Skytrak was a flying roller coaster located at Granada Studios Tour amusement park in Castlefield, Manchester, England. Opened in October 1997, it was the first flying roller coaster in the world,[1] in which riders were tilted forward to experience the sensation of flying. It was named after an event from the Gladiators television series,[2] and was the only roller coaster constructed by Skytrak International, a subsidiary of Fairport Engineering.[3]
| Skytrak | |
|---|---|
 Skytrak in operation | |
| Granada Studios Tour | |
| Location | Granada Studios Tour |
| Coordinates | 53°28′41″N 2°15′26″W / 53.478128°N 2.257115°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | October 1997 |
| Closing date | 1998 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Flying |
| Manufacturer | Skytrak International |
| Height | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Length | 1,282 ft (391 m) |
| Speed | 28 mph (45 km/h) |
| Capacity | 240 riders per hour |
| G-force | 2.5 |
| Height restriction | 55 in (140 cm) |
| Skytrak at RCDB | |
The ride was a "solo coaster" having only one person per car, which along with a complicated boarding process limited capacity to between 200 and 240 riders per hour.[2][4] Issues with the ride delayed its opening by several months, and it continued to suffer reliability issues.[2] It closed in 1998, with the park closing soon after. The ride was eventually removed and scrapped.[4]
References
edit- ^ Sehlinger, Bob; Testa, Len; Bleiberg, Larry (2011). The Unofficial Guide to Britain's Best Days Out, Theme Parks and Attractions. Wiley. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-470-68313-2. OCLC 829995870.
- ^ a b c Grimsditch, Lee (2022-10-01). "Skytrak: The lost Manchester 'flying' rollercoaster that only lasted a year". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Skytrak International". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
- ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Skytrak (Granada Studios Tour)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
External links
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