Vertical Velocity (roller coaster)

For the roller coaster at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California, see V2: Vertical Velocity.

Vertical Velocity
V2's Twisted Tower
Location	Six Flags Great America
Park section	Yankee Harbor
Coordinates	42°22′04.59″N 87°55′56.70″W
Status	Operating
Opened	May 18, 2001
Type	Steel - Inverted - Launched
Manufacturer	Intamin
Model	Shuttle Coaster
Track layout	Twisted Impulse
Lift/launch system	LIM
Height	185 ft (56 m)
Drop	185 ft (56 m)
Length	630 ft (190 m)
Max speed	70 mph (110 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	0:40
Max vertical angle	90°
Capacity	1100 riders per hour
Acceleration	0 to 70
Max G force	5.6
Height restriction	4 ft 6 in (137 cm)
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Vertical Velocity at RCDB
Pictures of Vertical Velocity at RCDB
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Vertical Velocity (V2) is an inverted steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois.

Manufactured by Intamin under the trade name Twisted Impulse Coaster, this launched shuttle-style coaster, located in the Yankee Harbor section of the park, has been operating since May 18, 2001.

The coaster's single seven-car (28-passenger) train runs along a 200 m (656 ft) U-shaped track, incorporating two 185-foot (56 m) vertical spikes. The forward spike incorporates a twisted spiral, and the rearward spike provides a straight freefall. The 20 m (65 ft) train, propelled by linear induction motors (LIMs,) is accelerated in less than four seconds to 70 mph (110 km/h) toward the forward tower before dropping back down through the station house and up the rearward tower. A holding brake is incorporated on the rear straight tower and is able to suspend the train momentarily (usually on the final ascent during each ride) before dropping it back down to the station house. For the 2009 operating season, park officials have confirmed that the braking system on the rear spike is broken and will be repaired. Thus, the ride temporarily does not incorporate the suspension phase. As of the 2011 operating season, the brake still has not been repaired. The train passes, at speed, through the station four times per 2,700-foot (820 m) ride and is smoothly braked by eddy-current braking before being brought into final position at the station by the LIMs.

Timeline

• 2001 - Construction completed; operation begun
• 2004 - Additional support was added on both towers to increase stability

References

• "Intamin - Pioneer of Amusement Rides - LIM Coaster: Twisted Impulse". intaminworldwide.com. http://www.intaminworldwide.com/iag/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=32. Retrieved 31 May 2009. 
• "Press Release (Six Flags Great America -- Two New Coasters In One Season!)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Duane Marden. 1 Mar 2001. http://www.rcdb.com/document46.htm. Retrieved 31 May 2009. 
• "V2 Vertical Velocity Roller Coaster - Six Flags Great America". Ultimate Rollercoaster. Ultimate Rollercoaster, LLC. http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/yellowpages/coasters/v2_sfgam.shtml. Retrieved 31 May 2009. 
• "Vertical Velocity (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Duane Marden. http://www.rcdb.com/id747.htm. Retrieved 31 May 2009.