{Roller Coaster Research - 3 of 3}

The Return of the Loop
In 1975, the loop made a comeback, and a strong one at that. All the past problems had been fixed. This loop sparked other creations, such as the corkscrew, which turns the passengers upside down twice in a row. The loop's debut made going upside down a thrill that many coaster companies recognized and began to use.

Who's the Biggest and Baddest?
From 1970 to 1990, many roller coaster companies asked this very question, and racing to be the answer. Coasters were built with seven loops and were over 200 feet high. Some famous coasters were and still are the Magnum XL-200, the Steel Phantom, the TOGO, and the King Cobra. The King Cobra was unique because it was the first coaster that passengers rode standing up. Another famous coaster, the Boomerang, turned passengers upside-down six times. In 1992, Batman the Ride became the first inverted coaster where passengers rode on a coaster with the track above them while their feet dangled below them.

These riders are taken upside-down several times on Batman
the Ride, Six Flags. Shown here on the world's first inverted
coaster, the passengers are dangling with their feet in the air.

When Will It All End?
Right now, roller coasters are still very popular. Superman the Escape boasts a 400 foot incline straight up and speeds greater than 100 miles per hour. Physics continue to improve roller coasters and make them more thrilling and seemingly dangerous. The limits are only what physics can create and what the human body can withstand.

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See Also
Roller Coaster - Hall of Fame
Design your own Lego coaster

The following references were used in writing this article:
Ducharme, Jay. "Roller Coaster History, Parts I and II.".
http://www.rollercoaster.com/roller_coaster_history/ 1999 (June 2000).

"History of Roller Coasters"
http://www.iaapa.org/media/roll-hst.htm 2000 (June 2000).

"Roller Coaster History"
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster2.html 1998 (June 2000).

Photo Citations:
- Hinman, Sheryl. Personal photos taken in Russia 1985.
- Images of Six Flags rides from personal collection, Kyle Fritz, , June 2000.