Launched Loop
Sidewinder at Elitch Gardens in 2006.
StatusDiscontinued
First manufactured1977
No. of installations8
ManufacturerArrow Dynamics
Height56.0 ft (17.1 m)
Drop47 ft (14 m)
Length635.0 ft (193.5 m)
Speed45.0 mph (72.4 km/h)
G force4.0
Vehicle typeRoller coaster train
Vehicles1
Riders per vehicle4
Rows2
Riders per row2
Duration1:06
Inversions1
Launched Loop at RCDB

A Launched Loop is a type of steel launched shuttle roller coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics. With 8 different installations, 7 of them being relocated at least once, the ride was introduced in 1977, with the last one opening in 1993.

History

The first installation of a Launched Loop dates back to 1977 with the installation of Demon at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Two more also opened in 1977; Zoomerang at Boardwalk and Baseball in Haines City, Florida, and Black Widow at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. These were most likely built to rival Intamin's Shuttle Loop, which started being built the same year. In 1987, Demon at Kings Island became the first Launched Loop to be relocated, becoming Thunderbolt Express at Camden Park in Huntington, West Virginia. As of September 2019, only three Launched Loops operate: Revolution at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Lancashire, England, Sidewinder at Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado, and Diamond Back at Frontier City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Notable installations

  • Lightnin' Loops was a combination of two different launched loop roller coasters with interlocking loops built for Six Flags Great Adventure in 1978. One track closed in 1987 and stood nonoperational until 1992 when the other track closed.[1][2] The track that closed in 1987 was then relocated to Frontier City as Diamond Back as the other track was relocated to Six Flags America as Python, both opening in 1993.[3][4]
  • Demon at Kings Island, while not being the first built, was the first launched loop to open. The ride was then relocated to Camden Park as Thunderbolt Express where it operated until 1999.[5]
  • Revolution at Blackpool Pleasure Beach is the longest-operating launched loop, opening in 1979, and also is the only of its kind to not be relocated any time in its lifetime.[6]

Installations

Name Park Opened Closed Status Cite(s)
Afterburner

Zoomerang

Fun Spot Park

Boardwalk and Baseball

1991

1977

2008

1990

Closed

Relocated

[7][8]
Black Widow Six Flags New England 1977 1999 Closed [9]
Boomerang Tokyo Dome City 1980 1984 Closed [10]
Diamond Back

Lightnin' Loops

Frontier City

Six Flags Great Adventure

1993

1978

Operating

1986

Operating

Relocated

[11][12]
Python

Lightnin' Loops

Six Flags America

Six Flags Great Adventure

1993

1978

1998

1992

Closed

Relocated

[13][14]
Revolution Blackpool Pleasure Beach 1979 Operating Operating [15]
Sidewinder

Roaring Tornado

Elitch Gardens

Magic Springs Theme and Water Park

1990

1980

Operating

1989

Operating

Relocated

[16][17][18]
Thunderbolt Express

Demon

Camden Park

Kings Island

1988

1977

1999

1987

Closed

Relocated

[19][20]

References

  1. "Lightnin' Loops - Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  2. "Lightnin' Loops - Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  3. "Python - Six Flags America (Upper Marlboro, Maryland, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  4. "Diamond Back - Frontier City (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  5. "Demon - Kings Island (Mason, Ohio, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  6. "Revolution - Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Blackpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  7. "Afterburner - Fun Spot Park (Angola, Indiana, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  8. "Zoomerang - Boardwalk and Baseball (Haines City, Florida, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  9. "Black Widow - Six Flags New England (Agawam, Massachusetts, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  10. "Boomerang - Tokyo Dome City (Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  11. "Diamond Back - Frontier City (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  12. "Lightnin' Loops - Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  13. "Python - Six Flags America (Upper Marlboro, Maryland, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  14. "Lightnin' Loops - Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  15. "Revolution - Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Blackpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  16. "Sidewinder - Elitch Gardens (Denver, Colorado, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  17. "Sidewinder - Elitch Gardens (Denver, Colorado, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  18. "Roaring Tornado - Magic Springs Theme and Water Park (Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  19. "Thunderbolt Express - Camden Park (Huntington, West Virginia, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  20. "Demon - Kings Island (Mason, Ohio, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
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