g roll, which is often called a camelback because the track goes upwards, twists, and comes back down.
A splashdown is a visual element used on roller coasters in which the vehicle physically interacts with a body of water, forcefully spraying or jetting water in a particular direction. Splashdowns can often be used as a natural braking system due to the force of the water slowing the vehicle, and pathways can be constructed allowing non-riding visitors to either view or, in some cases, get wet from the splashdown element.
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s are composed of various elements, the individual parts of the design and operation, such as a track, hill, loop, turn, etc. Variations in normal track movement that add thrill or excitement to the ride are often called "thrill elements."
Brake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of trackRail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train
Train (roller coaster)
A roller coaster train or car describes the vehicle which transports passengers around a roller coaster's circuit. More specifically, a roller coaster train is made up of two or more "cars" which are connected by some sort of specialized joint. It is called a "train" because the cars follow one...
. Brake runs may be located anywhere or hidden along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed. The vast majority of roller coasters do not have any form of braking on the train but rather forms of braking that exist on track sections. One notable exception is the scenic railway roller coaster, which relies on an operator to manually control the speed of the train.
On most roller coasters, the brakes are controlled by a computer system, but some older wooden roller coaster
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
s have manually operated brakes. These are controlled by large levers operated by the ride operators.
Buzz bars
Single-position lap bars on wooden roller coasters are sometimes referred to as "buzz bars," a slang term named for the buzzing sound the some bars make as they lock or release. The term can be misleading as the buzzing sound only occurs on PTC trains when the solenoid that releases the bar is out of alignment. There are other train types, such as NAD and even some PTC trains, that feature a single-position lap bar that has a mechanical release therefore does not produce a buzzing sound. Most parks have switched to individual ratcheting lap bars, similar to the lap bars found on steel coasters. Ironically some of the earlier ratcheting lap bar conversions use a solenoid release and can also produce a buzzing sound. It can be argued that single-position buzz bars give more air timeAir Time
Air Time is an album by the improvisational collective Air featuring Henry Threadgill, Steve McCall, and Fred Hopkins performing three of Threadgill's compositions and one each by Hopkins and McCall.-Reception:...
on roller coasters, as ratcheting lap bars tend to lock further during the ride in many installations.
The traditional "pirate ship
Pirate ship (ride)
A pirate ship is a type of amusement ride, consisting of an open, seated gondola which swings back and forth, subjecting the rider to various levels of angular momentum....
" style thrill ride often utilizes this type of restraint, as does the Troika
Troika (ride)
The Troika is an amusement park ride, designed and manufactured by HUSS Maschinenfabrik in the mid-1970s. The ride is available in both transportable and permanent forms, although due to the total weight and size of the ride , transportable Troikas are unpopular and uncommon...
.
Drive tire
A drive tire, or squeeze tire (depending on its usage), is essentially a motorizedElectric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
used to propel a roller coaster train along a piece of track. Although they are most often used in station areas and brake run
Brake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
s, they can also be used to launch trains at greater speeds. However, they are generally used to propel the train at speeds between 5-8 mph. The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened May 28, 1999 as part of an expansion that, along with CityWalk Entertainment District, the Portofino Bay Hotel, and Hard Rock hotel, converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort...
is notable for using drive tires to launch the train up an incline. Some roller coasters, most noticeably Vekoma
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
Roller Skaters (Vekoma's version of a junior coaster) also use drive tires instead of a chain on lift hills.
Drive tires are also used to power other types of amusement rides, such as ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
s and other spinning rides.
Drive tires are often used in one of two ways on roller coasters. When oriented horizontally, drive tires are often put in pairs so as to "squeeze" a portion of the train as it crosses that section of track. In this case, it is usually the brake fin that is used to propel or slow the train with the tires. When oriented vertically, they contact the underside of the train as it crosses a particular section of track. This underside area is a flat area which often has a grated metal surface to increase friction between the car and the tire. One disadvantage of vertical drive tires is that rainy weather can greatly reduce friction between the tire and the train, possibly causing the train to slightly overshoot its intended position and cause an emergency stop.
Headchopper
A headchopper is any point on a roller coaster where the support structure of the ride comes very close to the passengers' heads, or at least appears to do so. All headchoppers are, of course, designed so that even the tallest rider, with both their hands up, would be unable to touch the structure; although if a rider exceeding the maximum height does board the coaster it could be potentially dangerous. Headchoppers are most common on wooden roller coasters but are also found on many steel roller coasters.The inverted roller equivalent is a footchopper. Footchoppers are designed such that rider's legs appear to come close to the ride's support structure, water, or other ride surroundings. Suspended Looping Coasters, such as Vekoma
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
's The Mind Eraser
The Mind Eraser
The Mind Eraser is a steel inverted roller coaster at 4 different Six Flags & PARC theme parks. Built by Vekoma, they are of the most common and standard Suspended Looping Coaster model that is found in many theme parks; at least fifteen other parks around the world have exactly the same ride...
, are known for their footchopper effects because of their compact layout. For example Dragon Challenge
Dragon Challenge
Dragon Challenge is a pair of intertwined inverted roller coasters in the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure. The ride is themed to two dragons, one side being Chinese Fireball and the other Hungarian Horntail...
at Universal's Islands of Adventure has many footchoppers, where the rider's feet come within feet of the ride's supports. Vekoma's Mind Eraser (and clones) also feature an intense footchopper during an in-line-twist, in which the train approaches a section of track directly below, making it appear that the riders' feet will impact the track if the train remains on that course; but the train undergoes an in-line-twist right before the obstruction, twisting the riders onto their backs as the above track crosses safely over the track below.
Launch track
A launch track is a section of a launched roller coasterLaunched roller coaster
The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster which has increased in use in the last decade. In place of a traditional chain lift, the launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or series of Linear Induction Motors , Linear Synchronous Motors ,...
in which the train
Train (roller coaster)
A roller coaster train or car describes the vehicle which transports passengers around a roller coaster's circuit. More specifically, a roller coaster train is made up of two or more "cars" which are connected by some sort of specialized joint. It is called a "train" because the cars follow one...
is accelerated to its full speed in a matter of seconds. A launch track is always straight and is usually banked upwards slightly, so that a train would roll backwards to the station in the event of a loss of power.
