Kingda Ka is a roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey, USA. At its opening on May 21, 2005 it became the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, claiming the title from Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. The train is launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism to 128 miles per hour (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds.^[1] At the end of the launch track, the train climbs the main top hat tower reaching a height of 456 feet (139.5 m).^[2] Due to aviation safety concerns, the tower is equipped with three dual strobes: two mid-way up, and one on the top. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1626 KB) Summary I took this picture. ... Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, located 67 miles from New York City, 58 miles from Newark and 50 miles from Philadelphia, consisting of a theme park area, a Wild Safari area, and a water park, Hurricane Harbor. ... Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, located 67 miles from New York City, 58 miles from Newark and 50 miles from Philadelphia, consisting of a theme park area, a Wild Safari area, and a water park, Hurricane Harbor. ... The Dueling Dragons, the worlds only Dueling Steel-Inverted roller coaster located at Islands of Adventure in Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida. ... The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster which has risen to prominence within the last decade. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Expedition GeForce Intamin AG is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. ... Werner Stengel is a notable German roller coaster engineer. ... The Accelerator Coaster is Intamin AGs term for their hydraulically-launched roller coaster model. ... The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster which has risen to prominence within the last decade. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ... Image File history File links Roller_Coaster_Icon. ... A typical roller coaster The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. ... Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, located 67 miles from New York City, 58 miles from Newark and 50 miles from Philadelphia, consisting of a theme park area, a Wild Safari area, and a water park, Hurricane Harbor. ... Map of Jackson Township in Ocean County Jackson Township, named after Andrew Jackson, is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... While there have been hundreds of different roller coasters built, there have been just a few that were notable for specific reasons. ... While there have been hundreds of different roller coasters built, there have been just a few that were notable for specific reasons. ... Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, hydraulically-launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. ... Cedar Point is a 364 acre (1. ... The Accelerator Coaster is Intamin AGs term for their hydraulically-launched roller coaster model. ... The launch track is the section of a launched roller coaster in which the train is accelerated to its full speed in a matter of seconds. ... // Roller coasters are comprised of various elements, the individual parts of the design and operation, such as a track, hill, loop, turn, etc. ... Aircraft warning lights are high intensity lighting devices that are attached to tall structures and used as collision avoidance measures. ...

During a test run with no passengers on June 6, 2005 a bolt failure caused damage to the launch cable resulting in closure of the ride until August, 2005 and the reconfiguration of the line area. is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Queue at US Air Force station in Iraq, for food at a birthday celebration. Queue areas are areas in which people queue (first-come, first-served), that is they wait in line for something. ...

History

Kingda Ka was officially announced on September 29, 2004, at an event held for the media and enthusiasts.^[3] It was revealed that the ride would become "the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth", reaching 456 feet (139 m) high and accelerating up to 128 miles per hour (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds.^[4] is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ride experience

Kingda Ka's tower

After the train has been locked and checked, it slowly advances out of the station to the launch area. The train goes through a switch track which allows 4 trains on two tracks to load simultaneously. Once the train is in position, the hydraulic launch mechanism rockets the train from 0 to 128 miles per hour (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds,^[5] pulling about 1.67 g's. At the end of the launch track, the train climbs the main tower, or top hat, twisting 90 degrees to the right before reaching a height of 456 feet (139.5 m).^[6] The train then descends 418 feet (127 m) straight down through a 270-degree spiral. Finally, the train climbs the second, 129 foot hill, producing a moment of weightlessness before being smoothly brought to a stop by the magnetic brakes. The train then makes a U-turn and enters the station. The ride lasts 28 seconds from the start of the launch to the end of the brake run, but has an "official" ride time of 50.6 seconds. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1704x2272, 1666 KB) Summary Took it myself. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1704x2272, 1666 KB) Summary Took it myself. ... Roller coaster train comprised of 5 cars. ... The Accelerator Coaster is Intamin AGs term for their hydraulically-launched roller coaster model. ... The launch track is the section of a launched roller coaster in which the train is accelerated to its full speed in a matter of seconds. ... // Roller coasters are comprised of various elements, the individual parts of the design and operation, such as a track, hill, loop, turn, etc. ... David OHara tells you about brakes and how effective they are: A brake run on Scorpion A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. ...

