Superman: Escape from Krypton

Superman: The Escape
File:DSCN2280.JPG
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Location	Six Flags Magic Mountain
Park section	Samurai Summit
Status	Operating
Opening date	March 15, 1997
Cost	US$ 20,000,000
General statistics
Type	Steel – Launched
Manufacturer	Intamin AG
Model	Shuttle roller coaster
Lift/launch system	linear motor Launch Track
Inversions	0
Duration	0:28
Max vertical angle	90°
Capacity	1050 riders per hour
Superman: The Escape at RCDB

For the similarly named roller coaster located in Australia, please see Superman Escape.

Superman: The Escape is a launched shuttle roller coaster located in the Samurai Summit area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California that opened in 1997. It is nearly identical to Tower of Terror, which opened two months prior in Australia. These two coasters were the first to utilize Linear Synchronous Motors (LSM) technology to propel vehicles to top speed. Superman: The Escape was for a while the tallest roller coaster in the world, although its drop was the same as Tower of Terror. It was also tied with Tower of Terror as fastest roller coaster in the world. Today, it is fifth fastest. In 2001 the speed record was taken by Dodonpa in Japan. In 2003 Superman's height record was taken by Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point.

The ride in the background

The design team of Magic Mountain worked very hard in order to create an authentic experience that's true to the character for which the ride is named. Walking up the large hill in order to get to the ride, riders come to a concrete clearing, which has the Superman "S" shield imprinted into the ground. The loading area is modeled after Superman's Fortress of Solitude. Inside is an air-conditioned, crystalline-looking environment emulating the experience of being in Superman's fortress in the Arctic. Before getting on the ride, a Kryptonian Battle Suit,and statues of Superman's parents, Jor-El and Lara holding up a globe of Krypton, are displayed. Throughout the waiting area, John Williams' original score for Superman plays outside and in the "Fortress."

The coaster has two parallel tracks. Riders are accelerated horizontally from 0 to 100 mph (160.9 km/h) in approximately 7 seconds (about 0.65 g). The track then pitches up 90 degrees to the vertical. Riders climb this vertical section, stop and follow the same path back to the start. During the entire vertical section of the ride, riders are completely weightless for about 6.5 sec, half going up and half coming back down.

References

hi Brad;)

External links

• Superman: The Escape at the Roller Coaster DataBase
• Superman The Escape Photos and Review at Ultimate Rollercoaster.com