A launch track serves the same basic purpose as a lift hill
Lift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is often the initial upward-sloping section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point or peak in the roller coaster ride...
—providing power to the train—but accomplishes it in an entirely different manner. A lift hill gives the train potential energy
Potential energy
In physics, potential energy is the energy stored in a body or in a system due to its position in a force field or due to its configuration. The SI unit of measure for energy and work is the Joule...
by raising it to the highest point in the track (and not significantly accelerating it). A launch track gives the train kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
by accelerating it to the maximum designed speed (while not significantly raising it).
A launch track normally includes some form of brakes. Depending on the type of coaster, these brakes may be used in every run of the coaster (this is normally found on a shuttle roller coaster
Shuttle roller coaster
A shuttle roller coaster is any roller coaster that ultimately does not make a complete circuit, but rather reverses at some point throughout its course and traverses the same track backwards...
where the launch track also serves as the main brake run) or they may only come into play when a rollback
Rollback (roller coaster)
A rollback occurs on a launched roller coaster when the train is not launched fast enough to reach the top of the tower. It will roll backwards down the tower, and will be stopped by brakes on the launch track. Any roller coaster on which it is possible for a rollback to occur will have these brakes...
occurs, normally on a complete-circuit coaster such as Stealth
Stealth (roller coaster)
Stealth is a steel roller coaster built by Intamin of Switzerland. The coaster is located in the Amity Cove area of Thorpe Park in Surrey, England, UK and opened in 2006. The ride reaches a maximum height of 62.5 m...
, Top Thrill Dragster
Top Thrill Dragster
Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, Hydraulic-launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was the first "Strata Coaster", loosely defined as a complete circuit coaster that is over tall. It was built by Intamin and debuted to the public on May 4, 2003...
, Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka is a roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA. It is the world's tallest roller coaster, and was the world's fastest until Formula Rossa opened in November 2010. The train is launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism to in 3.5 seconds. At the end of...
, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and Xcelerator
Xcelerator
Xcelerator is a steel launched roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. Xcelerator was Intamin's first hydraulically-launched coaster. Xcelerator is the fourth Intamin installation at Knott's...
. In either case, the brakes are retracted to allow trains to launch and are engaged at all other times.
Lift hill
A lift hill, or chain lift, is often the initial upward section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point. Upon reaching the top, the train is then disengaged from the lift hill and allowed to coast through the rest of the roller coaster's circuit.
Lift hills usually propel the train to the top of the ride via one of a few different types of methods: a chain
Roller chain
Roller chain or bush roller chain is the type of chain drive most commonly used for transmission of mechanical power on many kinds of domestic, industrial and agricultural machinery, including conveyors, wire and tube drawing machines, printing presses, cars, motorcycles, and simple machines like...
lift involving a long, continuous chain which trains hook on to and are carried to the top; a drive tire system in which multiple motorized tires push the train upwards; a cable lift system as seen on Millennium Force; or a linear synchronous motor
Linear motor
A linear motor is an electric motor that has had its stator and rotor "unrolled" so that instead of producing a torque it produces a linear force along its length...
system as seen on Maverick
Maverick (roller coaster)
Maverick is a Intamin-made linear synchronous motor-launched blitz steel complete-circuit roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was manufactured by IntaRide LLC, the United States division of Intamin, and was the five-hundredth roller coaster designed by German engineer Werner Stengel...
.
Launch lift hills are like launch tracks, but instead of having it flat, it is rather at an incline. Sometimes, launch lift hills serve the same purpose as lift hills but faster transport to the top of the lift hill; or they are sometimes used to power the train up into an element, like the Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal Orlando. Launch lift hills use mostly linear synchronous motors or linear induction motors but sometimes use drive tires.
Linear induction motor
The linear induction motorLinear induction motor
A linear induction motor is an AC asynchronous linear motor that works by the same general principles as other induction motors but which has been designed to directly produce motion in a straight line....
is a simple but powerful type of electric motor used to propel the cars. Rather than using a standard enclosed spinning rotor and drive wheels, there is a long flat magnetic pole plate with closely spaced electric coils. This pole plate mounts on the track underneath the car and a matching metal plate attached to the car moves across the magnetic pole faces. By applying a multiphase alternating current to the poles, the pole plate induces eddy currents into the moving plate and can be used to accelerate or brake the car.
Compared to other drive mechanisms, the linear motor is typically maintenance-free. The pole faces on the track and moving plate attached to the car do not need to touch, and the gap between them can be quite wide to accommodate any side-to-side car motion, so there is no friction or wear between them. Further, the magnetic coil assembly on the driving pole plates are either potted or sealed in a weathertight enclosure, so that rain, vibration, and dust do not affect motor performance or cause drive motor slippage.
On-ride camera
An on-ride camera is a cameraCamera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
mounted alongside the track of a roller coaster that automatically photographs all of the riders on passing trains. They are usually mounted at the most intense part of the ride, to capture the best possible pictures. The pictures are available for viewing and purchase at a booth outside the ride's exit. On some rides, such as the Saw: The Ride at Thorpe Park, and the Sierra Sidewinder at Knotts Berry Farm, video as well as still photographs can be purchased upon exiting the ride.
Train
A roller coaster train describes the vehicleVehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
(s) which transports passengers around a roller coaster's circuit. More specifically, a roller coaster train is made up of two or more "cars" which are connected by some sort of specialized joint
Universal joint
A universal joint, universal coupling, U joint, Cardan joint, Hardy-Spicer joint, or Hooke's joint is a joint or coupling in a rigid rod that allows the rod to 'bend' in any direction, and is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion...
. It is called a "train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
" because the cars follow one another around the track as a railroad train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
. Individual cars often vary in design and can carry anywhere from one to eight or more passengers each.
Some roller coasters, notably Wild Mouse roller coaster
Wild Mouse roller coaster
A Wild Mouse roller coaster is a type of roller coaster characterized by small cars that seat four people or fewer and ride on top of the track, taking tight, flat turns at modest speeds, yet producing high lateral G-forces...
s operate with individual cars instead of trains.
