How long is kingda ka

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By Arthur Levine. Arthur Levine. Arthur is a travel writer with more than 25 years of experience. He has been covering theme parks, amusement parks, water parks, and attractions for TripSavvy since TripSavvy's editorial guidelines. Share Pin Email. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Tell us why! Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for TripSavvy. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

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I Accept Show Purposes. The first train then waits about 30—40 seconds as a catch car rolls down the launch track and attaches to the train. After the brake fins lining the launch train lower, a train is then launched at up to mph towards the ft tower. The train gradually raises up the ride tower 90 degrees and then twists to the left 90 degrees. Once the train reaches the tower summit of feet, it drops at a degree angle down the tower as it turns degrees.

The train pulls out of the spiral and down the tower near mph into a hill ft high. At the peak of the ft hill, the train begins to hit the brakes. After a final brake stop, the train then turns left back into the station. The average time of the ride experience is only 28 seconds. The official ride time is 50 seconds. Also, after the train has been locked and checked, it slowly advances out of the station to the launch area.

The train goes through a switch track which allows 4 trains on two tracks to load simultaneously. Once the train is in position, the hydraulic launch mechanism accelerates the train from 0 to mph in 3. At the end of the launch track, the train climbs the main tower, or top hat, twisting 90 degrees to the left before reaching feet.

The train then descends feet straight down through a degree right-hand vertical spiral. Finally, the train climbs the second hill of feet, producing a moment of weightlessness before being smoothly brought to a stop by the magnetic brakes. The train then makes a U-turn and enters the station. The ride lasts 28 seconds from the launch to the end of the brake run but has an official ride time of 59 seconds.

The hydraulic launch motor is capable of producing a 20, horsepower Because of the trains' high speed and open nature, the ride will not operate in light rain, as rider contact with rain drops can cause discomfort.

Kingda Ka is themed as a mythical tiger and is named after the lb. The ride's sign and station all have mythical Indian-style theming. The ride's queue line is surrounded by bamboo, which adds to the jungle theming. Jungle music is played during the wait and throughout the entire Golden Kingdom section of the park, which was built for the ride. As of Summer , one of the park's male tigers is named after the ride.

Sometimes, it is possible for a train to rollback or travel backward down the top hat into the launch area. Instead, the train reaches as high on the tower as it can go in most cases to the very top and rolls back. Kingda Ka includes retractable magnetic brakes on its launch track that will stop a train rolling backward down the tower. Rollbacks are more common in breezy weather or just after wet weather. Many riders look forward to a rollback as they are treated to another launch. Rollbacks are frequent during safety tests to ensure all brakes on the runway are in working condition.

One other issue that is even rarer than a rollback is for the train to "stall" or stop at the top of the lift. This is so rare because the train must be perfectly balanced for this to happen. If this happens, there is an elevator so workers can get up the support tower and push the train usually down the descent side.

It is hard to know exactly when Kingda Ka's launch will occur. When the signal to launch is given, the train rolls back slightly to engage the catch car, then the brakes on the launch track retract. Occasionally there will be a voice that says "arms down, head back, and hold on.

Previously, Kingda Ka's horn sounded before every launch, but it has been turned off because of noise complaints from nearby residents. The horn now only sounds when Kingda Ka first launches after being idle for a certain period of time. Kingda Ka's launch mechanism is capable of launching a train every 45 seconds, resulting in a capacity of guests per hour. Kingda Ka has a dual station - this is a station with two platforms. Each of the station's tracks accommodates two trains so that each of the four trains has its own station.

Each train only loads and unloads at its station; it does not go to any others. The trains on one side are loaded during operation while the trains on the other side are launched.

This system works efficiently as long as all four trains are running and there are no significant delays in loading and checking the trains. This system was not used at all in because only two trains were working that year.

Kingda Ka is located in the jungle-themed area of the park known as The Golden Kingdom. The ride portrays a mythical bengal tiger named after one that was housed in the nearby Temple of the Tiger attraction, an interactive exhibit that was closed in The ride's queue line is surrounded by bamboo, which adds to the jungle-themed music that plays in the background.

After the train has been locked and checked, it moves slowly out of the station to the launch area, then passes through a switch track which allows four trains on two tracks to load simultaneously.

A recording announces: "Arms down, head back, hold on! At the end of the launch track, the train climbs the main tower top hat and rolls 90 degrees to the right before reaching a height of feet m. It then descends feet m straight down through a degree, clockwise spiral. It climbs the second hill of feet 39 m , producing a moment of weightlessness before being smoothly brought to a stop by the magnetic brakes; it then makes a left-hand U-turn and enters the station.

The ride lasts 28 seconds from the start of the launch. Kingda Ka's four trains are color-coded for easy identification green, dark blue, teal, and orange and are numbered; the four colors are also used for the seats and restraints. Each train seats 18 people two per row.

The rear car has one row, while the rest have two. The rear row of each car is positioned higher than its front row for better visibility. Kingda Ka's over-the-shoulder restraint system consists of a thick, rigid lap bar and two thin, flexible over-the-shoulder restraints.