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Rita | |
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Previously known as Rita: Queen of Speed (2005–2009) | |
Alton Towers | |
Location | Alton Towers |
Park section | Dark Forest |
Coordinates | 52°59′06″N 1°53′26″W / 52.9850°N 1.8905°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | 1 April 2005 |
Cost | £8,000,000 |
Replaced | Boneshaker |
General statistics | |
Type | Steel – Launched |
Manufacturer | Intamin |
Designer | Werner Stengel |
Model | Accelerator Coaster |
Track layout | Twister |
Lift/launch system | Hydraulic Launch |
Height | 18.4 m (60 ft) |
Length | 640 m (2,100 ft) |
Speed | 98.3 km/h (61.1 mph) |
Inversions | 0 |
Duration | 0:25 |
Capacity | 1,150[1] riders per hour |
Acceleration | 0 to 98.3 km/h (0 to 61 mph) in 2.5 seconds |
G-force | 4.7 |
Height restriction | 140–195[2] cm (4 ft 7 in – 6 ft 5 in) |
Trains | 2 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 20 riders per train. |
Website | Official website |
Fastrack available | |
Rita at RCDB |
Rita, formerly known as Rita: Queen of Speed, is a launched roller coaster located in the Dark Forest section of Alton Towers amusement park in Staffordshire Moorlands, England. Designed by Intamin, the Accelerator Coaster model opened to the public on 1 April 2005. It features an acceleration from 0 to 98.3 km/h (61.1 mph) in 2.5 seconds.[3] The ride is loosely-themed to a drag racing concept, which partly changed when the section of the park transformed from "Ug Land" into the "Dark Forest" in 2010, when the ride TH13TEEN was added into that section. It is now themed as an abandoned drag racer that is used as the escape cart to escape the Dark Forest.
In 2006, a similar launched roller coaster opened at Thorpe Park, called Stealth. It is also manufactured by Intamin and is faster than Rita, reaching speeds at 80 mph (130 km/h).
The ride was temporarily renamed "Camilla - Queen of Speed" on 9 April 2005 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles. This simply involved banner signage to notify guests of the name change.[4]