Superman – Ride of Steel is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags America amusement park near Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Ride of Steel is an identical model located at Darien Lake amusement park in Darien, New York. Both are hypercoasters reaching heights above 200 feet (61 m), and were manufactured by Intamin. The installation at Darien Lake opened to the public on May 15, 1999, and the replica at Six Flags America opened a year later on May 13, 2000. Six Flags New England's Superman the Ride roller coaster was previously known as "Superman – Ride of Steel" prior to 2009, but it features a significantly different layout.
VR Experience[]
On March 3, 2016, Six Flags announced that the ride would be one of several rides at various Six Flags parks to feature a VR system. Riders have the option of wearing a Samsung Gear VR headset, powered by Oculus to create a 360-degree, 3D experience while riding. It is themed to Superman saving a city from Lex Luthor's Lex Bots wh
o are causing chaos with an anti-gravity ray. This theming will also come to the Superman: Krypton Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Superman: The Ride at Six Flags New England.[1]
Ride Layout[]
Once the train has been dispatched from the station it makes a winding, 180-degree turn. The train ascends 208 feet (63 m) up the lift hill and then drops 205 feet (62 m) at an angle of 68 degrees. The train reaches the maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h) before entering a sharp turn and the first airtime hill. A 540-degree helix follows, in addition to another smaller airtime hill. The finale involves a 500-degree helix and several more airtime hills before reaching the brake run and returning to the station.
Elements[]
- 5 airtime hills (4 airtime hills and a twisted airtime hill)
- 2 helixes (540 degree and 500 degree)
Accidents[]
- On May 16, 1999, a passenger was thrown from the train at the Darien Lake installment on one of the final hills and suffered only minor injuries.[2]
- On July 8, 2011, a handicapped passenger on the Darien Lake installment riding in the front seat fell to his death.[3] State investigators faulted operator error as the cause of the accident and the ride was re-opened on July 22, 2011.[4]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ http://www.digitaltrends.com/virtual-reality/samsung-six-flags-gear-vr-roller-coaster-news/
- ↑ http://www.rideaccidents.com/1999.html#may16
- ↑ http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43692529/ns/us_news-life/t/army-amputee-ejected-roller-coaster-dies/#.WH29CbYrK2w
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120126022513/http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/Ride-of-Steel-Reopens-Darien-Lake-Officials-Answer-Questions-About-Tragedy-126048908.html
v - e - d | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
v - e - d  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|