Six Flags Great America announces X-Flight
Posted
[Ed. note: The following is an excerpt of a press release. -J]
Get ready to take flight! Six Flags Great America announces plans to add a state-of-the-art roller coaster for the 2012 season. X-Flight is a ground-breaking wing coaster featuring cutting-edge technology. The Gurnee theme park is the first to announce plans for a wing coaster in the U.S.
X-Flight will take riders on a flight that defies gravity, with no track above or below them. Riders sit in pairs, suspended on either side of the track with their feet dangling, as they begin their climb up a 12-story plunge launching them into speeds of 55mph through 3,000 feet of intense drops and five inversions, including a barrel roll and zero-g roll. One of the most adrenaline-pumping moments on the ride is an extreme fly-through where the coaster speeds straight toward a structure, before making a last-minute vertical flip to fit through a keyhole cut-out.
“Six Flags Great America has a long history of introducing legendary rides and first-of-its-kind roller coasters,” said Hank Salemi, Six Flags Great America Park President. “What makes X-Flight so unique is soaring through 3,000 feet of high-speed drops, loops and turns, with nothing above or below you. The coaster’s train actually looks like a plane with seats suspended on either side of the track. It’s like nothing you have ever experienced before. We are thrilled to bring this revolutionary wing coaster to our guests for the 2012 season.”
X-Flight is designed by acclaimed Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, who also designed Six Flags Great America favorites: Raging Bull, SUPERMAN: Ultimate Flight and BATMAN: The Ride. The wing coaster will make its home in the County Fair section of the park. Construction begins this Fall. X-Flight is scheduled to open Spring of 2012.
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Definitely looks like an awesome ride, especially the fly-through. I'll have to make sure to get back to GA.
BTW. What, no bitching about the recycling of the name X-Flight? I'm disappointed. ;)
^I did! But they have been replaced with 'hold you back and down and shake you hard' rubber-y things. I'm sure they will be much nicer on a B&M than they are on a Vekoma, though. It's a trade-off.
^^ Not really that new. They're just like the B&M Flying Coaster restraints except with a different latching mechanism and added crotch seat belts
2012 SFGAm Visits: 26 2012 Season Whizzer Rides: 84 X Flight Rides: 91
More crap in the crotch area? That's exactly what those restraints needed! ;)
884 Coasters, 34 States, 7 Countries
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I really look forward to this one! Out of all of the Six Flags announcements this one is definitely my favorite. :)
-Tina
Any word on where exactly in the park X-Flight will be located? Is it going where the car ride is located?
"Thank the Phoneticians!"
I keep reading that it is going where Iron Wolf is, and that some extra room is being made to accompany the rest of the larger new ride.
-Travis
www.youtube.com/TSVisits
I couldn't quite tell from the animation, although it does look like American Eagle is in the background. Didn't they close/remove a splashdown ride recently near there?
"Thank the Phoneticians!"
Here is the video animation for the ride. It is going in where Splash Water Falls and Great American Raceway were. Basically between Eagle and Demon. The spot for Iron Wolf will probably stay vacant next year. Just click the image and it will play.
My favorite MJ tune: "Billie Jean" which I have been listening to alot now. RIP MJ.
I'm still going to refer to it as Brak: the Ride.
jc
(look at the trains again)
Hello, Hello! (hola!) I rode a ride named Vertigo!-with apologies to U2
Anyone notice the "Stealth" bomber on the logo, referring to the x-flight at sfwoa was originally stealth.
Intimidator 305 the tallest most hated coaster nobody has ever ridden...
Did they ever mention number of trains or capacity? Over the years they have put in a lot of lower capacity coasters. Iron Wolf, Batman, Superman, Ragin Cajun, Dark Knight, Viper,V2 all have a capacity of around 1000 or less an hour. Will this be one as well? I never understood why Six Flags put so many lower capacity coasters at some of their "Top Tier" parks.
Capacity does not matter at all. People love to stand in long lines, or spend extra on Flashpass. ;)
I seriously think that this new coaster looks like it will have pretty good capacity though. I don't think it will offer any unusual restraints. It is a slightly short coaster with two trains holding 32 riders each. That's 62 riders every few minutes. That's assuming that Six Flags uses both trains.
Has the park talked about what the expected capacity is for this coaster? I also can't find how long of a ride it is, time-wise.
-Travis
www.youtube.com/TSVisits
sorry i was mistaken but it was similar to stealth.
Intimidator 305 the tallest most hated coaster nobody has ever ridden...
LostKause said:
or spend extra on Flashpass. ;)
Don't do it, Travis *its a trap*
http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2009/8/20/128952537004419969.jpg
LostKause said:
It is a slightly short coaster with two trains holding 32 riders each. That's 62 riders every few minutes.
Math was never my strongest subject either. :)
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
Lol...
Just a stupid mistake. My head has been filled with too many numbers over the last few months.
:)
-Travis
www.youtube.com/TSVisits
Really? Batman, Superman and Viper have bad capacity? It probably depends on the crew, but two trains of 32 or 30 is in upper tier for ride capacity (only ones I can think of that beat it are the 36 passenger B&M and intamin hypers.)
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
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