Fast forward a month. Excelsior is now well on the way to completion, with trackwork finished, and supports a bit less than 50% done. This ride will also feature a custom station made out of supports, but I haven't reached that stage in construction yet. But anyway, here's a little preview...


Pictures of the completed phase 1. This is after the 60 MPH launch.

The top hat on phase 2 (90 MPH)

Phase 2's Norwegian loop...

... and one of its airtime hills

This is one of Excelsior's truly unique elements. It starts off as an overbank, then dives into a rolling inversion. I don't even have a name for this yet. This is part of phase 3, launched at 120 MPH.

Another unique element. Similar to a zero-g flip, this element has a 180 degree twist in one direction, followed by a 540 degree twist in the other, all while flying over a zero-g hill.

This GIGANTIC airtime hill, over 400 feet tall (the one that has supports) is what makes Excelsior a strata coaster. It has a beyond vertical ascent and drop, and reaches forces of -1 Gs, the equivalent of hanging upside-down on a stopped coaster.

Here's another view of the huge airtime hill. This is the drop portion. Wow, that's steep!
So, what do you think?