The hydraulic launch motor is capable of producing 20,800 horsepower (15.5 MW) peak. Due to the high speed and open nature of the trains, this ride will not operate in even light rain, as rider contact with rain drops can cause discomfort.^[7] This article is about a unit of measurement. ...

Rollbacks and launch

Sign warning riders that a rollback may occur.

Sometimes, it is possible for a train to roll back—to fail to reach the top of the tower and descend downwards. The train instead reaches as high on the tower as it can go (in most cases to the very top), and rolls back. Kingda Ka includes retractable brakes on its launch track that will bring a train rolling backwards down the tower to a stop. Rollbacks are more common in breezy weather, or just after wet weather. Many riders look forward to a rollback. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1704x2272, 2227 KB) Summary Took it myself. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1704x2272, 2227 KB) Summary Took it myself. ... A rollback occurs on a launched roller coaster when the train is not launched fast enough to reach the top of the tower. ... Roller coaster train comprised of 5 cars. ... A rollback occurs on a launched roller coaster when the train is not launched fast enough to reach the top of the tower. ... The launch track is the section of a launched roller coaster in which the train is accelerated to its full speed in a matter of seconds. ...

It is hard to know exactly when Kingda Ka's launch will occur. When the signal to launch is given, the train rolls back slightly to engage the catch car, then the brakes on the launch track retract. The launch will occur five seconds after the "hiss" sound of the brakes retracting. Previously, Kingda Ka's horn sounded before every launch, but it has been turned off because of noise complaints from nearby residents. The horn now sounds only when Kingda Ka first launches after being idle for a certain period of time. Kingda Ka's launch mechanism is capable of launching a train every 45 seconds, resulting in a capacity of 1400 guests per hour.

Camera

Kingda Ka features two on-ride cameras. One is placed shortly after the beginning of the launch, the other is at the end of the brake run, resulting in "before" and "after" photographs. Since both cameras are located on the right side of the track, riders intending to purchase their on-ride photo are advised to sit in the right-hand seat. An on-ride camera is a camera mounted along side the track of a roller coaster (or a similar ride) that automatically photographs all of the riders on passing trains. ... David OHara tells you about brakes and how effective they are: A brake run on Scorpion A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. ...

Station

Kingda Ka's switch track at the station's exit

Kingda Ka's second hill, the main difference between this ride and Top Thrill Dragster.

Kingda Ka's station has two parallel tracks with switch tracks at the entrance and exit. Each of the station's tracks accommodates two trains, so that each of the four trains has its own station. Each train only loads and unloads at its own station; it does not go to any others. During operation, the trains on one side are loaded while the trains on the other side are launched. This system works extremely efficiently as long as all four trains are running and there are no significant delays in loading and checking the trains. This system was not used at all in 2006 because only two trains were working that year. It also results in a very fast-moving line before the station, but a long wait inside the station, especially if waiting for the front row. An employee directs riders in line to go to a particular side of the station, but riders will then be able to choose the front or rear train. Two operators load, check and dispatch each train, and one launches the trains. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1714 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Kingda Ka Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1714 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Kingda Ka Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1238 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Kingda Ka Talk:Kingda Ka Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1238 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Kingda Ka Talk:Kingda Ka Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, hydraulically-launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. ... Look up line in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Trains

Kingda Ka's four trains are color coded for easy identification: green, dark blue, light blue (commonly called teal) and orange. These four colors are also used on the seats and restraints. Kingda Ka's trains seat 18 people, with two per row. The rear car has one row, while the rest have two. The rear row of each car is positioned higher than its front row for better visibility. The trains do not have official names, only numbers.

The dark blue train was being launched when 2005's major malfunction (see below) occurred, and problems stemming from this malfunction were discovered in the train's off-season rehab, putting this train out of service throughout the 2006 season. As a result, Kingda Ka only ran two trains for the whole year. The teal and green trains ran from the start of the season until late July, and the teal and orange trains ran for the rest of the season. Kingda Ka opened for the 2007 season with all four trains running.^[8]

Each of Kingda Ka's trains has a panel behind the last row of seats that covers an extra row of seat mounts. These panels could be removed for the installation of additional seats at some future time. This modification would increase the capacity of each train to from 18 to 20 guests and the hourly capacity of the coaster from 1400 to 1600 guests per hour. Kingda Ka's station is already set up for this modification; it has the entrance gates for the currently nonexistent row of seats.

