Gravity Max, Steel roller coaster at Lihpao Land in Taichung, Taiwan
This steel coaster lifts riders onto a horizontal platform, then tilts that platform ninety degrees forward before dropping them into a vertical loop measuring 88 feet (27 meters) across. Two trains with six cars each carry twenty-four passengers at a time, moving more than a thousand people through the circuit every hour.
The Dutch manufacturer Vekoma built the ride in 2002 as the first coaster with a genuine tilting track section. The original yellow track with blue supports was repainted red and black in 2016.
The ride represents an engineering milestone in Taiwan's amusement industry as the first roller coaster with a genuine 90-degree tilt track section.
Riders must be at least 140 centimeters tall to board and fasten the restraints. The track runs through a dark tunnel, so visitors sensitive to sudden darkness should be prepared for that moment.
The platform tilts using hydraulic cylinders that operate in plain view of waiting guests below. The entire ride lasts only ninety seconds, but the speed reaches more than 56 miles per hour (90 kilometers per hour) through the circuit.
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