Afterburn (roller coaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Afterburn |
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| Previously known as Top Gun: The Jet Coaster (1999-2007) | |
An overview of Afterburn. Its lift hill, first drop and batwing can be seen in the foreground, with its vertical loop in the background.
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| Carowinds | |
| Location | Carowinds |
| Park section | Crossroads |
| Coordinates | 35°06′01″N 80°56′27″W / 35.10025°N 80.94092°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | March 16, 1999 |
| Opening date | March 20, 1999 |
| Cost | US$10.5 million |
| Replaced | Wild Bull |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Inverted |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Designer | Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH |
| Model | Inverted Coaster – Custom |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 113 ft (34 m) |
| Length | 2,956 ft (901 m) |
| Speed | 62 mph (100 km/h) |
| Inversions | 6 |
| Duration | 2:47 |
| Capacity | 1380 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train. |
 Fast Lane available |
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| Afterburn at RCDB | |
Afterburn is an inverted roller coaster at Carowinds amusement park. Carowinds is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. This exciting ride opened on March 20, 1999.
Before it was called Afterburn, the roller coaster was known as Top Gun: The Jet Coaster. It was renamed in 2007. This happened after Cedar Fair bought Paramount Parks, which owned Carowinds.
The ride was designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, a famous roller coaster company. Afterburn stands 113 feet (34 m) tall. It reaches speeds of 62 miles per hour (100 km/h). The track is 2,956-foot-long (901 m), and the ride lasts almost three minutes. Many people love Afterburn. It has been listed as one of the top 50 roller coasters many times.
History of Afterburn
In 1997, Carowinds started talking with Bolliger & Mabillard about a new roller coaster. They discussed many ideas for 18 months. One idea was to theme the ride after the Godzilla movies.
In July 1998, the park announced the new ride: Top Gun: The Jet Coaster. It cost US$10.5 million to build. This was the biggest investment Carowinds had ever made. Other parks owned by Paramount Parks also had Top Gun-themed rides.
To make space for Top Gun, Carowinds removed an older ride called Wild Bull. Construction for Top Gun began in July 1998. The first parts of the track arrived in August. Testing of the ride was finished in January 1999.
Top Gun: The Jet Coaster had a special opening for guests and media on March 16, 1999. Famous NASCAR drivers like Tony Stewart were among the first riders. The ride officially opened to everyone on March 20, 1999.
On July 1, 2006, the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company bought all the Paramount Parks. This included Carowinds. Because of this, Top Gun at Carowinds was renamed Afterburn. For its 15th season in 2014, Afterburn got a fresh coat of paint.
What Makes Afterburn Special?
Afterburn's track is 2,956-foot-long (901 m) and the ride is 113 feet (34 m) tall. It has six inversions. Inversions are parts of the track where the ride turns you upside down.
These inversions include:
- A vertical loop (a big circle that turns you upside down)
- An Immelmann loop (you go up, flip over, and come back down in a different direction)
- A zero-g roll (you spin around and feel like you're floating)
- A batwing (two inversions that look like a bat's wings)
- A corkscrew (a twisty turn that spins you upside down)
Riders must be over 54 inches (1.37 m) tall. The ride reaches a top speed of 62 miles per hour (100 km/h). The whole experience lasts about two minutes and forty-seven seconds.
Afterburn uses two trains. Each train has eight cars. Four riders sit in each car, making a total of 32 riders per train. The ride can carry about 1,380 riders every hour.
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The area around the ride was designed to look like a military base. This matched the original Top Gun theme. The waiting line was inside a building that looked like a hangar (a place where airplanes are kept). There was even a large model of an Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter jet. Riders enter the ride area by passing through the batwing element.
The Afterburn Ride Experience
When your train leaves the station, you hear a recorded message: "Clear for Takeoff!" Then, Afterburn starts to climb its chain lift hill. It goes up to its highest point of 113 feet (34 m).
After a small drop, the train turns right. Then, it dives into its first inversion, a vertical loop. Next, riders zoom through an underground trench. After that, you enter an Immelmann loop. This loop sends the train in the opposite direction.
The train then drops towards the ground. It climbs back up and spins through a zero-g roll. This is an inversion where you feel like you are floating in the air! After that, the train drops again. It then enters the Batwing element. This part has two inversions and goes through a tunnel.
After leaving the batwing, the train climbs over the station on a camelback hill. Then, it goes into the final inversion, a corkscrew to the right. The train then makes a big 200-degree turn while climbing left. Finally, it reaches the brake run and returns safely to the station.
