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Full Throttle (roller coaster)

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Park section
  
Six Flags Plaza

Cost
  
US$6 million

Type
  
Steel – Launched

Height
  
49 m

Opened
  
22 June 2013

Status
  
Operating

Replaced
  
Log Jammer

Max speed
  
113 km/h

Track length
  
671 m

Full Throttle (roller coaster)

Opening date
  
June 22, 2013 (2013-06-22)

Address
  
26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia, CA 91355, USA

Similar
  
X2, Tatsu, Goliath, Twisted Colossus, Viper

Full Throttle is a steel launched roller coaster at the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park in Valencia, California. The ride is designed by Premier Rides and featured the world's tallest vertical loop at 160 feet (49 m) when it opened (this record is now held by Flash, a steel roller coaster at Lewa Adventure, China). It is also the first roller coaster to feature a top-hat element on a loop. It officially opened to the public on June 22, 2013.

Contents

History

In late 2012 Baltimore-based roller coaster manufacturer Premier Rides was announced as the builder of the coaster. Construction of Full Throttle started shortly after the Log Jammer log flume was closed on October 31, 2011. In March 2012, details of a launched roller coaster named Full Throttle were leaked to the Los Angeles Times. On April 4, 2012, Six Flags trademarked the name Full Throttle.

On August 28, 2012, Six Flags Magic Mountain officially announced Full Throttle. Along with Full Throttle there would be a new themed section to host the new coaster.

In mid-November 2012, construction walls went up, blocking off the construction site in Six Flags Plaza. For the new themed section, What the Fried? (restaurant) and Warner Bros. Kids' Club (theater) were demolished before the construction walls went up. By mid-December, the first pieces of Full Throttle's track had arrived on site. In late February, Full Throttle started to become vertical until April 12, 2013 when it was complete.

Six Flags Magic Mountain confirmed on Twitter that Full Throttle would open on June 22, 2013.

Ride experience

The train is launched from 0 to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) using one of the three linear synchronous motor out of the station into the record-breaking 160-foot-tall (49 m) vertical loop. Riders then enter into a high-banked curve to the right and then another to the left as they approach the second inversion, a dive loop. This inversion drops down into a tunnel previously used for the park's monorail system, where the train comes to a halt. The train is then launched backwards out of the tunnel and partially up the dive loop. Once it loses its backward momentum, the train returns forward into the tunnel and is launched out of the tunnel and straight into a high-G turn to the left. Riders then go up the top hat that is located on top of the loop. Riders drop from the hill and reach the brake run before entering a 180-degree turn to the left back into the station. Duration of the 2,200 foot (670 m) ride is under one minute.

Trains

The train is configured in a 2 trains with 3 cars per train layout. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 18 riders per train. The roller coaster configuration makes the capacity of 800 riders per hour.

Plaza and station

Full Throttle's station is open air and is not themed unlike other coasters in the park. In front of the station is a dining area and gift shop in a building with "Full Throttle" badging.

Reception

Upon its building, Full Throttle received positive reviews from critics. Brady MacDonald of the Los Angeles Times states, "you ride Full Throttle and there's only one reaction: wow". MacDonald claims the ride starts "silky smooth and whisper quiet" and launches as a "rocket-fast launch". MacDonald criticized the activation of the brakes as the train descends the top hat.

Records

Upon debut, Full Throttle surpassed Superman: Krypton Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas for the tallest vertical loop on a roller coaster. In January 2016, the record was conceded to Mack-manufactered Flash at the Lewa Adventure amusement park, located in China.

It has the first top hat attached directly on top of the vertical loop. As of 2017 no other looping roller-coaster has this type of top hat.

References

Full Throttle (roller coaster) Wikipedia