Carolina Cyclone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carolina Cyclone
The ride's consecutive loops and corkscrew
Carowinds
Park section	Carolina Boardwalk
Coordinates	35°06′15″N 80°56′37″W / 35.10417°N 80.94361°W / 35.10417; -80.94361
Status	Operating
Opening date	March 22, 1980
Cost	$2,000,000 (about 6.7 million today)
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Arrow Dynamics
Designer	Ron Toomer
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	95 ft (29 m)
Drop	65 ft (20 m)
Length	2,100 ft (640 m)
Speed	41 mph (66 km/h)
Inversions	4
Duration	1:30
Max vertical angle	53°
Capacity	1,600 riders per hour
G-force	3.5
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Carolina Cyclone at RCDB Pictures of Carolina Cyclone at RCDB

The Carolina Cyclone is an Arrow Dynamics roller coaster located at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Carolina Cyclone, built in 1980 by world-renowned (and now defunct) coaster builders Arrow Dynamics, the first roller coaster to have four inversions, two loops and two corkscrews.

History

Carolina Cyclone officially opened to the public on March 22, 1980.

The ride was originally painted with red-orange track and black supports, and later bluish-green track with black supports, and later with blue track and dark gray supports. For the 2010 season, a new paint job was applied. The supports are light blue along the entire ride. The track in the final brake run, station, and from the station to the top of the first drop, is also painted light blue, but the inversions are painted yellow and the track on the first drop, turn between the corkscrews, and final helix are all painted orange.

After the 2019 season, Carolina Cyclone received new trains from the defunct Vortex at Kings Island.

Ride experience

Riders exit the station and make a tight left turn before the lift begins pulling them to the top. A small drop, along with a turn, brings the train to the largest drop on the roller coaster. Directly after the drop are two vertical loops followed by a small hill with a banked turn. As the train makes its way over the walkway it flips riders twice in a double corkscrew. These elements make Carolina Cyclone the first ever coaster with four inversions. After the corkscrews riders are taken to a near-ground helix before hitting the brake run and returning to the station.