Kingda Ka is a steel accelerator roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, United States. It is the world's tallest roller coaster, the world's second fastest roller coaster, and was the second strata coaster ever built. Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point was the first.
The train is launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism to 128 miles per hour (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. At the end of the launch track, the train climbs the main top hat tower, reaching a height of 456 feet (139 m) and spanning over a 3,118-foot-long (950 m) track by the end of the ride.
History
Plans to build Kingda Ka were announced on September 29, 2004 at an event held for the media and roller coaster enthusiasts. The event revealed the park's goal to build "the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth", reaching 456 feet (139 m) and accelerating up to 128 miles per hour (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. On January 13, 2005, Kingda Ka's tower construction was completed, and on May 21, 2005, the ride opened to the public. Kingda Ka became the "tallest" and "fastest" roller coaster in the world overtaking both world records from Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point that was just built two years earlier. It lost the title of being the world's fastest when Formula Rossa at Ferrari World opened in November 2010. Intamin designed both Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster, and the two share a similar design and layout that differs primarily by the theme and the additional hill featured on Kingda Ka.