While this modification has not yet been done, the trains were slightly modified for the 2006 season - the nose of each train got a new coat of paint, after which the large "Kingda Ka" logo and the train number decals were not put back on the trains. The non-padded portions of the restraints are now bare metal rather than painted orange.

Seat restraints

Left: Kingda Ka's seats with the restraints down

Kingda Ka's over-the-shoulder restraint system consists of a thick, rigid lap bar and two thin, flexible over-the-shoulder restraints. Because the over-the-shoulder portions of the restraint are not rigid, the hand grips are mounted to the lap bar. This type of restraint feels like a lap bar restraint, while still providing the safety of a traditional over-the-shoulder restraint. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1486 KB) Source Date Author Permission Other versions of this file File links The following pages link to this file: Kingda Ka Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1486 KB) Source Date Author Permission Other versions of this file File links The following pages link to this file: Kingda Ka Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or...

These restraints use a hydraulic locking system (rather than a ratchet) which allows them to be pulled down to any position; when "locked", they can move down to any position but not up. In contrast, a ratchet-based restraint only locks at each "notch", and will often be too loose or uncomfortably tight. Kingda Ka's restraints are also held down by a belt in case the main locking system fails. In order to speed up loading, riders are asked to secure their own restraints if they are able to. The minimum height restriction is 54 inches, the same as most other major coasters. In addition, it is actually possible for a rider to be too tall to ride Kingda Ka - if you are tall enough that your head is entirely above the seat, you would not be able to ride as the launch could give you whiplash. Hydraulics is a branch of science and engineering concerned with the use of liquids to perform mechanical tasks. ... A ratchet lever hoist. ... A three-point seat belt. ... Whiplash is the common name for a hyper extension/flexion injury to the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spines. ...

Queue line area

Kingda Ka's entrance

Kingda Ka's line starts well before the actual entrance arch. The line passes by an ice cream stand, then goes under the entrance arch. It then enters a long switchback area, where a DJ is sometimes present to entertain the guests in the line. After the switchback area, the line passes by the lockers and then into the station. At this point, an employee will direct guests to a particular side of the station. Each train's station has a separate line for the front row. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1823 KB) Summary I took this picture. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1823 KB) Summary I took this picture. ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ...

Before 2005's major malfunction, Kingda Ka's line area was much larger. It started at the main entrance arch, went under the launch track, traveled through two large switchback areas, and split into separate lines for each side of the station. Most of the entire line used to be set in the ride's infield. Due to the parts that came flying from the launch track during its first malfunction, the park or state, perhaps both, felt it would be safer to have guests stay as far away from the track as possible at all times. The current main entrance to the station was previously the "flash pass" entrance.

Major malfunctions

On June 6, 2005, less than a month after its grand opening, a bolt failure caused the liner inside the trough that the launch cable travels through to come loose and create friction against the cable. The friction caused the train to not accelerate to the correct speed. The rubbing of the cable against the inside of the metal trough caused sparks and shards of metal and sparks to fly out from the bottom of the train. The engine, as it is designed, attempted to compensate by applying more force to the cable to attain the 128 mph (206 km/h) launch speed. is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Friction (disambiguation). ... Acceleration is the time rate of change of velocity, and at any point on a v_t graph, it is given by the gradient of the tangent to that point In physics, acceleration (symbol: a) is defined as the rate of change (or time derivative) of velocity. ... For other uses, see Engine (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Force (disambiguation). ...

The brake fins—metal fins attached to the underside of some roller coaster cars that slide between brakes mounted to the track^[9]—rise up into the braking position on a timing pattern, independent of the launching mechanism. The fins are mounted in steel supports that are connected to actuators that raise and lower the fins into the desired position. There are four braking zones, and each zone has about 24 individual brake fins. The fins actually caught up to the launching train as the timing pattern of the rising fins was faster than the accelerating train. The magnetic brakes began to slow the train in the launch area, and the engine tried to compensate even more, and dragged the train through the brake zones. The catch car released, but the train was still in the brake zone and came to a complete stop at the bottom of the hill. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... An actuator is the mechanism by which an agent acts upon an environment. ...

