Iron Rattler
| Rattler | |
|---|---|
 The Rattler | |
| Six Flags Fiesta Texas | |
| Location | Six Flags Fiesta Texas |
| Park section | Crackaxle Canyon |
| Coordinates | 29°35′55″N 98°36′47″W / 29.59861°N 98.61306°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | March 14, 1992 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood – Twister |
| Manufacturer | Roller Coaster Corporation of America |
| Designer | John Pierce |
| Model | Custom |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | Chain |
| Height | 179 ft (55 m) |
| Drop | 124 ft (38 m) |
| Length | 5,080 ft (1,550 m) |
| Speed | 65 mph (105 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:26 |
| Max vertical angle | 61.4° |
| G-force | 3.6 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
 Flash Pass Available | |
| Rattler at RCDB | |
The Rattler is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas, since March 14, 1992.
History
When it debuted in 1992, it was the tallest and fastest wooden coaster in the world, with a height of 179 feet (55 m), a first drop of 166 feet (51 m) and a top speed of 73 mph (117 km/h), outdoing its then rival, Mean Streak at Ohio's Cedar Point Amusement Park. It held this title for several years until the debut of Son of Beast at Ohio's Kings Island. The Rattler is currently the world's fourth tallest wooden coaster but has fallen out of the top ten in drop, although it would still rank third in this category had its first drop not been drastically shortened from 166 to 124 feet (51 to 38 m), reducing its top speed to 65 mph (105 km/h), several years after its opening. The coaster's original plans never called for such a large first drop, but construction of Ohio's Mean Streak prompted the hasty design change.
In January 2012, the Spokane Journal of Business in Spokane, Washington conducted an interview with Rocky Mountain Construction Group Inc., the construction company responsible for the renovation of Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas in 2011. In the interview, it was stated that Rattler would be completely refurbished in 2013 with new track and trains in a manner similar to that used on Texas Giant.[1][2]
Location
The Rattler is located in the Western-themed Crackaxle Canyon area of Fiesta Texas, sitting next to the Road Runner Express and The Gully Washer, with which Rattler intertwines. The coaster spends much of its course atop the cliffs surrounding the park and includes a long tunnel through a quarry wall after its mid-course brake run. Furthermore, The Rattler features a huge, 900° helix atop a high cliff after its infamous second drop/fan curve.
Trivia
The Rattler was featured in the 1992 movie, Blank Check, where Preston Waters (Brian Bonsall) watches his friends ride the coaster, since he didn't have enough tokens to ride the coaster.[3]
References
- ^ McLean, Mike (January 19, 2012). "North Idaho roller coaster maker expands to accommodate innovations". Spokane Journal of Business. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ Theme Park Review (November 16, 2011). "IAAPA 2011 Trade Show Part 3 Orlando Florida Theme Park Review Rocky Mountain Sally". Video. YouTube. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c6yQhscsOI&t=5m35s Rattler featured in Blank Check