Tester hills
A tester hill or trick hill is any small hill following the lift hill or brake run. The main purpose of a tester hill is to decrease tension and stress on the chain, cable, or other lift used to lift the trains. For example, if a train is hauled up the lift and brought directly to a hill, the force of gravity will pull the trains that are still hooked to the lift. Tester hills usually are followed by a larger hill but sometimes a turn around, giving more of a mysterious feeling.The name "trick" comes from the fact that these hills also are designed to trick riders into thinking they are at a large hill, causing a "false alarm" element.
Some roller coasters, specifically Wild Mouse roller coaster
Wild Mouse roller coaster
A Wild Mouse roller coaster is a type of roller coaster characterized by small cars that seat four people or fewer and ride on top of the track, taking tight, flat turns at modest speeds, yet producing high lateral G-forces...
s and launch coasters
Launch track
The launch track is the section of a launched roller coaster in which the train is accelerated to its full speed in a matter of seconds. A launch track is always straight and is usually banked upwards slightly, so that a train would roll backwards to the station in the event of a loss of power.A...
do not require tester hills.
Batwing
A batwing is a heartHeart (symbol)
The heart has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and in the past, also intellectual core of a human being...
-shaped roller coaster inversion that consists of two loops
Loop (roller coaster)
The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted.-...
that turn riders upside down twice. The train goes into a mini-reverse sidewinder, followed by a mini-sidewinder. This inversion is the inverse of a cobra roll.
Like other inversions, the batwing has different names depending on the manufacturer. This element is called a batwing on Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
(B&M) coasters, such as Afterburn
Afterburn (Carowinds)
Afterburn is a steel inverted roller coaster at Carowinds. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, the roller coaster stands in height and reaches speeds of . When Afterburn opened in 1999, it was named Top Gun: The Jet Coaster.-History:...
at Carowinds or Montu
Montu (roller coaster)
Montu is an inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland, it is the park's second roller coaster designed by the company after the success of Kumba. When the ride opened on May 16, 1996, it was the world's tallest and fastest...
at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. On Arrow Dynamics
Arrow Dynamics
Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of...
coasters, such as The Great American Scream Machine
The Great American Scream Machine (Six Flags Great Adventure)
The Great American Scream Machine was a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure. The 173-foot tall ride was built in 1989 as the fastest looping roller coaster in the world, reaching speeds up to 68 mph...
at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
, it is called a boomerang.
The first roller coaster to use the batwing element was Orient Express at Worlds of Fun
Worlds of Fun
Worlds of Fun is an amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The park opened in 1973 and was originally built by Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman . In 1995 Hunt-Midwest sold Worlds of Fun to Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., which currently owns the park...
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, where it was called a "kamikaze curve." The ride was demolished after the 2003 season.
Another version of the batwing is the bowtie, where the second half of this element is rotated so that the train exits the elements heading in the same direction of travel as at the entrance to the element. Dragon Mountain
Dragon Mountain
Dragon Mountain is a steel roller coaster located at Marineland near Niagara Falls, Ontario in Canada Built in 1983 by Arrow Dynamics, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world before the opening of Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point. It was also the last time that a coaster designated "tallest in...
at Marineland
Marineland (Ontario)
Marineland is a themed amusement and animal exhibition park in the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada...
is an example of a coaster with this element.
Butterfly inversion
A butterfly inversion is sometimes found on Vekoma roller coastersVekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
. A butterfly begins like a normal loop, but as the track goes up it twists 45 degrees to one side or the other, and then when it is headed down the track twists back. The maneuver is then repeated but in reverse. It is essentially the same in construction as a batwing / boomerang, however the coaster exits the element traveling in the same direction as it began. An example of this is found on Goudurix
Goudurix
Goudurix is a steel roller coaster located Parc Astérix in France. The Vekoma built ride jointly held the world record for the greatest number of inversions upon its opening in 1989. The record was lost in 1995 to Dragon Khan in Spain. It is one of only two coasters in the world to feature a...
in Parc Asterix
Parc Astérix
Parc Astérix is a theme amusement park in France, based on the stories of Asterix . Situated approximately north of Paris and from Disneyland Resort Paris, in Plailly in the département of Oise, it opened in 1989...
in Plailly
Plailly
Plailly is a village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, or Ninja
Ninja (Six Flags Over Georgia)
Ninja is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Georgia. Designed by Vekoma, Ninja was originally built for Conko's Party Pier in New Jersey, where it was known as Kamikaze...
at Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
.
Cobra roll
The cobra roll is a roller coaster inversion which resembles a cobraCobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
's head. Riders traverse forward through an upwards half-vertical loop
Loop (roller coaster)
The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted.-...
, corkscrew perpendicular to the first direction, enter another corkscrew that merges into a downward half-vertical loop that exits in the parallel but opposite direction of the entrance. It takes riders upside-down twice.
There is much confusion pertaining to the correct naming of this inversion. This is because different roller coaster manufacturers give their own names to inversions. Cobra roll is the standard name used by Intamin and B&M for this type of inversion.
The first coaster to use a cobra roll was Vekoma's Boomerang
Boomerang (roller coaster)
Boomerang is a model of roller coaster built by Vekoma, and named after the hunting implement based on the traditions of the Indigenous Australians...
model, the first of which was built in Mexico in the early 1980s.
All Vekoma Boomerangs, Drachen Fire
Drachen Fire
Drachen Fire was an Arrow Dynamics roller coaster that operated from 1992 to 1998, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.- History :Initially, Drachen Fire was to be designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard. Busch Entertainment contacted the young company to build two multi-inversion sit-down coasters at...
, the Tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
at Särkänniemi
Särkänniemi
Särkänniemi is an adventure park in Tampere, Finland. The park features an aquarium, a planetarium, a children's zoo, an art museum, an observation tower , an amusement park and the world's northernmost dolphinarium. Särkänniemi is the most popular amusement park in Finland...
Park in Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and almost all B&M 7-inversion coasters have a cobra roll.
Corkscrew
A corkscrew resembles a loopLoop (roller coaster)
The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted.-...
that has been 'stretched' in terms of the element's entrance and exit points being a distance away from each other. The main difference is that riders are inverted at a point angled 90° horizontally from the incoming track, whereas in a loop, the inversion comes parallel to the track but traveling in the opposite direction. On Bolliger and Mabillard sit-down, stand-up, and floorless coasters, corkscrews are known as flat spins. On B&M inverted coasters, they are known as wingovers.
