Sky Rocket
| Sky Rocket | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Kennywood Park | |
| Location | Kennywood Park |
| Opening date | June 29, 2010 |
| General statistics | |
| Manufacturer | Premier Rides |
| Lift/launch system | Linear Synchronous Motor |
| Height | 95 ft (29 m) |
| Length | 2,100 ft (640 m) |
| Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| Inversions | 3 |
| Duration | approx. 1:00 |
| Max vertical angle | 90° |
| Height restriction | 52 in (132 cm) |
| Sky Rocket at RCDB | |
Sky Rocket is a steel roller coaster located in Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the first coaster since the reconditioning of the Steel Phantom into the Phantom's Revenge in 2001, and the first coaster since that event to feature inversions. It was completed in the late spring of 2010 and after a period of testing opened at the end of June.
The Sky Rocket occupies the ground formerly held by the Turnpike near the entrance to the park; the Turnpike ride is expected to return in the near future in a modified state.
Riding
After exiting the station, the train lines up with the launch motors and is powered to 50 mph (80 km/h) in just three seconds. Prior to a 90 degree ascent of 95 feet, the train pauses as the riders look straight down. The coaster plummets 90 degrees and moves into a "cutback" inversion, which is two corkscrews joined together so that the train exits moving 180 degrees from the direction it entered. Other inversions include a barrel roll and a traditional corkscrew. There is also a "zero gravity hill."
Notability
Sky Rocket is a powered launch coaster using Linear Synchronous Motors, a first for Premier Rides designs.
It is also the only current coaster in the United States to feature a "cutback" inversion; the Drachen Fire in Busch Gardens Williamsburg previously featured it but has been dismantled.
The ride also features a harness system, which locks riders in at the waist rather than the shoulders. This gives riders a sense of mobility not usually felt in coasters featuring inversions.
Reception
The Sky Rocket has received positive reviews since opening.
Awards
| Golden Ticket Awards: Best Steel Coaster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Year | 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2010" (PDF). Amusement Today. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ http://www.coaster-net.com/newsandreleases.php?action=displayitem&newsid=1101
- ^ http://www.kennywood.com
- ^ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10175/1067793-51.stm