Inverted Impulse roller coaster
Encyclopedia
An Inverted Impulse roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...

 is a form of a launched inverted roller coaster manufactured by Intamin. The first Inverted Impulse roller coaster appeared in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, and the ride type has since evolved to include 4 specific layouts, 3 of these varieties being built in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It uses LIMs
Linear motor
A linear motor is an electric motor that has had its stator and rotor "unrolled" so that instead of producing a torque it produces a linear force along its length...

 to launch a train out of the station and (in most installations) up a vertical spiral. The train then falls backwards, is powered again through the station, and heads up a back tower. The train then falls forwards, and continues in this fashion for a total of 2½ cycles per ride (three forward launches, two backwards). On the final forward launch, with a slightly reduced speed, the train is sent up the front tower, and brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....

s then deploy on the launch track
Launch track
The launch track is the section of a launched roller coaster in which the train is accelerated to its full speed in a matter of seconds. A launch track is always straight and is usually banked upwards slightly, so that a train would roll backwards to the station in the event of a loss of power.A...

. The train then slows down and heads back into the station.

The Original

Linear Gale

The original Inverted Impulse roller coaster, Linear Gale, made by Intamin, was built in 1998 at LaQua Amusement Park in Tokyo, Japan. Like the more modern Impulse roller coasters, it begins with a LIM launch. However, instead of going through a vertical twist, it simply heads up a straight spike of track. It heads backwards through the launch section and station and into another vertical spike of track, this time facing the ground. After a few more cycles, the train slows down and comes to a stop in the station.

Variations

Intamin Impulse

The first US installation was Superman: Ultimate Escape at Six Flags Ohio in Aurora, Ohio. Built in 2000, it was the first Intamin Impulse roller coaster to feature a vertical twist and a holding brake on the rear spike. The largest installation, Wicked Twister
Wicked Twister
Wicked Twister is a 2nd Generation steel Inverted Impulse roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It is currently the tallest and fastest inverted rollercoaster in the world . When it opened in 2002, it was the first 2nd generation impulse coaster in the world...

 built in 2002 at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, did away with the straight section containing the holding brake and instead had a second twisting tower. V2: Vertical Velocity at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California originally had the twisted front and vertical rear towers when it was built in 2001. However, upon discovery of breaking the 150 ft. height restriction in the Vallejo area, the ride was altered to have a front section slanting at 45 degrees into an inline roll which ended with a straightaway, and the rear tower was lowered to the 150ft height limit. The holding brake was also turned off, and has not been used since. V2: Vertical Velocity reopened in 2002, and is unique among Inverted Impulse roller coasters for being the only one with a true inversion.

Intamin Suspended Looping Launched Coaster

Although technically not an Inverted Impulse coaster, Volcano, The Blast Coaster utilized technology that would eventually be included in Impulse designs. It was manufactured by Intamin, the same company that manufacturers modern Impulse coasters; thus it utilized LIM motors, trains, and track structure similar to modern Impulse coasters. However, it was unlike Impulse coasters because of its full circuit, multiple train, dual-launch design.

Installations

{| class= "wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Park !! Manufacturer !! Opened !! Status
|-
| Linear Gale || Tokyo Dome City
Tokyo Dome City
Tokyo Dome City is an entertainment complex in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan.It includes the world's largest roofed baseball stadium known as Tokyo Dome , an amusement park known as Tokyo Dome City Attractions , and Korakuen Hall...

 || Intamin || 1998 || Operating
|-
| Possessed
Formerly Superman: Ultimate Escape || Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The park features nine roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom....

 || Intamin || 2000 || Relocated
|-
| Vertical Velocity
Vertical Velocity (roller coaster)
Vertical Velocity is an inverted steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois.Manufactured by Intamin under the trade name Twisted Impulse Coaster, this launched shuttle-style coaster, located in the Yankee Harbor section of the park, has been operating since May 18,...

|| Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...

 || Intamin || 2001 || Operating
|-
| Wicked Twister
Wicked Twister
Wicked Twister is a 2nd Generation steel Inverted Impulse roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It is currently the tallest and fastest inverted rollercoaster in the world . When it opened in 2002, it was the first 2nd generation impulse coaster in the world...

|| Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...

 || Intamin || 2002 || Operating
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