Top hat

Inside top hat on Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast

Outside top hat on Kingda Ka, the world's tallest roller coaster

A top hat (sometimes called a top cap) is an element most often used on launched roller coasters. It consists of an ascent at a 90 degree angle immediately followed by a 90-degree descent. Often, vertical twists precede and follow the top hat element.

Both Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster feature a giant top hat.

The inside top hat (also known as a top hat inversion) is a different type of top hat, that features an inversion. When the train approaches the top of the "hat", it makes a 90 degree lateral twist so that it is on the inside of the element (hence the name), and once it reaches the top hat's apex the train is upside down under the track.

Examples[edit | edit source]

Below is a list of all the roller coasters with a top hat element. All of them are steel sit-down roller coasters.

Outside top hat[edit | edit source]

Name	Amusement park	Manufacturer	Opened	Status
Euro Express	Romon U-Park	Intamin	2015	Operating
iSpeed	Mirabilandia	Intamin	2009	Operating
Junker	PowerLand	Gerstlauer	2015	Operating
Kanonen	Liseberg	Intamin	2005	Closed 2016
Karacho	Erlebnispark Tripsdrill	Gerstlauer	2013	Operating
Kingda Ka	Six Flags Great Adventure	Intamin	2005	Operating
Nefeskesen	Vialand	Intamin	2013	Operating
Red Fire	ViaSea	Intamin	2015	Operating
Skycar	Mysterious Island	Intamin	2005	Operating
Sky Rocket	Kennywood	Premier Rides	2010	Operating
Star Trek: Operation Enterprise	Movie Park Germany	Mack Rides	2017	Operating
Stealth	Thorpe Park	Intamin	2006	Operating
Storm Runner	Hersheypark	Intamin	2004	Operating
Superman Escape	Warner Bros. Movie World	Intamin	2005	Operating
Top Thrill Dragster	Cedar Point	Intamin	2003	Operating
Xcelerator	Knott's Berry Farm	Intamin	2002	Operating
Zaturn	Space World	Intamin	2006	Closed 2017
unknown	Vinpearl Land	Vekoma	2018	Under construction
unknown	World Fairytale Land	Vekoma	2020	Under construction
unknown	Chengdu Wanda City	Intamin	2018	Under construction

Inside top hat[edit | edit source]

Name	Amusement park	Manufacturer	Opened	Status
Dragon Legend	Romon U-Park	Maurer AG	2015	Operating
Freischütz	Bayern Park	Maurer AG	2011	Operating
Helix	Liseberg	Mack Rides	2014	Operating
Junker	PowerLand	Gerstlauer	2015	Operating
Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast	Six Flags Over Texas	Premier Rides	1998	Operating
Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast	Six Flags St. Louis	Premier Rides	1998	Operating
Soaring with Dragon	Hefei Wanda Theme Park	Intamin	2016	Operating
Takabisha	Fuji-Q Highland	Gerstlauer	2011	Operating
Yamaha Racing Coaster	Trans Studio Indoor Theme Park	Premier Rides	2011	Operating
Batman and Robin: The Chiller	Six Flags Great Adventure	Premier Rides	1998	Closed 2006

Thrill elements
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Inverting	Banana roll • Batwing • Bent cuban eight • Bowtie • Butterfly • Cobra loop • Cobra roll • Corkscrew • Cutback • Dive drop • Dive loop • Diving turn • Double dip • Fly to lie / Lie to fly • Flying snake dive • Heartline roll • Jr. Immelmann • Immelman • Inclined dive loop • Inclined loop • In-line twist • Interlocking corkscrews • Interlocking loops • Lagoon roll • Norwegian loop • Pretzel knot • Pretzel loop • Raven turn • Reverse cobra roll • Reverse sidewinder • Roll over • Saxophone • Scorpion tail • Sea Serpent • Sidewinder • SkyLoop • Step-up under flip • Tongue • Top-Gun stall • Twisted horseshoe roll • Vertical loop • Zero-g roll • Zero-g stall
Non-inverting	Hammerhead turn • Helix • High five • Non-inverted loop • Splashdown • Stengel dive • Tilt section • Trick track • Triple dip • Tunnel • Turntable • Vertical drop track • Water brakes • Wave turn
Variable	Top hat
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