It was named because of its resemblance to the corkscrew tool used to remove corks from bottles. Riders enter the corkscrew element and are transported significantly to the left or right while being flipped upside down 360 degrees.
Corkscrews are normally found towards the end of layouts and often exist in pairs. This may take the form of a double corkscrew, where the end of one leads straight into the next. It is also common to see interlocking corkscrews, where the entrances and exits are parallel, but both corkscrews cross over the other corkscrew's track.
Corkscrew is the name of several roller coasters, including a three-loop coaster at Valleyfair in Shakopee
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Scott County. Located on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the thirteenth largest...
, Minnesota, a three-loop roller coaster at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
in Sandusky
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
, Ohio, a two-loop coaster at Genting Highlands
Genting Highlands
Genting Highlands otherwise known as Resorts World Genting is the flagship integrated resort developed by Genting Group. It is nestled on a mountain peak within the Titiwangsa Mountains on the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor of Malaysia...
theme park in Malaysia, and a three-loop coaster at Seaworld, Australia. Canobie Lake Park
Canobie Lake Park
Canobie Lake Park is an amusement park located in Salem, New Hampshire, United States, about north of Boston, Massachusetts.-Description:Canobie Lake Park opened on August 23, 1902, as a trolley park for the Massachusetts Northeast Street Railway Company. The amusement park has opened every summer...
in Salem
Salem, New Hampshire
Salem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 28,776 at the 2010 census. Salem is a marketing and distributing center north of Boston, with a major amusement attraction, Canobie Lake Park, and a large shopping mall, the Mall at Rockingham Park.- History :The...
, New Hampshire has a coaster known as the Canobie Corkscrew
Canobie Corkscrew
Canobie Corkscrew is a steel sit-down roller coaster currently located at Canobie Lake Park amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire. It was featured in the 1978 supernatural thriller film The Fury.-History:...
.
The first roller coaster with a corkscrew element was the Arrow Dynamics designed Corkscrew
Corkscrew (Silverwood)
Corkscrew is the name of an Arrow Dynamics roller coaster formerly located at Knott's Berry Farm and currently located at Silverwood. Developed by Ron Toomer of Arrow Dynamics, a Utah based design firm, the "Corkscrew" was the first steel inverting roller coaster open to the public.Many identical...
, opened in 1975 at Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
. In 1989, the ride was relocated to Silverwood
Silverwood
Silverwood Theme Park is an amusement park located in northern Idaho, United States, near the town of Coeur d'Alene, and just 47 miles from Spokane, Washington on U.S. Route 95...
where it continues to operate.
Bolliger and Mabillard created a variation of the corkscrew, a flat spin. Flat spins begin on flat track and "snap" through the top of the inversion, whereas Arrow and Vekoma coasters use completely curved corkscrews which start on banked track. On an inverted roller coaster
Inverted roller coaster
An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the track, but "swings" via a pivoting bar attached to the...
, a flat spin is referred to as a wingover.
Cutback
A cutback is a roller coaster inversion similar to a corkscrew except that the two half-corkscrews are in opposite directions so that the train exits the inversion in the same direction from which it entered. The defunct Drachen Fire at Busch Gardens EuropeBusch Gardens Europe
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a 383 acre theme park located in James City County, Virginia about 3 miles southeast of Williamsburg, originally developed by Anheuser-Busch and currently owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group...
was the only roller coaster to have a cutback inversion. The roller coaster designs today tend to incorporate overbanked turns, which are a more fluid way of performing an exciting turn than cutbacks. Drachen Fire was closed on July 11, 1998, and subsequently demolished. Today, the only two cutback inversions can be found on Space Mountain: Mission 2
Space Mountain: Mission 2
Space Mountain: Mission 2 is a steel roller coaster-type attraction in Discoveryland at Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris themed around a journey into space. The attraction opened on June 1, 1995, three years after the opening of the park, as a revival of interest to draw more guests to the...
in Disneyland Paris and the newly built Sky Rocket at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Diving loop
A diving loop (also, dive loop) is a type of B&M roller coaster inversion whose inspiration was taken from a stunt plane maneuver. Also known as a split S, the track twists upwards and to the side and then dives toward the ground in a half-vertical loopLoop (roller coaster)
The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted.-...
. This element is seen on B&M sit-down, stand-up
Stand-up roller coaster
A stand-up roller coaster is a roller coaster designed to have the passengers stand through the course of the ride. These roller coasters are very intense, and generally carry taller height restrictions than other rides.-History:...
and floorless
Floorless roller coaster
A floorless roller coaster is a roller coaster with trains that ride above the track and allow the passenger's legs to dangle. It is a fairly new concept in roller coaster design brought forth by manufacturers Bolliger & Mabillard. The first ever floorless coaster debuted in 1999 at Six Flags Great...
coasters. Arrow and Vekoma use a similar element known as a reverse sidewinder. Just as a dive loop is the reverse form of an Immelmann loop, the reverse sidewinder is the reverse form of a sidewinder element (Arrow and Vekoma's version of an Immelmann). It can be seen in Arrow's Cyclone at Dreamworld in Australia and Vekoma's Ninja at Six Flags over Georgia.
Hammerhead turn
A hammerhead turn is based on a flying maneuver by the same name and is similar to, but not the same as, a 180-degree overbanked turn. The train enters the element with a steep slope up and a slight curve in the direction opposite that of the overall turn (a so-called "priming" of the turn). The train then banks heavily to the side opposite the initial curve and finishes its climb while it negotiates the overall turn, beginning its descent mid-way through the turn. The second half of the element is the same as the first half, but in reverse order. While negotiating a hammerhead turn element, the train makes a turn of more than 180 degrees; however, because of the entry and exit curves, the overall effect is that of a 180-degree turn that exits toward the direction from which it entered, roughly parallel to the portion of track preceding the hammerhead turn. Hammerhead turns are found on some B&M hypercoasterHypercoaster
A hypercoaster can mean one of two things:*Any continuous-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop measuring greater than 200 feetOr, more narrowly:*A style or model of roller coaster with three features:**A height of 200–299 feet...
s. Examples of these coasters are Nitro
Nitro (roller coaster)
Nitro is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. It was opened in the spring of 2001 and at the time was the fastest roller coaster in New Jersey and the tallest on the East Coast of the United States.-The ride:...
at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
, Behemoth
Behemoth (roller coaster)
Behemoth is a steel roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It is a Hyper Coaster designed and developed by Swiss manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard. Behemoth is currently the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Canada...
at Canada's Wonderland, Diamondback at Kings Island
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
.
