Editing Vertical loop (section)

== History ==
The vertical loop is not a recent roller coaster innovation. Its origins can be traced back to the 1850s when ''[[centrifugal railway]]s'' were built in France and Great Britain.<ref name="scream machine">{{Cite book | last = Cartmell | first = Robert | title = The Incredible Scream Machine: A History of the Roller Coaster | publisher = Popular Press | year = 1987 | pages = 156 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Qtyoe7tlkVcC&pg=PP1 | isbn = 0-87972-342-4}}</ref><ref name="Timbs">{{Cite book | last = Timbs | first = John | title = The Year-book of facts in science and art | publisher = Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. | year = 1843 | location = London | url = https://archive.org/details/yearbookfactsin24timbgoog | page = [https://archive.org/details/yearbookfactsin24timbgoog/page/n23 15] | quote = centrifugal railway. }}</ref> The rides relied on [[centripetal force]]s to hold the car in the loop. One early looping coaster was shut down after an accident.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080822061644/http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/history/start/history_early.shtml Roller Coaster History - Early History]</ref>
Later attempts to build a looping roller coaster were carried out during the late 19th century with the ''[[Flip Flap Railway]]'' at [[Sea Lion Park]], designed by Roller coaster engineer Lina Beecher.<ref>"American Pioneers of Amusement, Part 2." ''Off the Leash.'' Published 10 July 2016. Accessed 5 May 2024. https://offtheleash.net/2016/07/10/american-pioneers-of-amusement-part-2/.</ref> The ride was designed with a completely circular loop (rather than the teardrop shape used by many modern looping roller coasters), and caused neck injuries due to the intense G-forces pulled with the tight radius of the loop.<ref name="Physics for Scientists and Engineers">{{cite book |last1=Tipler |first1=Paul A. |last2=Mosca |first2=Gene |title=Physics for Scientists and Engineers |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=AttDBYgLeZkC |access-date=August 9, 2013 |edition=6th |volume=Standard |year=2008 |publisher=W. H. Freeman and Company |location=New York |isbn= 978-1429201247 }}</ref><ref name="Mental_Floss">{{cite book |last1=Pearson |first1=Will |last2=Hattikudur |first2=Mangesh |last3=Koerth-Baker |first3=Maggie |title=Mental_Floss Presents Instant Knowledge |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qJ2ENnuK5ZEC |access-date=August 9, 2013  |year=2005 |publisher=HarperCollins |location=New York |isbn= 0061747661 }}</ref>

The next attempt at building a looping roller coaster was in 1901 when Edwin Prescott built the ''[[Loop the Loop (Coney Island)|Loop the Loop]]'' at [[Coney Island]]. This ride used the modern teardrop-shaped loop and a steel structure, however more people wanted to watch the attraction, rather than ride. In 1904, Beecher further redesigned the vertical loop to have an even more elliptical design with [[Olentangy Park]]'s [http://olentangypark.com/wiki/index.php/Loop-the-Loop Loop-the-Loop]. Vertical loops weren't attempted again until the design of [[The New Revolution (roller coaster)|Great American Revolution]] at [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]], which opened in 1976. Its success depended largely on its [[Euler spiral|clothoid]]-based (rather than circular) loop. The loop became a phenomenon, and many parks hastened to build roller coasters featuring them.{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}}

In 2000, a modern looping [[wooden roller coaster]] was built, the [[Son of Beast]] at [[Kings Island]]. Although the ride itself was made of wood, the loop was supported with steel structure. Due to maintenance issues however, the loop was removed at the end of the 2006 season. The loop was not the cause of the ride's issues, but was removed as a precautionary measure. Due to an unrelated issue in 2009, Son of Beast was closed until 2012, when Kings Island announced that it would be removed.<ref name="DDN tear down">{{cite news|last=McClelland|first=Justin|title=Kings Island to tear down Son of Beast|url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/kings-island-removing-roller-coaster/nP5bH/|access-date=July 27, 2012|newspaper=[[Dayton Daily News]]|date=July 27, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Demolition">{{cite web |url=http://www.visitkingsisland.com/article/media-center/Son-of-Beast-roller-coaster-to-be-removed-to-make-room-for-future-park-expansion |title=Son of Beast roller coaster to be removed to make room for future park expansion |publisher=Kings Island |date=July 27, 2012 |access-date=July 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729224326/http://www.visitkingsisland.com/article/media-center/Son-of-Beast-roller-coaster-to-be-removed-to-make-room-for-future-park-expansion |archive-date=July 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

On June 22, 2013, [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]] introduced [[Full Throttle (roller coaster)|Full Throttle]], a steel launch coaster with a {{convert|160|ft|m|adj=on}} loop, the tallest in the world at the time of its opening.<ref>{{cite news|last=MacDonald|first=Brady|title=Six Flags Magic Mountain spills plans for record-setting coaster|url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-xpm-2012-mar-07-la-trb-six-flags-magic-mountain-full-throttle-03201207-story.html|access-date=18 April 2018|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=7 March 2012}}</ref> {{As of|2016|}}, the largest vertical loop is located on Flash, a roller coaster produced by [[Mack Rides]] at Lewa Adventure in Shaanxi, China<!-- 42.52 m (139 ft 6 in) -->.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/111031-largest-roller-coaster-loop/|title=Largest rollercoaster loop|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-04-24}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Flash|location=Lewa Adventure|access-date=2020-04-22|num=6764}}</ref> The record is shared by Hyper Coaster in Turkey's Land of Legends theme park, built in 2018, which is identical to Flash at Lewa Adventure.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Hyper Coaster|location=Land of Legends Theme Park|access-date=2020-04-22|num=14440}}</ref>

=== Loops on non-roller coasters ===
In 2002, the Swiss company Klarer Freizeitanlagen AG began working on a safe design for a looping water slide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eap-magazin.de/index.php?id=127&L=1|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928033013/http://www.eap-magazin.de/index.php?id=127&L=1|url-status=dead|title=EAP-Magazin.de: Special Feature2|archivedate=September 28, 2007}}</ref> Since then, multiple installations of the slide, named the [[AquaLoop]] and constructed by companies including Polin, Klarer, Aquarena and [[WhiteWater West]], have appeared in many parks. This ride does not feature a vertical loop, instead using an [[Roller coaster elements#Inclined loop|inclined loop]] (a vertical loop tilted at an angle), which puts less force on the rider. AquaLoop slides feature a safety hatch, which can be opened by a rider in case they do not reach the highest point of the loop.