Revolution (Six Flags Magic Mountain)

Revolution
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Park section Baja Ridge
Coordinates 34°25′22″N 118°35′47″W / 34.42278°N 118.59639°WCoordinates: 34°25′22″N 118°35′47″W / 34.42278°N 118.59639°W
Status Operating
Opening date May 8, 1976
Cost $2,000,000
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf
Designer Werner Stengel
Model Looping roller coaster
Track layout Terrain
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 113 ft (34 m)
Drop 85 ft (26 m)
Length 3,457 ft (1,054 m)
Speed 55 mph (89 km/h)
Inversions 1
Duration 2:12
Max vertical angle 45°
Capacity 1400 riders per hour
G-force 4.9
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
Trains 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 20 riders per train.
Flash Pass available
Single rider line available on most days
Must transfer from wheelchair
Revolution at RCDB
Pictures of Revolution at RCDB

The Revolution, formerly known as Great American Revolution and La Revolución, is a steel roller coaster manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf of Germany and designed by Werner Stengel. The coaster is located in the Baja Ridge area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. It opened on May 8, 1976 and was the world's first modern roller coaster to feature a vertical loop. It is an ACE Coaster Landmark.[1]

The coaster was named after the American Revolution, which began in 1776, 200 years before the ride opened. Unlike almost all of the previous attempts to create looping roller coasters in the 19th and early-20th centuries, Revolution's loop was clothoid loop-shaped instead of a completely circular. Eight days later, Corkscrew opened at Cedar Point on May 15, 1976 with a vertical loop and two corkscrews for a total of three inversions.

History

Magic Mountain developed the loop coaster with amusement ride manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf to be the first true loop coaster since the Loop the Loop at the Coney Island amusements. Before the ride opened, it took a week of testing to just get the train to complete one circuit because of wheels being too tight. When the ride opened, the ride staff were outfitted with Continental Army style uniforms to match the American Revolutionary War of 1776 theme. The ride was later changed to a Mexican Revolution theme and called La Revolución when Six Flags purchased Magic Mountain in 1979. Later, in 1988, the ride's name was changed to Revolution. In June 2002, a plaque was erected in front of the ride, marking it as one of the American Coaster Enthusiasts "Coaster Landmarks", for being the first steel looping roller coaster.

During the construction of Six Flags Magic Mountain's roller coaster Tatsu in 2005, parts of Revolution had to be dismantled to make way for the new ride; it reopened along with Tatsu on Tatsu Media Day on May 11, 2006.

Pop culture

Revolution was prominently featured in the climax of the 1977 suspense thriller Rollercoaster. The 1978 cult film Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park features the rollercoaster throughout the movie. It was also featured in the film National Lampoon's Vacation. Dubbed the “Whipper Snapper,” the Griswold family and kidnapped security guard Russ Lasky (John Candy) rode this coaster in the final scenes of the film. It was also featured in the episode "Phantom of the Roller Coaster" in season three of Wonder Woman. The coaster is also featured in the 1979 film Van Nuys Blvd.

References

  1. ↑ ACE Coaster Landmark Awards

External links

Preceded by
Montaña Rusa		 World's Tallest Roller Coaster
1976 - 1977 		Succeeded by
King Kobra (tied with Greased Lightnin' and White Lightnin')
Preceded by
Montaña Rusa		 World's Tallest Complete Circuit Roller Coaster
1976 - 1978 		Succeeded by
Shock Wave