Heartline roll
In a heartline roll, the center of the train rotates on one axis. The track itself changes in elevation so as to keep the train moving in the same line
Line (mathematics)
The notion of line or straight line was introduced by the ancient mathematicians to represent straight objects with negligible width and depth. Lines are an idealization of such objects...
in which it started the element. In an inline twist, the track with the 360-degree twist remains straight. As such, the train moves downward and then back up during the twist. In some cases, such as Vekoma's Flying Dutchman coaster, the degree to which the train deviates from the line in which it enters the twist is so great, the element is indistinguishable from a corkscrew.
There is also some confusion over the difference between a heartline roll and a zero-g roll. A zero-g roll is basically a standard hill with a 360 degree twist at the top. The trains ascend, twist, and then descend again (providing a brief moment of airtime). In a heartline roll, once again, the trains do not leave the line from which they entered the inversion.
Horseshoe
A horseshoe is a type of turnaround maneuver found on Maurer Sohne coasters. The horseshoe is essentially a 180-degree turnaround with high banking so that riders are tilted at a 90-degree angle or more at the top at the element. The horseshoe is named that way because the element is shaped roughly like a horseshoeHorseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
, with a semicircular shape at the top. It is found on coasters such as Sonic Spinball at Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
.
Immelmann loop
An Immelmann loop (colloquially, "Immelmann") is a popular inversion found on many roller coasters. In an Immelmann, riders enter a half loop and then go through a half twist and curve out in the opposite direction in which they came. The inversion is very similar to the sidewinder. A sidewinder consists of a half loop and a half corkscrew and comes out closer to 90°, while the Immelman comes out in more of a straight line back to where it started. An Immelmann traveled in reverse is a diving loop. It is most commonly found on B&M inverted and diving roller coasters.The name "Immelmann" comes from Immelmann turn
Immelmann turn
The Immelmann turn refers to two different aircraft maneuvers.-In aerobatics:In modern aerobatical parlance, an Immelmann turn is an aerobatic maneuver of little practical use in aerial combat, and is a different maneuver altogether from the original dogfighting tactic of World War I from which it...
, an aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
maneuver named after the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
German fighter pilot Max Immelmann
Max Immelmann
Max Immelmann was the first German World War I flying ace. He was a great pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchronized gun...
.
Inclined diving loop
An inclined diving loop is similar to a dive loop, although it is exited at an angle instead of vertically. It is essentially a dive loop that has been tilted. The only two examples are on HydraHydra the Revenge
Hydra the Revenge is a steel floorless roller coaster at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania . It was built where the wooden roller coaster Hercules stood, which was closed for demolition at the end of the park's 2003 season...
at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The park features nine roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom....
and iSpeed
Ispeed (roller coaster)
iSpeed is a steel roller coaster at Mirabilandia in Italy. It was opened on May 20, 2009.-The ride:The coaster starts with a 74.6 MPH launch into a top hat where it climbs to 180 feet and then plummets to the ground...
at Mirabilandia
Mirabilandia (Italy)
Mirabilandia is an Italian amusement park, located at Savio, frazione of Ravenna, in Emilia-Romagna.It has an area of 30 hectares, with an additional waterworld area of 10 hectares, called Mirabilandia Beach...
. This element is also known as the Italian Loop.
Inclined loop
An inclined loop, also known as an oblique loop, is a 360° loop that has been tilted at an angle. It is not entered vertically, like a vertical loop, or horizontally like a helix. Instead, it is usually entered at an angle between 45° and 80°. inclined loops can be found on B&M stand-up roller coasterStand-up roller coaster
A stand-up roller coaster is a roller coaster designed to have the passengers stand through the course of the ride. These roller coasters are very intense, and generally carry taller height restrictions than other rides.-History:...
s and Top Fun sit down roller coasters. Examples include: Mantis
Mantis (roller coaster)
Mantis is a Bolliger and Mabillard stand-up roller coaster at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. It had set several stand-up coaster records, including height [], speed [], steepest , and inversions - previously, this had been achieved by Shockwave at Drayton Manor Theme Park, UK...
at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
; Green Lantern at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
; Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
; and Georgia Scorcher
Georgia Scorcher
Georgia Scorcher is a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. The second design from Bolliger & Mabillard to be built at the park, Georgia Scorcher opened in May 1999 as the last new stand-up roller coaster to have been constructed anywhere on Earth...
at Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
Inline twist
An inline twist is a roller coaster inversion in which the rider performs a 360-degree roll. The inline twist is often found on flying coastersFlying roller coaster
A flying roller coaster is a variation of roller coaster meant to simulate the sensations of flight by harnessing riders in a prone position during the duration of the ride. The roller coaster cars are suspended below the track, with riders secured such that their backs are parallel to the track...
, such as Air
Air (roller coaster)
Air is a steel flying roller coaster located in the Forbidden Valley area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. The ride was the first flying roller coaster designed by the Swiss manufacturers Bolliger & Mabillard...
at Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
, Batwing
Batwing (roller coaster)
Batwing is a Vekoma flying steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. The ride has three trains with six cars per train. A total of twenty four guests can ride in each train arranged four across in each car....
at Six Flags America
Six Flags America
Six Flags America is a family theme park and water park located in Mitchellville, Prince George's County, Maryland. It is situated east of Washington D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. The park covers , 131 of which is currently used for park operations...
, Superman: Ultimate Flight
Superman: Ultimate Flight
Superman: Ultimate Flight is a steel flying roller coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. Themed to the popular comic book character, Superman: Ultimate Flight has been installed at three Six Flags theme parks around the United States. Superman: Ultimate Flight simulates flying like the...
at Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
, and Firehawk
Firehawk (roller coaster)
For information on this roller coaster when it ran at Geauga Lake, see X-Flight.Firehawk is a steel Vekoma flying roller coaster operating at Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally built at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure as X-Flight in 2001, the ride was manufactured by Vekoma...
at Kings Island
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
. It can be confused with a heartline roll.
