Specific Type: Sitting Coaster
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With the opening of Orlando, Florida's Universal Studios came a number of technological advances, unique ride experiences and breakthroughs in coaster design. With three completely unique coaster courses from Swiss designers Bolliger and Mabillard, the Islands of Adventure are any coaster lover's dream come true. Located inIslands of Adventure's Marvel Superhero Island, the Incredible Hulk Coaster is a twisted seven-inversion masterpiece from B&M, with thirty-seven hundred feet of green track twisting and turning through two Vertical Loops, two Corkscrews, a double-inverting Cobra Roll and one weightless Zero-G Roll which riders are launched into to begin the high-speed ride. But the Hulk's real uniqueness comes from its method of propulsion, featuring a lift-hill looking to wheels for the train-hauling chores. And while wheels have been used on coasters multiple times in the past, Hulk takes them one step further by using wheel power to lift, then demonstrate the true meaning of acceleration by launching the ride off at a clip of 40 miles per hour - a speed achieved by the ride system in just two seconds. The Incredible Hulk, Universal Studios-style, also goes heavy on the theming, with a queuing line surrounded by detailed theming to a Hulk storyline.
After making their way into the station, guests board one of Hulk's three sit-down trains. Shoulder restraints secured, the ride begins by exiting the loading area and moving into the Gamma Ray Acceleration zone, traveling up the tunneled wheel-driven lift. Suddenly, the acceleration gets real - a powerful thrust of wheel power blasting riders forward to 40 miles per hour in two seconds. Speeding out of the tunnel, the first half of a Zero-G Roll inverts the train and sends it diving 100 feet towards the Islands' central body of water. A giant Cobra Roll flips the green track over twice, reversing the course 180 degrees. A Vertical Loop flips the train over a fourth time and leads to a mist-enshrouded entry of a helix encircling the launch tunnel. Next up on the inversion menu is the first spiraling Corkscrew and dive down into the second loop. Proceeding the loop is a left-hand curve followed by a Vertical Loop-encircling element before a block brake crossing through the center of the loop hinders the ride's speed for a brief moment. The track keeps speeding along below riders with a dive into the seventh inversion - a final Corkscrew. A right-hand banked U-turn sends the train back through the last inversion, then a final 360-degree helix finishes off the ride. |
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