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Arrangement: Riders are arranged 2 across, 4 seats per car for a total of 20 riders per train.
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Notes: Built at a cost of $6 million. Cabinetry 150 x 7 feet high houses the ride's massive control systems. A exact mirrored ride was built at Six Flags St Louis (instead of exiting the tunnel and proceeding to the right and rotating to the left going into the inversion, the SFOT version does the opposite).
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Accident & Safety Record: An accident on a sister ride, Batman & Robin: The Chiller, left 20 passengers stranded upside down 75 feet in the air. Due to this accident, new bogies were ordered to be installed on all Premier LIM ride trains within the Six Flags family which required extensive time and effort.
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Structure: Both track and column supports originally painted light blue. For the 2007 season, it was repainted almost a superman theme, red track and blue column supports. Contains 4000 cubic yards of concrete and 434 tons of steel. Each train weighs seven tons. Track gauge is 36 inches. Ride footprint is 400 x 175 feet.
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Elements: Forty LIMs are on the spire while at least 172 are part of the launch tunnel which is 190 feet in length. The train immediately goes into a 180° top hat inversion 150 feet in the air, then a wraparound curve at 105 feet banking 120°, before finally heading up the spire 218 feet. A second set of LIMs push the train on up to where it needs to be briefly before freefalling and traversing the circuit in reverse.
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Features: Utilizes Linear Induction Motors (LIMs) first pioneered by Flight of Fear at the Paramount Parks. Powered by 224 LIMs which propel the train forward from 0 to 70 mph in 3.78 seconds with the force of 5,000 HP. Each launch requires 2.4 million watts of electricity. Riders experience three seconds of weightlessness returning down the spire. Uses magnetic brakes to slow down with redundant squeeze brakes in place. Each type of brakes act upon fins mounted on the side of each train. Employs an ingenious idea of two separate launching tracks; one track slides into place connecting with the main launch track while the other track/train is loading thereby boosting capacity.
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History: The ride was set to coincide with the 1997 premiere of the movie Batman and Robin, however technical problems with this new technology troubled opening day and the ride didn't actually open until 1998. Originally trains had horsecollar restraints; during the 2002 season these were replaced with comfy and very tight lapbars.
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