American Eagle (roller coaster)
| American Eagle | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Blue side crests the hill
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| Six Flags Great America | |||
| Park section | County Fair | ||
| Coordinates | 42°21′53″N 87°56′01″W / 42.3646°N 87.9336°WCoordinates: 42°21′53″N 87°56′01″W / 42.3646°N 87.9336°W | ||
| Status | Operating | ||
| Opening date | May 23, 1981 | ||
| General Statistics | |||
| Type | Wood – Racing | ||
| Manufacturer | Intamin | ||
| Designer | Curtis D. Summers, James Figley, Leonard Wright | ||
| Model | Wooden | ||
| Track layout | Out and back | ||
| Lift/launch system | Chain | ||
| Red | Blue | ||
| Height | 127 ft (38.7 m) | 127 ft (38.7 m) | |
| Drop | 147 ft (44.8 m) | 147 ft (44.8 m) | |
| Length | 4,650 ft (1,417.3 m) | 4,650 ft (1,417.3 m) | |
| Speed | 66 mph (106.2 km/h) | 66 mph (106.2 km/h) | |
| Inversions | 0 | 0 | |
| Duration | 2:23 | 2:23 | |
| Max vertical angle | 55° | 55° | |
| Capacity | 1800 riders per hour | ||
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) | ||
| Trains | 4 2-Blue 2-Red trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 30 riders per train. | ||
 Must transfer from wheelchair |
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American Eagle at RCDB Pictures of American Eagle at RCDB |
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American Eagle is a wooden racing roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America. It was the first wooden roller coaster designed by Intamin of Switzerland and was built in 1981 by the contracting firm Figley-Wright. While the records have since been broken, American Eagle had the longest drop and fastest speed among wooden roller coasters when it debuted and is still recognized as a top racing coaster in the United States. In 2006, American Eagle celebrated its Silver Anniversary (25th Anniversary).
Soaring high above the County Fair section of the park, this massive dual-track wooden racing coaster spans almost the entire southern edge of the park. The out-and-back design features a very recognizable 560-degree helix at the turnaround point and a first drop that dips 20 feet (6.1 m) below ground level. An original design feature was a set of holding brakes that would perch trains at the top of the lift hill for a brief moment, giving riders a bird's-eye view before releasing them to soar down the 147-foot (45 m)-tall (45 m) first drop at a 55-degree angle. Use of the holding brakes was short-lived and the brakes themselves were eventually removed so that the trains just go right down the drop. The ride was also originally designed to run with a total of six trains; however, that number has since been reduced to four (two per track). American Eagle uses three-bench, five-car trains built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The trains were originally designed with single-position lap bars but are now equipped with individual lap bars and seatbelts, making the trains on both American Eagle and Viper similar.
Guests enter the queue area to the right of the KIDZOPOLIS section (originally Wiggles World). Prior to KIDZOPOLIS being built, guests entered the queue through the large "Eagle Tent," which had been used for a circus between 1976 and 1980. Approaching the station, the queue line splits, allowing guests to choose between riding the "Red Side" (left) and the "Blue Side" (right). Both sides offer similar ride experiences, although in 1991, 1996, 2002–2005, 2011 (from August 5 until September 17) and for the fall of 2013 the Blue Side ran its trains facing backward. Guests then enter the ride platform from their track's side of the station.
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