Superman – Ride of Steel

Superman – Ride of Steel is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags America in Woodmore, Maryland. Ride of Steel is an identical roller coaster located at Six Flags Darien Lake in Darien, New York, which originally had the same name until the park opted to drop Superman from the title in 2006. Both hypercoasters were manufactured by Intamin and opened a year apart, beginning with the Darien Lake installation in May 1999. They are 208 feet (63 m) tall, feature a drop length of 205 feet (62 m), and reach a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h). A roller coaster that opened at Six Flags New England in 2000, Superman the Ride, shares the same name, but it features a significantly different layout.

Superman – Ride of Steel
Superman - Ride of Steel's final airtime hill
Six Flags America
Park sectionGotham City
Coordinates38.9085°N 76.7771°W / 38.9085; -76.7771
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 13, 2000 (2000-05-13)
Cost$12,000,000 USD
Six Flags Darien Lake
Coordinates42.9288°N 78.3894°W / 42.9288; -78.3894
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 15, 1999 (1999-05-15)
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerIntamin
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelMega Coaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height208 ft (63 m)
Drop205 ft (62 m)
Length5,400 ft (1,600 m)
Speed73 mph (117 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration2:02
Max vertical angle68°
Capacity1100 riders per hour
Height restriction54–76 in (137–193 cm)
Trains2 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 32 riders per train.
Flash Pass Available at Six Flags America
Superman – Ride of Steel at RCDB
Pictures of Superman – Ride of Steel at RCDB

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 who 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 Iraq War veteran 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] A common misconception about this accident is that an Iraq War veteran went to the park, and was told he could ride all of the rides by a park employee. He actually went to the ride, without asking anyone if he could ride. He was not height checked, and the ride operator failed to notice that he did not have to functioning legs. As a result, he was ejected from the ride.[5]

Rankings
Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320182019
Ranking 20[6]16[7]13[8]12[9]18[10]23[11]14[12]17[13]28[14]26[15]40[16]43[17]38[18]39 (tie)[19]47 (tie)[20]
  • The station of Ride of Steel at Darien Lake
  • Superman's lift and first drop
  • Superman's first airtime hill
  • The version of (Superman) Ride of Steel at Darien Lake
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References
  1. "Six Flags adds VR roller coasters". Digital Trends. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  2. "Rider thrown from new Darien Lake roller coaster". Rideaccidents.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  3. "Army amputee ejected from roller coaster, dies". NBC News. 2011-07-09. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11.
  4. "Ride of Steel Reopens, Darien Lake Officials Answer Questions About Tragedy". WKBW TV Buffalo. July 22, 2011. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012.
  5. Owens, Howard B. (2011-08-25). "Final Sheriff's Office report on death at Darien's 'Ride of Steel' contains new details". The Batavian. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  6. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  7. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  8. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  9. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  10. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  11. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  12. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 36–37. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  13. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 36–37. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  14. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  15. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  16. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  17. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  18. "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  19. "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  20. "2019 Top Steel". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
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