A Thrust Air 2000 is a unique form of launched roller-coaster created by S&S Power

S&S Power

S&S Worldwide is a company known for its pneumatically powered amusement rides and roller coaster designing.-History:S&S Worldwide was founded by Stan Checketts as S&S Sports, Inc. S&S Sports manufactures bungee jumping and trampoline equipment. S&S Sports was sold in 1996...

, Inc., that uses refrigerated, compressed air to shoot a rubber-wheeled car down a steel track. The world-famous Dodonpa

Dodonpa

is a roller coaster at Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi in Japan. It opened in 2001 and is a steel sit-down roller coaster with a compressed air launch. The ride was built by S&S Power of Utah, U.S.A....

 is the only production model in existence and was once the fastest roller coaster in the world and is still one of the fastest accelerating roller coasters in the world. There is another model, the HyperSonic XLC

Hypersonic XLC

Hypersonic XLC was a roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Hypersonic was the first compressed air launch coaster in the world. In 2007, Hypersonic XLC was closed and later dismantled...

, which is now defunct.

About developer

The president and founder of S&S Power, Inc., Stan Checketts, was originally a furniture- and cabinet maker. In 1989 he and his wife, Sandy Checketts, founded Sports Tower, which developed hugely popular vertical bungee-jump pillars. In January 1993 they created their second enterprise, S&S Sports, Inc. It created the Trampoline Thing, a bungee jump/trampoline combination. This company was eventually sold, so in 1993, they created their last company, S&S Power, Inc. Under this company, the developed the Space Shot

Space Shot

Space Shot is a type of amusement ride manufactured by S&S Power.The ride is a drop tower type attraction that uses compressed air to rapidly propel riders up the tower then gently lower them with a series of air-cushioned bounces back to the loading platform.The first space shot to be built in the...

, a drop tower type attraction where the passenger rigs are shot up the tower by Ingersoll-Rand screw type compressed air motors at 50 mi/h. Later, they developed another type of drop tower called the Turbo Drop

Turbo Drop

Turbo Drop is a type of tower-based amusement ride manufactured by S&S Power, similar to the company's Space Shot. The current tallest Turbo Drop installation in operation is the Supreme Scream at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA.-Design and operation:...

, which shot passengers down the tower at 40 mi/h. These compressed air towers were the precursors to the Thrust Air 2000.

Stats

• Height: 165 ft (50.3 m).
• Climb: 90 degrees
• Drop: 90 degrees
• Acceleration: 0-80 mph (0-128.7 km/h) in 1.8 sec
• Top Speed: about 80 mi/h
• Launch System: Ingersoll-Rand screw type compressor
• Track layout: Out-and-back roller coaster
• Track type: I-beam

External links

• Thrust Air 2000
• Hypersonic XLC