Sky Rocket
Sky Rocket is a steel roller coaster located at Kennywood amusement park near Pittsburgh in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Manufactured by Premier Rides, Sky Rocket opened to the public on June 29, 2010. It was the first major coaster addition at the park in almost a decade following the renovation of Phantom's Revenge in 2001. It was also the first coaster in the park to feature inversions since the Steel Phantom as well as the first to have a launch since the Laser Loop.
| Sky Rocket | |
|---|---|
| Kennywood | |
| Location | Kennywood |
| Coordinates | 40°23′11″N 79°51′53″W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | June 29, 2010 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Premier Rides |
| Lift/launch system | LSM launch |
| Height | 95 ft (29 m) |
| Length | 2,100 ft (640 m) |
| Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| Inversions | 3 |
| Duration | 1:05 |
| Max vertical angle | 90° |
| Acceleration | 0 to 50 mph (0 to 80 km/h) in 3 seconds |
| G-force | 0.8 |
| Height restriction | 52 in (132 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 12 riders per train. |
| Sky Rocket at RCDB | |
Sky Rocket is an electromagnetic launch coaster using linear synchronous motors (LSM), a first for Premier Rides' designs. Premier had previously only used Linear Induction Motors (LIM) launches on their coasters such as Flight of Fear at Kings Island and Kings Dominion, and Mr. Freeze at Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis. LIMs require more electricity and are costly to maintain while LSMs are much more practical. It was also one of the first roller coasters in the world to feature a cutback inversion, a rather common element seen on more recent coasters.
The Sky Rocket occupies the ground near the entrance formerly occupied by Turnpike, an attraction that is expected to return to the park sometime in the future.