The Flash (roller coaster)

The Flash is a launched roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags St. Louis, Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags México.

History
On August 31, 2017, The Flash was announced at Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Magic Mountain. The Over Texas version opened on May 5, 2018, and with the help of Beyoncé and had a concert. The Magic Mountain version opened on April 12, 2018, and also Tony Hawk helped open the ride.

On August 30, 2018, The Flash was announed at Six Flags St. Louis. The St. Louis opened on March 24, 2019. Jakob McFadden helped open the ride.

On September 3, 2020, The Flash was announced at Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags México. The Great Adventure version opened on May 1, 2021 and with the help of Joseph Boyce. The Mexico version opened on May 8, 2021.

Characterics
The Flash is a Sitting Coaster by Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). The 3700 ft ride features seven inversions including a zero-g roll, a cobra roll, two vertical loops, and two corkscrews. The ride features a maximum height of 110 ft, and a first drop stretching 105 ft. Riders reach a top speed of 67 mph on the 1-minute, 30-second ride. Each of The Flash's trains feature eight cars which seat riders four abreast, giving each train a maximum capacity of 32 riders. Riders, who must be at least 54 in tall, are restrained with ratcheting over-the-shoulder restraints. This train configuration allows the ride to achieve a theoretical hourly capacity of 1,920 riders per hour. The ride features two subterranean dives, is partially built over water, and is illuminated green at night.

A unique launch system propels riders up the 110 ft hill. The system was developed by Universal Creative and MTS Systems Corporation. A prototype launch system was designed by January 2018. The prototype consisted of a series of boxcars welded together to form a launch tunnel. A track-mounted dune buggy was then propelled inside the tunnel through the use of a weight drop launch mechanism. The designers then experimented with different rates of acceleration, each emitting between one and five times the force of gravity. The final system which was implemented on The Flash sees trains launch from 0 to 40 mph in 2 seconds. Riders travel at an angle of 30 degrees through a 150 ft tunnel, pulling 1 G. To power this launch the designers investigated a variety of systems ranging from hydraulic, pneumatic, cable, steam catapult, and conveyor belt. In the end a drive tire system was selected, where 230 electrical motors power a set of tires that pinch the train's underside to provide propulsion. As this system required eight megawatts of power to launch a train, the park built several customized motor generator sets with large flywheels. Without these stored energy units, they would have had to build a whole substation and risk browning-out the local energy grid with every launch. The launch system made The Incredible Hulk the only B&M ride to feature a launch, until Thunderbird opened at Holiday World in 2015. Unlike The Incredible Hulk, Thunderbird uses a Linear Synchronous Motors (LSM) launch system that was designed by B&M.

Queue
Riders enter the science laboratory of Flash with many televisions showing the story of the Flash. Barry is now trying to find a way to reverse the effects, which the guests are about to take part in. While walking through the lab they encounter items including the generator, the gamma core and the towers of power. Riders are also able to watch the roller coaster through large holes in the walls as well as listen to the ride as it does a number of passes.

Ride
Once riders have boarded the train, it departs the station entering the particle accelerator, where the anxious voice of Barry Allen issues from speakers in the walls: "This look good. I think this time it's...going to work!" On cue, a female voice announces that there has been a malfunction. Klaxons begin to sound inside the tube as Allen says "Don't Worry. I'm on my way". The last speed is synchronized with the launch mechanism, which propels the train from 9 to 40 mph in 2 seconds. Upon exiting the gamma-ray accelerator, the train immediately goes into a zero-g roll, down a 105 ft drop, and into a cobra roll over the park's main lagoon. Riders complete a vertical loop, then enter a subterranean tunnel full of mist. The train encircles the gamma-ray accelerator and is sent into the back area via corkscrew. A smaller vertical loop wraps around the mid-course brake run, which is flanked by two over-banked turns. The train is slowed down by the mid-course brakes before being sent down another hill to a corkscrew and turn-around. Riders then travel sideways through an on-ride camera zone and then to the ride's final brake run after a helix.