Goliath (Magic Mountain)

Infobox roller coaster
name=Goliath


caption="Goliath"'s first drop
location=Six Flags Magic Mountain
section=Colossus County Fair
type=Steel
status=Open
opened=February 11, 2000
manufacturer=Giovanola
designer=Werner Stengel
model= Hyper Coaster
track=out-and-back
lift=Chain lift hill
height=235
drop=255
length=4500
speed=85
inversions=0
duration=3:00
angle=61
capacity=1,600
cost=$30,000,000
acceleration=
restriction=48
gforce=4.5
rcdb_number=615

"Goliath" is a steel roller coaster made by Giovanola of Switzerland. The hypercoaster is located in the Colossus County Fair area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.

During a brief period from its opening on February 11th to May 13th, 2000, "Goliath"'s convert|255|ft|m|sing=on opening drop was the longest and fastest (85 mph) on a complete-circuit roller coaster in the world. "Millennium Force" at Cedar Point eclipsed "Goliath" when it opened on May 13, 2000 with a drop of convert|300|ft|m and speeds of convert|93|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on.

The ride

Riders make a right U-turn out of the station before being lifted up the hill. After the U-turn, a chain lift pulls the train up to a height of convert|235|ft|m, and then descends down a convert|255|ft|m|sing=on drop at a 61-degree angle, reaching a top speed of convert|85|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on while traveling through a convert|120|ft|m|sing=on long underground tunnel. After exiting the tunnel, the train climbs up a towering right-banked turn and descends down through a steep twist. At the bottom of the 2nd hill, your picture is taken. The train then travels over a large hill, banks left, and then slows down into a mid-course brake run (this allows for multiple trains on the track, as it can stop a train if the next train has not cleared the next section of track). After exiting the trim brakes, the train then drops through a left-banked turn before traveling through a right overbanked turn. The train then enters a double helix to the right, followed by another banked turn to the left, then right again before being stopped by a final brake run. "Goliath" is a very popular roller coaster at the park and it is a park favorite of many guests.

"Titan" at Six Flags Over Texas is almost identical to "Goliath", however "Titan" has an extra helix and is slightly taller.

Complaints

While riding "Goliath", many people complain that the rides G-Forces caused black outs, but they recovered as the ride ended. These high G-Forces usually occur during the high-speed double helix after the first brake section.Fact|date=November 2007

Zoey 101 Appearance

During the Zoey 101 episode "Roller Coaster" where Michael faces his fear of roller coasters, foootage of the Goliath and of Christopher Massey riding it in the front row are played at the end of the episode.

External links

* [http://www.rcdb.com/id615.htm Goliath at RCDB]
* [http://www.sixflags.com/parks/magicmountain/Rides/goliath.html Goliath at the official Six Flags Magic Mountain website]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPRROryFNoI Goliath video onride pov]