Six Flags Fiesta Texas to Build New Coaster

San Antonio, TX -- Six Flags Fiesta Texas announced that they have begun construction on a new $20-million roller coaster named Superman Krypton Coaster. The new state-of-the-art "floorless" coaster will become the parks new flagship attraction.

The new steel roller coaster will be built above a body of water, along the park's rock quarry wall. The ride will feature three 32-passenger trains that will seat four riders in eight rows.

Superman will begin from a height of 168 feet atop the quarry wall. During the initial decent the trains will reach a maximum speed of 70 mph, before heading into first of seven consecutive inversions, beginning with a 114-foot vertical loop.

The 168-foot height and 70 mph top speed will earn Superman Krypton Coaster, the title "the tallest and fastest floorless roller coaster in the world."

Following the first inversion, passengers will have to endure six additional inversions including a 96-foot dive loop, a zero G-roll, and a 78-foot cobra roll (two inversions) and two corkscrews. The ride will conclude with a high speed near 90-degree banked spiral turn. The entire ride is expected to last just over three minutes.

Superman Krypton Coaster is being designed and built by popular Swiss coaster designers, Bolliger and Mabillard. Earlier this year B&M introduced the world's first "floorless" coaster, Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey.

A "floorless" roller coaster earns its name from the unique trains that are specifically designed without floors. The lack of any floor heightens the overall rider experience by removing one of the safety zones from the train.

To load and unload the floorless trains, Bolliger and Mabillard had to design a special loading platform using steel planks that slide in between the rows of seats. Once loading is finished the planks are then retracted, before the train is dispatched.

This is the second new "floorless" coaster announced this year. The first announcement came from SeaWorld Florida earlier this year, which announced their new roller coaster Kraken, which is slated to open in the spring of 2000.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas officials hope to complete Superman Krypton Coaster by the spring of 2000.

Ride Statistics

Height: 168 feet

First Drop: 160 feet

Top Speed: 70 mph

Inversions: 7
114-foot Vertical Loop, 96-foot Dive Loop, Zero G-Roll, a 78-foot Cobra Roll, 2 Corkscrews

Track Length: 4,025 feet

Other Features: A near 90-degree banked high-speed spiral

Ride Time: 3 minutes and 20 seconds

Trains: Three 32-Passenger Trains, with 4 across seating

Ride Designer: Bolliger and Mabillard

Superman Krypton Coaster is a trademark of Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc.