Kingda Ka Never Went 128 MPH - Here Was The True Speed

After working Kingda Ka as a ride operator in 2015, I quickly learned that it doesn't actually reach its advertised top speed of 128 mph (206 km/h). Watch to see what the actual average top speed most likely has been for the coaster's entire life!

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Thumbnail taken by Doug Brehm

[TheCoasterSam]

I feel like this is Ryan’s “screw you” to corporate for removing ka

[PumpkinBear]

You are turning into KingdaKaRyan with all these videos

[michaelbianco]

Funny enough, one of the most accurate NL2 recreations of Ka that I've found is set at a launch of 118mph too. Playing with the launch speed with +/-1 or 2mph also reflects notable differences in the speed that the train crests the top as you mentioned here.

With that simulator's high focus on realism and physics, it's cool to see that parallel real life when someone recreates a ride with the same height, launch track length & end height, ride style, etc..

Gonna miss every bit of that 118mph.

[OutpostExplorations]

Six flags great adventure should have sent the last train at 128mph just for fun

[sprawlz]

I just graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Physics because of my love for kinematics stemming from my childhood obsession with this ride. Every ride I had on Ka is a cherished memory for me and it genuinely hurt my soul to hear it was closing

[DieselDucy]

It is amazing all the physics that go into roller coaster design.

[twistedmetal]

Kingda Ka being built was an engineering marvel in and of itself. I just hope the TT2 situation resolves, and that tower stays standing. Ka and Dragster were both iconic. I’ve never feared a coaster after them.

[ZMSaypol]

I had a feeling this video was coming 💀

[Pabloiznotmyname]

The way you talked about it in the problematic video made it sound like it was launching at 100 or smth lol. 118 still felt insane, will miss it dearly. I'll forever be in your debt for getting to ride it a week before closing :')

[maxhagenauer]

Thats really crazy, it's also crazy how the park didn't know. That speed difference is actually big too.

[gplez]

Totally believable. I remember when Dragster first opened, there was a speedometer at the end of the launch track. In the early days, Dragster regularly hit 118-120. I even saw as high as 124. It used to absolutely fly over the top hat similarly to how TT2 does now. Later on, the ride started hitting 114-116, and as low as 110 (would barely crest the top hat). I think for this reason, they removed/disabled the speedometer.

[MajWoody]

I got to ride after a maintenance reset. This video explains why I had ejector airtime over the top hat that day and every other time it was just a crawl. I thought maybe they left he key in the empty launch position but then you explained how the system will adjust to loaded trains. This was super interesting!
Thanks Ryan!!!

[adamdragster]

They could’ve and should’ve let Kingda Ka operate one more year before closing it for good. It deserved a 20th anniversary. Absolutely outrageous decision.

[AdventuresWithAlex]

No wonder the ejector on TT2 was so intense while it operated. Supposedly always hitting 120mph with the more precise LSM launch?

[zuper]

Former Maxx Force Op here - Maxx force is very similar although ran faster than advertised speed, often running around 36.4 M/S to 35.7 M/S the fastest I had seen it launch would have been about 86 MPH, around 38.4 M/S

[jappie.]

0:04 DAMN! those trees are build different

[specter]

I’m loving all the Kingda Kantent lately Ryan

[cameronland]

Another great video, Ryan. Ka will be dearly missed! I remember always seeing Kingda Ka on those top 10 roller coaster shows on tv as a kid and have always wanted to ride it. Sadly I’ll never get the chance :(

[KingdaToro]

118 is right on the money. It's what my NoLimits 2 recreation of Ka is set to launch at, and results in perfect speed over the tophat.

[thedalekditto]

You gotta make the kingda ka playlist soon Ryan!