Top 3 Launch Coasters
Those clickety-clack chain lifts are a thing of the past. In case you haven’t been to a theme park in a decade or so, there’s a new way to power coasters. Launch Coasters also known as Rocket Coasters are all the rage these days. This week I’ll count down my Top 3 Launch Coasters.
#3 Storm Runner at Hershey Park – More of a proper roller coaster than those skyscrapers Intamin builds. (Pictured to the right) It features one of my favorite inversions, the Flying Snake Dive.
#2 Incredible Hulk at Islands of Adventure – At zero to 40 mph in two seconds, Hulk doesn’t seem to offer the most intimidating launch. That’s until you realize you’re being launched up the lift hill, through a tunnel (gamma radiation chamber, for the comic geeks), and directly into a zero-g roll.
#1 Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion – There are two exhilirating launches, one of which shoots you out of the top of an ‘active’ volcano. What more do you need to know? Check out my full review.
Honorable Mentions: Kingda Ka, Flight of Fear
Worst Launch Coaster: Hypersonic XLC