Monday, November 17, 2014

New POV Video of World's Tallest Roller Coaster Released



Just in time for this year's IAAPA Convention to begin, Orlando's planned Skyplex indoor entertainment complex has released a point of view video of the world's tallest roller coaster, Skyscraper.

Previous news about the $250 million complex showed a general impression of the coaster snaking its way around the 500+ foot tall tower, and confirmed that it would be the first ever Polercoaster.  Now, the developers have released a specific track layout for the US Thrill Rides creation.


The expectation was that the ride would be intense, but it's actually even more wild than I figured!  The ride uses a long spiral lift hill to get the individual cars to the top of the tower, where they first encounter this totally outside-banked turn, around 500 feet over the ground.  Woof.


But, that's just an introduction to the terror because right after that turn is a nice slow heartline roll, fully inverting the trains.  Needless to say, the world record for the highest inversion will be going to Skyscraper.  There are several vertical/beyond vertical drops and even more awkward looking outward banked turns thrown in the mix, too. 


Skyscraper's layout is filled with six or so inversions, I lost count to be honest.  The video splits between point of view and off ride, so I got lost counting dive loops and corkscrews.  The coaster will finish with a trip out along the lower entertainment and dining building, with one more inversion near the end.

The ride looks like one of S&S's El Loco designs, just absolutely massive and even more twisted.  The thought of slowly rolling through that heartline roll so very far above the ground gives me chills!

The complex was originally slated to open in 2016 but now plans to break ground in 2015 and open in 2017.

Here's the full video!


0 comments: