Whether you love riding roller coasters or wouldn’t go near one if your life depended on it, you can’t argue that they are not amazing feats of engineering. Here are some of the fastest, tallest and most terrifying roller coasters on earth:
Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure, USA
Named after a mythical tiger, this is one ride that does indeed roar! Mere seconds after launch, the ride climbs a 139m rise before cresting the bump and spiraling back down to earth at astounding speeds. The launch mechanism is powered by a winch system with hydraulic turbines that propels the carriages faster than the faster Ferrari ever made – 25 times the power to be precise! The ride is only 50 seconds long but will take your breath away. Find out more about Hydraulic Power Unit applications at a site like www.hydraproducts.co.uk
Sky Scream, Holiday Park, Germany
This is a ride that aims for lingering terror, launching riders into their first loop before stopping midway and dropping them backwards. The ride then takes passengers backwards and upside down through a helix loop, aiming for extreme fear in the form of leaving riders hanging before launching them into twists and turns galore.
The Smiler, Alton Towers, UK
This fiendish coaster has more inversions than any other – a whopping 14! There is a bat-wing section that flips passengers into two quick successive inversions in opposite directions while maniacal laughter is blasted at riders when travelling through tunnels. This ride is certainly not for the faint of heart!
Eleena Timmons