Goliath Wooden Roller Coaster At Six Flags Great America 2014

Origins of Six Flags Great America's Goliath

      Chicago - Goliath of Six Flags Great America, Illinois is the tallest fastest, and steepest wooden roller coaster in the world.  Goliath opened June 19, 2014, Goliath includes, a steep 85 degree 180-foot drop, speeds up to 72 m.p.h., a zero-gravity roll, and two overbanked turns.  An overbanked turn is a left or right roll up to 90 degrees, that is similar to going all the way up-side down, while, still going straight.  At 72 m.p.h. Goliath is the fastest of any wooden roller coaster ride.  Goliath includes surprising curved and outrageous twists, according to one online website.  Goliath also features the aforementioned intense overbanked turns, a 180-degree zero G-roll twist, and two wild inversions; that flip the rider completely 360 degrees through a winding inverted drop and a spiraling inverted zero G-stall.
     Goliath debuted in the County Fair section of Six Flags Great America, Illinois.  Goliath is now the staple of the Six Flags Great America, Illinois, skyline.  August 5, 2011, Six Flags Great America announced on their official facebook page that Iron Wolf would be closed on September 5, 2011.  Iron Wolf was removed and relocated to Six Flags America where it operates as Apocalypse:  The Last Stand.  On August 1, 2013, Six Flags Great America, Illinois, began a teaser campaign entitled "Follow the Journey."  In mid-August 2013, it was revealed Six Flags Great America would be building a 165-foot tall (53m) roller coaster, with plans being lodged with the local zoning committee to exceed the 125-foot (38m) height limit imposed by the park.  On August 29, 2013 it was officially announced that Six Flags Great America would be adding Goliath for the 2014 season.  Goliath uses the same station house, and waiting line area, as Iron Wolf.  For Goliath, the station house platform was lengthened because thee trains for Goliath are longer than the Iron Wolf trains.  The Iron Wolf's train used to have seven rows and Goliath will feature twelve rows.  On February 21, 2014, Six Flags Great America revealed some of Goliath's final design.  The updated version of the design includes a steel lift hill structure, rather than the traditional wooden structure.  Construction for Goliath began in September 2013.  Goliath officially opened to the public on June 19 2014.            
     Goliath's name and theme were chosen purely on the basis of the rides size and scale.  Goliath is 3,100-feet-long (940m) and stands 165-feet (50m) tall.  Goliath features two inversions (rolling upside down while going straight) and two overbanked turns.  To utilize space at Six Flags Great America, Illinois, Goliath was built in a small space.  The lift hill, the section of the track where the roller coaster train is mechanically lifted to an elevated point or peak on the track, was built at a steep angle of 45 degrees.  Goliath claims three Guiness World Records.  The rides 180-foot-tall (55m) drop at angle of 85 degrees is the steepest and longest in the world for a wooden roller coaster ride.  Goliath is also the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world, with a top speed of (116 km/h).  Goliath, also resulted in Six Flags Great America claiming the record for the amusement park with the most wooden roller coaster ride track in the world, this according to Wikipedia.  See also, www.sixflagsgreatamerica.com                   

The Demon Roller Coaste California's Great America

Origins of the Demon Ride

   Chicago - The 'Demon' is a multi-looping roller coaster ride at Six Flags Great America Gurnee, Illinois, in the Chicago area and at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California.  Both roller coaster rides opened in 1976 as Turn of the Century, were re-themed and re-named 'Demon' in 1980.  Both roller coasters were painted blue and were among some of the first roller coasters to feature a double corkscrew.  The new roller coasters were the biggest at the park in 1976 when they opened.  The main draw of the Turn of the Century was the novelty of the corkscrew element that turned riders head over heels twice.  The rides most extra-ordinary feature was the exceptional, up-out-your-seat "airtime" produced on the second and third hills.  After the 1979 season Turn of the Century was largely re-designed.  The airtime hills after first drop were removed and replaced with two back-to-back vertical loops and a lighted-tunnel.  The entire ride was painted black and re-named 'Demon.'  In another closely following improvement the themes design included fog machines placed in the tunnels, blood-red colored water fell out of a rock formation by the corkscrews, and a unique picture of the demon was introduced. In 1980 when the loops were added the two Turn of the Century roller coasters known as the 'Demon' were the second and fourth roller coasters that included inversions where the riders get to go upside down for a while.  The first was the Carolina Cyclone which had opened two months earlier, and is a very similar roller coaster. 
       A 'Demon' soundtrack plays on stereo speakers placed through out the ride length.  The soundtrack includes the infamous "Demon Song", which was particularly written for the Great America parks.  Along with the song are imitation (fake) radio broadcasts about people who had seen the demon or had other experiences with the demon.  For a time in the 1980's the 'Demon' at Six Flags Great America was branded the Looney Tunes' Tasmanian Devil.  The storyline of the rides transformation is what the "Demon Song" is about.  It tells the park missed three rent payments on the roller coaster, and a demon came and repossessed the ride.  See full story, www.greatamericapark.com.   
              

