| For similarly-named coasters at other Six Flags parks, see Viper (disambiguation). |
Viper is a wooden roller coaster located in Southwest Territory at Six Flags Great America. It opened on April 30, 1995 and is a clone of the Coney Island Cyclone and is the only roller coaster ever to be designed by Six Flags Theme Parks itself, rather than hiring another company typically specializing in the manufacturing of roller coasters, such as Bolliger & Mabillard, Intamin, or Vekoma. Viper is also the only wooden roller coaster that has ever carried this name (all the other Viper roller coasters, both operating and not, have been steel roller coasters). It was constructed for Six Flags by Rygiel Construction.
Overview[]
Throughout the years, Viper's queue has undergone numerous modifications to accommodate additions such as the addition of Raging Bull directly south of the ride and the entrance to the adjacent Hurricane Harbor water park directly west of the ride. Unlike most Cyclone clones, Viper provides a much smoother ride than the original Cyclone.
During its first year of operation, Viper was located in Hometown Square. With the opening of Southwest Territory in 1996, Viper was officially made part of Southwest Territory, where it and Raging Bull are the anchor attractions.
On May 24, 2013, the park announced that Viper would be one of three coasters running backwards for the first time during 2013 season for a limited time along with Batman: The Ride and American Eagle (which wasn't going backwards for the first time).
Ride experience[]
Riders enter Viper from Southwest Territory. After winding through an outdoor queue passing under parts of Raging Bull, guests enter the station and board the two 30-passenger PTC trains, each composed of five three-bench cars that seat six riders each. These trains are the same model as the trains on American Eagle, but painted green to resemble a snake.
Queue[]
Guests first pass underneath the entrance sign and make a right. The pathways have several shacks for shaded areas. After a left turn, guests pass by Raging Bull while passing through the trees. There are several barrels and other props in numerous areas. At one point, Viper featured a switchback section and an extended queue area, but they have since been removed. Just before the bridge is a chicken exit on the right, which allows guests to have one last chance to exit. Guests then go across the bridge over the exit path and head into the station.
Layout[]
Upon leaving the station, trains make a slight left hand turn, followed by a straight segment of track. This leads into another left hand turn and trains then climb the 100-ft tall lift hill. At the top, the track drops at a 53-degree angle. The train reaches maximum speed is 50 mph (increased depending on the weather conditions, time of day and the load). Next the train rises into a right hand turn around. This turn around leads to a sharp second drop, before rising over another hill, and passing through a left hand second turn around. The second turn around has a double down element as riders descend another drop into the wooden structure. The ride makes another out and back run, and after the final turn around, hits the brake run, ending the ride.
Viper's overall layout is a mirror image of the Coney Island Cyclone, however, the approach to the lift hill is much longer and the final turn leads into a straight brake run leading directly into the station. The second turn around also is a direct gradual ascent, peaking at the middle, before leading into a double down drop.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Queue photos[]
Exterior photos[]
References[]
See also[]
- Georgia Cyclone, a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, also a mirror image version of the Coney Island Cyclone.
- Texas Cyclone, at the defunct Six Flags Astroworld, also was a mirror image of the Coney Island Cyclone.
- Psyclone, at Six Flags Magic Mountain, was a mirror image of Viper, the Georgia Cyclone, and Texas Cyclone, and demolished in 2007.
External links[]
- Viper - Six Flags Great America at Six Flags
Viper (Six Flags Great America) at Coasterpedia- Viper at the Roller Coaster DataBase
- Viper (Six Flags Great America) at Wikipedia