This malfunction occurred when no passengers were aboard during a test run. No injuries or deaths occurred. Damage occurred to the launch cable (frayed and needed to be replaced), engine (minor routine damage to seals), and brake fins (many needed to be replaced). The brake fins in the launch section are mounted in such a way to keep fast moving trains from moving backwards into the station, but a fast moving train being pulled forwards caused an unexpected stress on a number of fins that bent them forward. Not all of the fins needed to be replaced, but there were more damaged brake fins than Six Flags had replacements, and extra brake fins had to be specially ordered from Intamin. In addition, Kingda Ka had to be re-inspected. Kingda Ka started testing on July 21, 2005. It reopened on August 4, 2005, with the line modified so that it no longer ran under the launch track.^[10] The dark blue train was being launched when the malfunction occurred. It was used for the rest of the season, but major problems requiring replacement parts were discovered when the train was inspected during the off-season. Consequently, this train remained disassembled throughout the 2006 season. is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Queue at US Air Force station in Iraq, for food at a birthday celebration. Queue areas are areas in which people queue (first-come, first-served), that is they wait in line for something. ... The launch track is the section of a launched roller coaster in which the train is accelerated to its full speed in a matter of seconds. ...

Awards and records

The 2006 GTA logo The Golden Ticket Awards is an annual set of awards given out by Amusement Today, a newspaper published for the amusement industry. ...

References

For the national flags of Texas, see Six flags over Texas. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the national flags of Texas, see Six flags over Texas. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Screenshot of About. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Kingda Ka: SixFlags.com
• Kingda Ka Page on AmusementPics.com
• Kingda Ka Preview Article
• kingda ka Point-of-view video
• East Coast Coasters
• YouTube - Kingda Ka Front Row video
• Google Video - Kingda Ka Front Row Video

Coordinates: 40°08′23.14″N, 74°26′5″W A typical roller coaster The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. ... Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, located 67 miles from New York City, 58 miles from Newark and 50 miles from Philadelphia, consisting of a theme park area, a Wild Safari area, and a water park, Hurricane Harbor. ... Blackbeards Lost Treasure Train is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. It is a smaller, family-oriented coaster. ... 12. ... The Great American Scream Machine is a steel roller coaster located in Six Flags Great Adventure. ... Medusa is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. Built by the famed coaster designers Bolliger and Mabillard, it is known as Medusa East because there are two other roller coasters named Medusa: Medusa West at Six Flags Marine World and Medusa South at... Nitro is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. ... Road Runner Railway is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. It is a small, family-oriented coaster. ... Rolling Thunder is a racing wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. Rolling Thunder was the parks first wooden coaster and debuted during the parks fifth anniversary. ... Runaway Mine Train is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. It was the parks first steel coaster, and was built by Arrow Dynamics. ... Skull Mountain is a steel enclosed roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. After ascending part of the lift hill, the train travels around the front of the enclosure then ascends the rest of the lift hill. ... Alpen Blitz was a compact steel rollercoaster that operated at Six Flags Great Adventure from 1976 to 1978. ... Big Fury was a steel compact non looping rollercoaster at Six Flags Great Adventure, operating from the 1975 to 1977 seasons. ... Jumbo Jet was a compact steel non looping rollercoaster very briefly located at Six Flags Great Adventure (then just Great Adventure) during the Summer of 1975. ... Lightnin Loops was an Arrow Dynamics Shuttle Loop roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. ... Lil Thunder was a steel non looping (of course) childrens rollercoaster that operated from 1975 to 1983 at Six Flags Great Adventure. ... Sarajevo Bobsled was a steel roller coaster of bobsled design located at Six Flags Great Adventure from 1984 to 1988. ... Shockwave was a steel stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure from 1990 until the Labor Day Weekend of 1992. ... Ultra Twister was a steel roller coaster located at the now defunct Six Flags AstroWorld. ... Viper was a TOGO mega heartline roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. ... Wild Rider was a steel non looping compact rollercoaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure from 1978 to 1981. ... Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, hydraulically-launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. ... While there have been hundreds of different roller coasters built, there have been just a few that were notable for specific reasons. ... Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, hydraulically-launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. ... While there have been hundreds of different roller coasters built, there have been just a few that were notable for specific reasons. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...