There are many coasters that have been the first of their kind. They introduce the world to something new and pave the way for coaster manufacturers to come up with their own versions.
From the first hyper-coaster to the first hybrid, these coasters open the door to a new realm of possibilities and become icons. One of these icons was the world’s first fourth-dimension coaster, X or as it has come to be known, X2.
Into the Fourth Dimension
X originally opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain in early 2002 after many delays. The coaster cost an estimated 45 million dollars to build and would be unlike any coaster that had come before. It was the very first 4D coaster. This meant that the ride seats could rotate back and forth 360 degrees. Specifically, they would turn at specific intervals regardless of where riders sat on the trains.
Alan Schilke and Arrow Dynamics manufactured the massive coaster. They used a patented 4-rail track system. Two of the rails are the normal rails for the trains to travel along. However, the second set of rails controls the spin of the ride vehicles. The spins are based on the proximity of the rails.
X debuted with a (rather hideous) pink and yellow paint scheme and a massive 215 ft drop at 88.5 degrees. Upon descending the hill, riders are rotated so that they are plummeting headfirst toward the ground. Throughout the ride, riders are flipped at designated times through two inversions and over 3,600 feet of track. Unfortunately, around the time of the coaster’s opening, Arrow Dynamics filed for bankruptcy due to losses attributed to the construction of X. They would be shuttered entirely, and their assets bought by another company, S&S.
A Coaster’s Rebirth
The first several years of X’s operation were plagued with downtime and issues. The coaster closed temporarily in 2007 for a massive 10-million-dollar refurbishment. During this time the coaster received new trains from S&S that were much lighter and would reduce wear and tear.
Additionally, these new trains included new restraint mechanisms that would be pneumatic rather than mechanical. The trains were not the only new addition. The coaster also received a much-needed paint job. Gone was the pink and yellow, replaced with a much sharper red and dark grey look. There were also new pyrotechnic effects and an on-ride sound system added.
Finally, the transformation wouldn’t be complete without a new name, for this was no longer the X that riders remembered. The coaster had evolved and become X2.
How did this lead to the creation of other 4D Coasters?
The Creation Of Other 4D Coasters
X2 paved the way for other coaster manufacturers to come up with their own 4D coasters. There have been two other Arrow-designed 4D coasters installed outside of the USA, but X2 is truly the only of its kind in the states. Two other 4D coasters have come after it, however. These smaller models are both compact and feature smaller ride vehicles and shorter tracks. The first was the Intamin ZacSpin.
One of the most well-known, or rather infamous, iterations of this model was Green Lanter: First Flight at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The ZacSpin did not have extra rails to influence the spin of the ride vehicles and instead relied on the momentum of the dips and curves of the track. This would lead to the ride vehicles either spinning too much or too little depending on the weight distribution of the riders.
Additionally, riders also complained that the restraints were uncomfortable, and this made for downright painful flips. Green Lantern: First Flight closed in 2017 after only six years in operation. There are a few ZacSpin models still operating in other countries, but even after announcing a second-generation model, Intamin has yet to build any more of these coasters in the states.
S&S had more success with its 4D model. S&S may have had an advantage over Intamin as they had retained the ability to use Arrow’s previous patents and ideas. Their model, the 4D Free Spin, would be similar to the ZacSpin, however, the tracks would be a bit more spread out and the ride vehicles would look more similar to the X2 model but smaller.
Additionally, these coasters would have a different axis of rotation and the addition of magnets along the track to influence the spins. These changes, paired with more comfortable restraints made these coasters much more favorable to riders. There are currently seven coasters of this model still operating in the US including The Joker at several Six Flags parks. Interestingly, these coasters use a track that was designed by Rocky Mountain Construction and X2 designer Alan Schilke had a hand in creating it.
It is always exciting to see what coaster designers will come up with next. The next coaster will bring out a plethora of other possibilities. Whether it be breaking height and speed records or entering into the fourth dimension these developments are always exciting and possibilities for the next big thing are endless.