In a heartline roll the center of the train rotates on one axis so the height of the average rider's heart never changes, whereas during an inline twist the train rotates around the track and there is usually little to no elevation difference in the track. Inline twists are sometimes also known as "barrel rolls".
Interlocking corkscrews
Interlocking corkscrews are a type of roller coaster inversion found on B&M coasters. In this inversion, two separate corkscrews spin around each other; one turns riders upside down over the other. Despite being close to each other, the two corkscrews are not necessarily taken consecutively.Examples of coasters with interlocking corkscrews:
- Nemesis InfernoNemesis InfernoNemesis Inferno is a steel inverted roller coaster, themed around an erupting tropical volcano, in the Thorpe Park theme park in Surrey, England, UK. It was designed by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland...
at Thorpe ParkThorpe ParkThorpe Park is a theme park located in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK. It was built in 1979 on the site of a gravel pit which was partially flooded, the intention of creating a water based theme for the park. The park's first large roller coaster, Colossus, was added in 2002...
is the only inverted coaster to feature interlocking corkscrews on the same track. (On the another inverted coaster, Dragon ChallengeDragon ChallengeDragon Challenge is a pair of intertwined inverted roller coasters in the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure. The ride is themed to two dragons, one side being Chinese Fireball and the other Hungarian Horntail...
at Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
' Islands of AdventureIslands of AdventureUniversal's Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened May 28, 1999 as part of an expansion that, along with CityWalk Entertainment District, the Portofino Bay Hotel, and Hard Rock hotel, converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort...
, one corkscrew on the "Chinese Fireball" track interlocks with the corkscrew on "Hungarian Horntail.") - KumbaKumba (roller coaster)Kumba is a Bolliger & Mabillard sit down roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, in Tampa, Florida. Built in 1993, it stands tall and has a top speed of 60 mph. Kumba is one of the first in a line of multi-inversion coasters built by B&M, and featured B&M's first ever diving loop...
at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - Bizarro at Six Flags Great AdventureSix Flags Great AdventureSix Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
- Batman the Ride at Six Flags New EnglandSix Flags New EnglandSix Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby...
. - Scream!Scream! (roller coaster)Scream! is a steel floorless roller coaster made by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland. The coaster is located in the Colossus County Fair area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, and was the park's 16th roller coaster....
at Six Flags Magic MountainSix Flags Magic MountainSix Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
Interlocking loops
Interlocking loops are an element which consists of two vertical loopsLoop (roller coaster)
The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted.-...
. This element has been used on only three complete-circuit roller coasters. The first is Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster (roller coaster)
The Loch Ness Monster is a roller coaster located of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Designed by Ron Toomer of Arrow Dynamics, the Loch Ness Monster was the world's tallest roller coaster when it opened in 1978. It was the first continuous circuit coaster and is a coaster to contain interlocking loops...
at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and the second was Orient Express
Orient Express (roller coaster)
The Orient Express was a steel roller coaster at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri. The Orient Express was introduced to Worlds of Fun in 1980. The red-orange track was in between the two entrances of the park...
at Worlds of Fun. A pair of shuttle coasters
Shuttle roller coaster
A shuttle roller coaster is any roller coaster that ultimately does not make a complete circuit, but rather reverses at some point throughout its course and traverses the same track backwards...
, Lightnin' Loops
Lightnin' Loops
The Lightnin' Loops were two interlocking track Arrow Dynamics Shuttle Loop roller coasters at Six Flags Great Adventure.-History:Lightnin' Loops was built in 1977 and opened in 1978 at Six Flags Great Adventure. Six Flags had acquired the park in 1977 and Lightnin' Loops was planned by the prior...
at Six Flags Great Adventure, also had interlocking loops. With the closing of Orient Express and Lightnin' Loops, Loch Ness Monster is the only coaster in the world to have this element.
Non-inverting loop
The non-inverting loop is a variety of loop that, when coming up, twists similar to a heartline roll, leaving riders completely straight up when at the top of the loop. To date, the only example is the loop on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios FloridaUniversal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
.
Norwegian loop
A Norwegian loop is an element made out of two elements: a dive loop, then an Immelmann; forming an inversion that looks like two side by side loops. This element is similar to the flying coasters pretzel loop, except that the train goes through a twist when entering and exiting the loop. It may also been seen as a normal loop entered from the top. It was first introduced on Speed MonsterSpeed Monster
Speed Monster is a launched roller coaster located at the Norwegian theme park, TusenFryd. Built by Swiss manufacturer Intamin, the ride opened in 2006 and features a unique element known as a "Norwegian Loop".-History:...
in TusenFryd
Tusenfryd
Tusenfryd is an amusement park at Vinterbro, Norway. The park is located 20 kilometers south of Oslo. Two of the longest motorway corridors in Norway, E6 and E18, meet nearby Tusenfryd and the park is located on the west side near where they meet. SpeedMonster, SuperSplash, ThunderCoaster and...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Another example of a Norwegian Loop can be found on Hersheypark
Hersheypark
Hersheypark is an amusement park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, near the Hershey Chocolate Factory.Hersheypark was opened on April 24, 1907 as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company, an American confectionery company. Later, the company decided to open the park to the...
's roller coaster Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit (roller coaster)
Fahrenheit is a steel roller coaster at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States. The ride features six inversions and opened on May 24, 2008, replacing the Western Chute-Out water slide complex...
.
Overbanked turn
An overbanked turn is an element common on large steel roller coasters, particularly those built by Intamin AGIntamin AG
Intamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an...
of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. This element is a turn or curve in which the track tilts beyond 90 degrees, usually in the 100-120 degree range. Two examples of an overbanked turn in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
are the first turn-around on Bizarro at Six Flags New England
Six Flags New England
Six Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby...
, and Millennium Force
Millennium Force
Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster built by Intamin located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It is the fourteenth roller coaster built at the park since the Blue Streak opened in 1964. Standing 310 feet tall at its highest point, the coaster overlooks Lake Erie.On a clear...
at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
in Sandusky, Ohio, which features four separate and two consecutive overbanked turns.
Pretzel loop
The pretzel loop is a large inversion found on B&MBolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
flying coasters
Flying roller coaster
A flying roller coaster is a variation of roller coaster meant to simulate the sensations of flight by harnessing riders in a prone position during the duration of the ride. The roller coaster cars are suspended below the track, with riders secured such that their backs are parallel to the track...
