Nothing beats a world-class rollercoaster ride for pure stomach turning exhilaration.
For theme parks and engineers the quest for the biggest and fastest ride never ends, from the record breaking coaster half the height of a New York skyscraper to the UK ride that’s faster than a shuttle takeoff.
Calling all speed demons. Check out our list of the best hair raising rides in the UK and abroad, plus get inside the mind of a rollercoaster engineer. Hold on to your hats…
Best in the UK
Alton Tower’s Rita – Queen of Speed coaster maintains an average speed of 60 kilometres per hour throughout the ride, reaching 100kph within the first 2.5 seconds. More
With their legs dangling free from Thorpe Park’s Nemesis Inferno, riders swoop through 750 metres of track, test gravity on 360 degree loops and reach a G-Force of 4.5. More
Due to be unveiled to the public on 26 July 2005, Drayton Manor’s latest rollercoaster offering – G-Force – is a revolutionary ride in which passengers hang from their hips through 358 metres of rolls, tight camelbacks, high-backed curves and loops at speeds of 70kph at a G-Force of 4.3. More
Best around the world
Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, USA, has a set of vital statistics to rival any rollercoaster on earth. It’s half the height of some of New York’s tallest skyscrapers and goes from zero to 200kph in 2.5 seconds before descending the equivalent of 45 stories at a 90 degree angle. More
Dubbed the longest rollercoaster in the world, the Steel Dragon at Nagashima Spaland, Japan, has a total track length of 2,479 metres. The ride kicks off with a 95 metre fall and includes among its highlights a maze like spiral section.
One of the world’s fastest rollercoasters, the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point, Ohio, USA reaches its upper speed of 200kph within just four seconds of launch. The ride, which stands at 128 metres tall, cost £16.6 million to build and is the current world record holder for fastest rollercoaster – a record being challenged by Six Flags. More
Continue to page two to read an interview with a rollercoaster designer.
Please note Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites. Images courtesy of Thorpe Park and Drayton Manor.
A rollercoaster is only powered at the very beginning of a ride, when the train is being pulled up the very first hill. From then on it’s propelled along by its own weight, and gravity. There are no cables pulling a rollercoaster around the track, no power source and no engine.
When plummeting downhill on a rollercoaster the body feels totally weightless. This is what causes the stomach flutters!
Once you're underway, different types of wheels help keep the ride smooth. Running wheels guide the coaster on the track and friction wheels control lateral motion. A final set of magnetic wheels keeps the coaster on the track even if it's upside down. Compressed air brakes stop the car as the ride ends.
Sitting at the front of the rollercoaster gives the best views, and is therefore the most adrenaline inspiring seat. The back is for those with strong stomachs – this is where you feel most weightless. The middle is for the tame.
Theme parks and engineers continue to attempt to break records and build taller, longer and faster coasters. But the same principles are at work in all new rides.
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