Green Lantern Roller Coaster Front Seat Six Flags Great Adventure Ne...

Origins of the Green Lantern Roller Coaster

        Jackson Township - Green Lantern is a steel stand-up roller coaster that is located at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.  Green Lantern is about 155 feet (15 stories).  For roller coasters, it reflects a respectable, top speed of 63 miles per hour.  The ride is 4,155 feet long and features five inversions (barrel rolls or semi-vertical to vertical barrel rolls exiting in normal level roll out).  The duration of the 1266 metre ride is approximately 2 1/2 minutes.  Green Lantern originally operated at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky from 1997 to 2009, where it was known as Chang. 
     Chang ("long" in Mandarin Chinese) set world records for this type of roller coaster in 1997.  The records were in height, drop, speed, length, and number of inversions.  Around 1999 the Green Lantern's track was painted lime green, and the support columns were painted violet.  In early 2006 the track was returned to its original yellow, and the support columns were painted blue.  Six Flags originally announced the ride would have a Batman theme, along with its T2 coaster.  T2 was expected to be known as "Batman:  The Ride" and Chang "Riddler's Revenge," but these plans were later cancelled.  Chang was closed over the weekend of September  19, 2009, and subsequently removed to expand Splashwater Kingdom.
     According to Wikipedia the expansion was cancelled, while Six Flags later announced plans to dispose of its Kentucky Kingdom property. Green Lantern emerged at Six Flags Great America.  The ride was already planned to be opened at Six Flags Great America in 2011.  As it turns out, on July 5, 2010, Six Flags Great Adventure announced that its Great American Scream Machine would close on July 18, 2010, to make way for a new attraction the following year.  This sparked rumors that Kentucky Kingdom's "Chang" would move to Great Adventure in 2011.  On September 16, 2010, Six Flags Great Adventure announced that it would open a Green Lantern - themed roller coaster in 2011.  Green Lantern is Magic Mountain's second stand-up coaster, Magic Mountain's first stand-up roller coaster was the "Shockwave," which operated from 1990 to 1992.  "Shockwave" had already been installed at Six Flags Magic Mountain parks preceding the "Riddlers Revenge."  As its name suggests, Green Lantern is themed for the DC Comics character of the same name.  The name was chosen to coincide with the "Green Lantern" film, released in 2011.  The ride Green Lantern is basically a mirror version of "Mantis."  At its opening, Chang claimed the record for the tallest vertical loop of any roller coaster in the world.  And, was the world's fastest, longest, stand-up ride, with the largest drop, and the most inversions on a stand-up roller coaster.  All of Chang's records were eventually passed by "Green Lantern and" the "Riddlers Revenge."  See also, www.sixflags.com. 

2014 BMW i3..Communicating via BMW

       Spartanburg - The i3's range is about 80 miles.  Charge Point's network of public stations provide 80 percent charge in 20 minutes.  After downloading Charge Points app to a smart phone you can save which stations are available by using the monitor charging status of your car and remotely start and stop your car's charging session(s).  There are three drive modes available in the BMW i3.  Each of these three drive modes may be selected from a button on the center console.  According, to Auto & Parts News, comfort proves the best performance, but uses the most energy.  However, Eco Pro and Eco Pro+ increase range by about 12 percent.
     The BMW i3 uses space-age construction to reduce the weight of the car.  And, to help reduce 'range anxiety,' a rear mounted 650 cc, 34-horsepower, two-cylinder gasoline engine, called "Range
Extender," is available.  "Range Extender" can double the vehicle's driving range.  The Range Extender engine starts up to maintain the BMW i3's state of battery charge.  Since the Range Extender has a tiny 2.4 gallon gas tank it is classified as a plug-in Hybrid Vehicle.  The regular BMW i3 is classified as an Electric Vehicle.  If you are considering an electric vehicle like the popular Nissan Leaf or the more expensive Tesla Model S, be sure to put the BMW i3 on your shopping list.  See also, www.caranddriver.com.