. It consists of a downward half loop and upward half loop . Since they overlap at the top, the entrance and exit points create the look of a pretzel
Pretzel
A pretzel is a type of baked food made from dough in soft and hard varieties and savory or sweet flavors in a unique knot-like shape, originating in Europe...
, hence the name. Extreme positive g-forces are induced on riders throughout the duration of the element.
There are six roller coasters that include the pretzel loop: the trio of Superman: Ultimate Flight
Superman: Ultimate Flight
Superman: Ultimate Flight is a steel flying roller coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. Themed to the popular comic book character, Superman: Ultimate Flight has been installed at three Six Flags theme parks around the United States. Superman: Ultimate Flight simulates flying like the...
roller coasters (all 3 of which have the same layout) at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
, Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
, and Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
; Crystal Wings at Happy Valley (which is also a clone of Superman); Tatsu
Tatsu
Tatsu, meaning "dragon" in Japanese is a steel flying roller coaster operating at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. It opened May 13, 2006. The ride was promoted with a Japanese mythology theme. Tatsu is the only flying coaster to have a Zero-G Roll...
at Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
; and Manta, at Sea World Orlando. While going through a pretzel loop, the rider is upside down at the beginning and on their back and going backwards at the bottom. The rider then regains normal flying position at the exit of the loop.
Raven turn
A raven turn is a half-inversion which looks like half a loop followed by a drop and then levels out near the same height as it began. The raven turn is only usable on either flying roller coasters or 4D roller coasters4th Dimension roller coaster
A 4th Dimension roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster whereby riders are rotated independently of the orientation of the track, generally about a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to the track. The cars do not necessarily need to be fixed to an angle.-History:John F...
at the moment and has only been used on two 4D coasters.
The general term raven turn refers to any inversion that follows the design described above; however, there are two types of raven turns. Assuming the train is going round the half-loop first, an inside raven turn is where the rails are below the train at the start whereas an outside raven turn is one in which the rails are above the train at the start of the element. X² at Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
and Eejanaika at Fuji-Q Highland
Fuji-Q Highland
Fuji-Q Highland is an amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan.The theme park is near the base of Mount Fuji. It has a number of roller coasters, as well as The Haunted Hospital, the world's second largest haunted attraction, and Thomas Land, a children's area with a Thomas the Tank Engine...
are examples of raven turns.
Roll out
A roll out is similar to a sidewinder. However, while a sidewinder consists of a half loop followed by a half corkscrew, a roll out consists of a launch into an extended vertical section proceeding into a quarter loop and a loose half-corkscrew. As of 2008, the roll out element is unique to Volcano, The Blast CoasterVolcano, The Blast Coaster
Volcano, The Blast Coaster, or "Volcano", is the launched inverted roller coaster at Kings Dominion. It is one of the more popular rides since its opening on August 3, 1998. It is a custom designed ride designed by Paramount Parks and famous roller coaster designer Werner Stengel. The ride was...
at Kings Dominion, where it takes the ride to its highest point (155 feet) and is known as the inversion where riders are blasted out of the former Lost World mountain.
Sea serpent roll
A sea serpent roll (Vekoma: roll over) is a roller coaster inversion related to the cobra roll, except the two halves face in opposite directions. It can also be viewed as a reverse sidewinder followed by a sidewinder. The trains exit the track element in the same direction as they entered, unlike a cobra roll in which the trains get turned around 180°.The sea serpent roll is not as common as many other inversions, like the vertical loop, corkscrew, or cobra roll. It is a common element on most suspended looping coasters. Medusa at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, formerly Six Flags Marine World, Marine World, The New Marine World Theme Park, and Marine World Africa USA, is an animal theme park located in Vallejo, California. The park includes a variety of roller coasters and other amusement rides, along with a collection of...
was the first roller coaster with a sea serpent roll.
Top hat
A top hat (or as known as top cap) is an element common to launched coasters. A standard top hat consists of what is essentially a hill with a 90 degree ascent and descent, the train exits going in the same direction from which it entered. The track twists and the train does not go upside down. Top Thrill DragsterTop Thrill Dragster
Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, Hydraulic-launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was the first "Strata Coaster", loosely defined as a complete circuit coaster that is over tall. It was built by Intamin and debuted to the public on May 4, 2003...
at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
and Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka is a roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA. It is the world's tallest roller coaster, and was the world's fastest until Formula Rossa opened in November 2010. The train is launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism to in 3.5 seconds. At the end of...
at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
are examples of a top hat.
Vertical loop
The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted.Wraparound corkscrew
A wraparound corkscrew is a roller coaster inversion by Arrow Dynamics. It begins as a corkscrew, then transforms into a 180-degree downwards curve. The defunct Drachen FireDrachen Fire
Drachen Fire was an Arrow Dynamics roller coaster that operated from 1992 to 1998, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.- History :Initially, Drachen Fire was to be designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard. Busch Entertainment contacted the young company to build two multi-inversion sit-down coasters at...
at Busch Gardens Williamsburg was the only coaster to ever have a wraparound corkscrew; this element was incorporated into the coaster’s first drop.
Wraparound Immelmann
The wraparound Immelmann is a roller coaster inversion which is similar to an immelmann loop except that it has a sharper pull-out curve. This element is currently unique to the Chinese Fireball track of Dragon ChallengeDragon Challenge
Dragon Challenge is a pair of intertwined inverted roller coasters in the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure. The ride is themed to two dragons, one side being Chinese Fireball and the other Hungarian Horntail...
at Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened May 28, 1999 as part of an expansion that, along with CityWalk Entertainment District, the Portofino Bay Hotel, and Hard Rock hotel, converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort...
.
Zero-gravity roll
A zero-gravity roll is a roller coaster inversion found on B&M, sit-down, and floorless roller coasters. On inverted coasters, this inversion is alternately called a "heartline spin" because its center of gravityCenter of gravity
In physics, a center of gravity of a material body is a point that may be used for a summary description of gravitational interactions. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of mass serves as the center of gravity...
is near the rider's heart. On sit-down and floorless coasters, it is alternately called a spiraling camelback. The name for the roll comes from that fact that the rider feels a zero g-force
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
, giving the feeling of weightlessness
Weightlessness
Weightlessness is the condition that exists for an object or person when they experience little or no acceleration except the acceleration that defines their inertial trajectory, or the trajectory of pure free-fall...
