Stealth is a
launched roller coaster
The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster. A launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or a series of linear induction motors (LIM), linear synchronous motors (LSM), catapults, tires, chains ...
in the
Amity area of
Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park Resort, commonly known as Thorpe Park, is an amusement park located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England, southwest of Central London. It is operated by Merlin Entertai ...
located in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, England. Built and designed by
Intamin
Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement ins ...
of
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
for £12 million, the
Accelerator Coaster
An Accelerator Coaster is a hydraulically launched roller coaster model from Intamin. The model usually consists of a long, straight launch track, a ''top hat'' tower element, and magnetic brakes that smoothly stop the train without making cont ...
model opened in 2006, a year after another Accelerator,
Rita
Rita may refer to:
People
* Rita (given name)
* Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984)
* Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962)
* Rita (Japanese singer)
* Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita
Places
* Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...
, opened at sister park
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, ...
. It reaches a height of and accelerates from 0 to in 1.9 seconds.
It is the fastest roller coaster in the UK, and the second tallest after the
Big One at
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is an amusement park situated on Blackpool's South Shore, in the county of Lancashire, North West England. It operates as a secure facility, and has introduced epayments via smartphones for admission charges, replacin ...
.
Ride experience
When the passengers board the ride, an engine revving noise is played in the station loop as a recording announces “Place your heads back, face forwards, hold on tight and brace yourself!” Followed by the sound of tires screeching.
After passengers are securely restrained, the launch sequence begins when the brake fins are retracted as the train attaches to the catch car. Sometimes smoke is produced from below the cars, presumably to simulate wheelspin. Overhead, a series of five red lights illuminate one by one in a horizontal row as the announcer in the recording states, "Place your heads back, face forwards…" Shortly after, a second row of green lights begin to illuminate as the announcer in the recording enthusiastically shouts "Three, two, one! Go, go, go!" The train accelerates to in 1.9 seconds - the fastest acceleration on any Intamin Accelerator - into a steep, vertical
top hat
A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally m ...
element. The train then turns 90 degrees to the left as it crests the top hat. It makes another 90-degree left turn as it descends down the other side of the element. After bottoming out, the train enters an
airtime hill
This list of roller coaster elements contains the individual parts of roller coaster design and operation.
Introduction
Roller coaster elements are the individual parts of roller coaster design and operation, such as a Track (rail transport), tra ...
, which produces a brief sensation of weightlessness before the train enters the magnetic brake run and returns to the station.
Rollbacks
As with many
Intamin
Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement ins ...
Launch Coasters, Stealth experiences occasional
rollbacks, which occur when a train is unable to complete the course, specifically failing to make it over the top hat element as a result of energy loss. Occurrences are rare, and there is a braking system in place on the launch side of the track to safely bring the roller coaster back to a complete stop. However rollbacks are safe, and all staff/engineers are trained to safely evacuate guests off the train.
Many enthusiasts see experiencing a rollback as an achievement.
The signage outside the ride states that Stealth accelerates from 0 to 80mph in 2.3 seconds, instead of stating its current acceleration rate (of going from 0 to 80mph in 1.9 seconds
). This is because, when the ride was first opened, it accelerated at this slower rate: the acceleration was made faster a few years after the ride was first opened, but the signage was not updated to reflect this change.
References
External links
Stealth at Thorpe Park
{{Intamin
Roller coasters operated by Merlin Entertainments
Roller coasters in the United Kingdom
Roller coasters introduced in 2006
Thorpe Park roller coasters