Misplaced Pages

#772227

18-522: Do-Dodonpa ( ド･ドドンパ ) , formerly known as Dodonpa ( ドドンパ ) , was a steel roller coaster located at Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi , Japan . Manufactured by S&S – Sansei Technologies , the launched coaster used compressed air to propel its trains. It opened on 21 December 2001 as the fastest roller coaster in the world with the fastest acceleration, reaching a top speed of 172 km/h (106.9 mph) in 1.8 seconds. The ride

36-400: A 37-year-old man sustained a minor injury when a plastic cover at the front of the train came loose and hit his right knee. The man was not badly injured because the plastic cover disconnected near the end of the ride when the train had slowed down significantly. Fuji-Q Highland stated that the cover likely came off due to cracks created over time by vibrations in the train. Further inspection of

54-399: A duration substantially longer than 1.6 seconds. While the ride has operated at speeds of up to 193 kilometres per hour (120 mph), its rubber tires prevented it from performing reliably at these speeds, so engineers capped the speed at 172 kilometres per hour (107 mph) prior to the ride's renovation. Before Do-Dodonpa's initial opening, only two roller coasters reached or went beyond

72-561: A simpler form, such as Little Dipper at Memphis Kiddie Park in Brooklyn, Ohio , which is the oldest operating steel coaster in North America. The oldest in the world is Montaña Suiza at Parque de Atracciones Monte Igueldo (Spain), which has been operating since 1928. There are various types of steel coaster models and designs, including flying , inverted , floorless , and suspended . Red Force (roller coaster) Once

90-421: A three-second countdown to launch. After the coaster launched at 180 kilometres per hour (112 mph), it entered a wide-radius curve followed by a 49 metres (160.8 ft) vertical loop (a top hat prior to 2017). The train then entered a slight left turn before hitting a brake run. A second left turn followed by a right U-turn, both taken at slower speeds, brought the train back to the station. The ride had

108-450: A total of 4 trains with 4 cars per train. Each car sat 2 riders side-by-side, resulting in a total capacity of 8 riders per train. The 55 second ride took the rider across 1,244 metres (4,081 ft) of steel tracks, and peaked at a maximum height of 49 metres (161 ft). This gave the ride an acceleration at launch of 32 m/s (100 ft/s), and up to 3.3 g . By comparison, astronauts only experience 3 g at liftoff, though for

126-832: A year and a half before Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster overtook it in May 2003. Dodonpa closed in 2016 for a major renovation. The ride's top hat was removed and replaced with a 49-metre (161 ft) vertical loop, announced in a February 2017 press release from the manufacturer. Steel fabrication was provided by Intermountain Lift, Inc. Dodonpa reopened on 15 July 2017 as Do-Dodonpa. The renovated and revamped ride featured an increased acceleration and maximum speed, which changed from 0 to 172 km/h (0 to 107 mph) in 1.8 seconds to 0 to 180 km/h (0 to 112 mph) in 1.6 seconds. The track length also increased from 1,189 to 1,244 metres (3,901 to 4,081 ft). The renovation made Do-Dodonpa

144-422: Is approximately 880 metres (2,890 ft) long and 112 metres (367 ft) tall. The track is dark grey and the supports are red. Red Force uses linear synchronous motors to accelerate the train from 0 to 180 kilometres per hour (112 mph) in 5 seconds. The ride uses supercapacitors to store and dissipate the energy needed to launch the train, reducing the peak load from the power grid necessary to launch

162-503: The 161 kilometres per hour (100 mph) barrier. As of 2024, that number stands at five (excluding Do-Dodonpa): Superman: Escape from Krypton , Red Force , Top Thrill 2 , Kingda Ka , and Formula Rossa . Tower of Terror II , which was previously known as Tower of Terror, once traveled at least 161 kilometres per hour (100 mph) as well, but it is no longer in operation. Since its opening in 2001, Do-Dodonpa has had several incidents resulting in injury to passengers. On 15 May 2007,

180-442: The opposite direction. The train then enters a flat brake run and then ascends a small airtime hill before entering the final set of brakes. Red Force has two trains with three cars per train. Each train is divided in six rows, each able to accommodate two riders. Each car seats four riders, allowing a total of twelve riders per train. The ride can accommodate approximately 1,200 riders per hour. The steel track of Red Force

198-410: The other trains showed no similar damage. From December 2020 to August 2021, there were 18 injuries sustained while riding Do-Dodonpa, which included nine incidents of broken bones. Fuji-Q Highland owner Hiroaki Iwata apologized for the injuries at a press conference speech on 31 August 2021, stating that an official investigation of these incidents had been ongoing since December 2020. On 13 March 2024,

SECTION 10

#1732794134773

216-408: The park officially announced the permanent closure of the ride. Steel roller coaster A steel roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its steel track , which consists of long steel tubes that are run in pairs, supported by larger steel columns or beams. Trains running along the track typically rely on wheels made of polyurethane or nylon to keep each train car anchored to

234-414: The track. The introduction of tubular steel drastically changed roller coaster innovation, allowing for greater speeds, higher drops, and more intense elements such as inversions . Arrow Dynamics is credited with inventing tubular steel track and introducing the first modern steel coaster with the opening of Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland in 1959. Older steel-tracked coasters existed previously in

252-409: The train leaves the station , it is accelerated by linear synchronous motors from 0 to 180 kilometres per hour (112 mph) in 5 seconds. The train then ascends a 112-metre (367 ft) tall top hat , twisting 90 degrees to the left. Once the train goes over the top hat, it descends back down, again twisting 90 degrees to the left. This sends the train travelling parallel to the launch track but in

270-413: The world's first air-powered coaster to feature an inversion, as well as the fastest coaster in the world with an inversion. On 13 March 2024, Fuji-Q Highland announced Do-Dodonpa's permanent closure. The name of the ride stems from the drumming sound that was played from the speakers in the ride's queue. This repetitive percussive music is created by taiko drums, an old traditional Japanese drum that

288-406: Was marketed by Fuji-Q Highland as the fastest roller coaster in the world. The fastest speed record was previously held by Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Tower of Terror at Dreamworld , both of which accelerated to 160.9 km/h (100 mph) in 7 seconds. Reaching top speeds of 172 kilometres per hour (107 mph) in 1.6 seconds, Dodonpa retained this title for nearly

306-418: Was refurbished in 2017, removing its top hat element in favor of a vertical loop, as well as increasing its speed and acceleration to 180 km/h (111.8 mph) in 1.56 seconds. In 2021, the ride was closed down indefinitely after multiple complaints of riders sustaining broken bones were raised. The ride's permanent closure was officially announced on 13 March 2024. Dodonpa opened on 21 December 2001, and

324-500: Was used to demonstrate power and influence in pre-modern Japanese villages. These drums were supposedly used in warfare to rally troops and scare off the enemy with their thundering sound. Once passengers boarded the ride, the train moved them from the loading station to the launch pad , where it waited, allowing time for the compressed air to build up. When the ride was ready to launch, a voice in English said "Launch time!" and began

#772227