.
Essentially, a zero-gravity roll is a hill with a 360 degree twist in the middle.
There is confusion over the difference between a zero-gravity roll and a heartline roll. In a heartline roll, there is no change in elevation as contrasted to the zero-g roll, which is often called a camelback because the track goes upwards, twists, and comes back down.
Splashdown
- A natural splashdown, in which the track of the vehicle is actually a few centimeters underwater (and thus, the train must come crashing into the water, spraying water from both sides), is apparent on a few roller coasters, first and foremost, Matterhorn BobsledsMatterhorn BobsledsThe Matterhorn Bobsleds or the Matterhorn is an attraction composed of two intertwining steel roller coasters, which opened in 1959 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It is modeled after the Matterhorn, a mountain in the Swiss Alps...
at Disneyland Park in California. This element was also present on Buzz Saw Falls at Silver Dollar CitySilver Dollar CitySilver Dollar City is a theme park in the state of Missouri. Opened on May 1, 1960, the park is located between Branson and Branson West, Missouri, on Highway 76...
before the ride's reconfiguration into Powder Keg: A Blast into the WildernessPowder Keg: A Blast into the WildernessPowder Keg: A Blast Into The Wilderness is a steel roller coaster at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. It was built in 2004 and opened in 2005...
.
- A scoop splashdown is an element in which each train is equipped with two tubes, called scoops, on the rear sides of each train. The scoops are angled upwards such that, as the train passes along a track with water on either side, the scoops (which hang off the final car on either side) dip into water and, traveling at high speed, force water up into the air in two distinct spouts. This element is only seen on Bolliger & MabillardBolliger & MabillardBolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
coasters (two dive machines and one hypercoasterHypercoasterA hypercoaster can mean one of two things:*Any continuous-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop measuring greater than 200 feetOr, more narrowly:*A style or model of roller coaster with three features:**A height of 200–299 feet...
), specifically SheiKraSheiKraSheiKra is a Bolliger and Mabillard diving machine roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. It is situated in the Stanleyville section of the park. SheiKra was the first dive machine roller coaster in North America. It is tied with Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia as the second tallest roller...
and GriffonGriffon (roller coaster)Griffon is a Bolliger & Mabillard diving machine roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. On opening, it was the tallest of its kind in the world at . Griffon originally had two other potential names — "IronEagle" and "Voltare" — before Busch Gardens decided on the name "Griffon". Griffon has...
(pictured right) at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Busch Gardens EuropeBusch Gardens EuropeBusch Gardens Williamsburg is a 383 acre theme park located in James City County, Virginia about 3 miles southeast of Williamsburg, originally developed by Anheuser-Busch and currently owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group...
, respectively, and on DiamondbackDiamondback (roller coaster)Diamondback is a Bolliger & Mabillard steel hypercoaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio.The ride is long and spans from just behind International Street and the Eiffel Tower and over the Rivertown area, and into a wooded area. The roller coaster contains a splashdown element near the end...
located at Kings IslandKings IslandKings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
. The scoops can be angled differently on different trains to produce different splash effects and between coasters, the splash differs greatly. Because of Griffon's extra-wide seating (pictured right), the splashdown is visibly two distinct spouts, whereas with Diamondback's traditional-style trains, the scoops are much closer together and thus, the splash appears to be one large plume.
Water spout
A water spout is a visual element used to simulate a roller coaster's interaction with a body of water (without the ride vehicle actually coming in contact with the body of water in question), encompassing a number of different methods. Water spouts are useful in the roller coaster world as they are visually appealing (and can even draw a crowd with the sole intention of seeing the effect take place when a train passes) while having no actual interaction with the track and therefore, saving on maintenance. Below are some of the more famous and well-known water spouts, offering a sampling of the many different forms this element can take on.- MaverickMaverick (roller coaster)Maverick is a Intamin-made linear synchronous motor-launched blitz steel complete-circuit roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was manufactured by IntaRide LLC, the United States division of Intamin, and was the five-hundredth roller coaster designed by German engineer Werner Stengel...
at Cedar PointCedar PointCedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
contains a water spout when, as rounding a large sweeping helix, four water blasts fire upwards, as if the train is being shot at with a shotgun (matching the ride's Western theme).
- Manta at SeaWorld OrlandoSeaWorld OrlandoSeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group...
contains a water spout when the manta-ray-shaped train cars pull down towards the water and appear to onlookers and riders to "skim" the surface of the water with the tip of their wing. This is synchronized to a system of fountains that run the entire length of the trains visual "interaction" which spray water as the train passes overhead.
- All three Backlot Stunt CoasterBacklot Stunt CoasterBacklot Stunt Coaster is a steel launched roller coaster currently open at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario; Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia; and Kings Island in Mason, Ohio.-History:The three roller coasters originally opened as Italian Job: Stunt Track at Canada's Wonderland and...
roller coasters at Paramount's Kings IslandParamount's Kings IslandKings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
, Paramount Canada's WonderlandParamount Canada's WonderlandCanada's Wonderland is a amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, a suburb directly north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The park is open seasonally from May to October and contains more than 200 attractions in eight differently themed areas...
and Paramount's Kings DominionParamount's Kings DominionKings Dominion is an amusement park located in Doswell, Virginia north of Richmond and south of Washington, DC off of Interstate 95.The park in Hanover County was originally built and owned in a joint venture between the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Kroger Company...
featured a finale "splashdown" in which the Mini Cooper themed cars burst out of a billboard and fall down into a "Los Angeles Aquaduct" where various water hoses spray out to each side simulating a splashdown (see above). (After the sale of the Paramount ParksParamount ParksParamount Parks was an operator of theme parks and attractions, which annually attracted about 13 million patrons. Viacom had assumed control of the company as part of its acquisition of Paramount Pictures in 1994....
to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, all three roller coasters were renamed Back Lot Stunt Coaster, and all water effects were removed.
- Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure contains a water spout immediately following its zero-G roll in which the coaster dives to the water beneath it, sending out a large spray again simulating a splashdown (see above) before pulling up into a cobra roll.