is a
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
4th Dimension Hypercoaster
A hypercoaster can mean one of two things:
*Any continuous-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop measuring greater than 200 feet
Or, more narrowly:
*Any complete-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop between 200 and 299 feet ( ...
at
Fuji-Q Highland
is an amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan, owned and operated by the namesake Fuji Kyuko Co. it was opened on 2 March 1968.
The theme park is near the base of Mount Fuji. It has a number of roller coasters, as well as two haun ...
in
Fujiyoshida
is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,782 in 19,806 households and a population density of 400 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Fujiyoshida lies at the norther ...
,
Yamanashi,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. The ride was the world's second 4th Dimension coaster. Eejanaika is taller, faster, and longer than its predecessor,
X2 at
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain, formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Magic Mountain, is a amusement park located in Valencia, California, northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It opened on May 29, 1971, as a development of the Newha ...
.
The roller coaster, designed by
S&S Arrow S&S may refer to:
*'' Sense and Sensibility'', a novel by Jane Austen
*''Salt and Sanctuary'', a video game
*Sword and sorcery, a subgenre of fantasy and historical fantasy
*Simon & Schuster, a publisher
* S&S Cycle, a manufacturer of aftermarket en ...
, is a "4th Dimension" coaster, a design in which the seats can rotate forward or backward 360 degrees in a controlled spin. This is achieved by having four rails on the track: two of these are running rails while the other two are for spin control. The two rails that control the spin of the seats move up and down relative to the track and spin the seats using a
rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a circular gear (the '' pinion'') engaging a linear gear (the ''rack''). Together, they convert rotational motion into linear motion. Rotating the pinion causes the rack to be driven ...
gear
A gear is a rotating circular machine part having cut teeth or, in the case of a cogwheel or gearwheel, inserted teeth (called ''cogs''), which mesh with another (compatible) toothed part to transmit (convert) torque and speed. The basic pr ...
mechanism.
Eejanaika has the second "え" turned upside down for the roller coaster's official spelling. Eejanaika has several meanings, but means "Ain't it great!" According to the
Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
, Eejanaika is the roller coaster with the most
inversion
Inversion or inversions may refer to:
Arts
* , a French gay magazine (1924/1925)
* ''Inversion'' (artwork), a 2005 temporary sculpture in Houston, Texas
* Inversion (music), a term with various meanings in music theory and musical set theory
* ...
s in the world with 14, although
The Smiler
The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, it opened in 2013 as the world's first Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster. It is located in the X-Sector area of the park. With ...
at
Alton Towers
Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, ...
has 14 inversions also. However, most of these inversions are accomplished by spinning the seats rather than actually inverting the track. it is also considered a wing coaster.
The track itself only inverts three times –
*Inside raven turn (½)
*full-full/zero-g roll (1)
*fly to lie (½)
*outside raven turn (½)
*half camelback twist (½)
This has led to some controversy in the roller coaster enthusiast community concerning the legitimacy of ''Eejanaika's'' claim. The
Roller Coaster DataBase
Roller Coaster DataBase (RCDB) is a roller coaster and amusement park database begun in 1996 by Duane Marden. It has grown to feature statistics and pictures of over 10,000 roller coasters from around the world.
Publications that have mentioned ...
does not acknowledge these seat inversions for the purpose of record-holding.
See also
*
Alan Schilke
Alan Schilke is an engineer and roller coaster designer based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. He first made his mark on the industry by designing the 4th Dimension roller coaster, X2, while working with Arrow Dynamics. Schilke now works as a ...
, the inventor of the 4th Dimension roller coaster concept
* ''
Ee ja nai ka
was a complex of carnivalesque religious celebrations and communal activities, often understood as social or political protests, which occurred in many parts of Japan from June 1867 to May 1868, at the end of the Edo period and the start of t ...
''
Notes
External links
Fuji-Q Eejanaika(official site)
*
{{Fuji-Q Coasters
Fuji-Q Highland
Roller coasters introduced in 2006
Roller coasters in Japan