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Stealth or Red Force; which European Intamin launch coaster do you prefer?

Stealth or Red Force; which European Intamin launch coaster do you prefer?

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Matt N

Matt N

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
Hi guys. The current tallest coaster in the world, Kingda Ka, has a very simple layout, consisting simply of a launch into a giant top hat followed by a hill into a set of brakes. Here in Europe, we have two Intamin launch coasters that follow a very similar playbook layout-wise; Stealth at Thorpe Park and Red Force at Ferrari Land. These two rides both have fast launches into a tall top hat and very little else, but they are quite different rides. Red Force is by far the taller and faster of the two, standing at 367ft tall and reaching 112mph compared to 205ft and 80mph for Stealth. Stealth, however, has a traditional hydraulic launch that Red Force lacks, and what it lacks in height and speed, it makes up for in acceleration; its 0-80 in 1.8s acceleration is the 3rd fastest of any coaster in the world! But I'd be keen to know; which of these two similar Intamin launch coasters do you prefer? Do the height and speed of Red Force win the battle for you, or is the hydraulic launch and faster acceleration of Stealth more your thing?

Personally, I'm not going to pass judgement just yet, as I've only ridden Stealth at the moment. I absolutely love Stealth, though, and it only narrowly misses my top 10!

I should be riding Red Force for the first time in 2024 if all goes well, and while Shambhala is my most anticipated coaster at PortAventura, Red Force is certainly a coaster that excites me as well. If Stealth is anything to go by, Red Force should be awesome! If I get to ride Red Force in 2024, I may even report back my verdict in this thread!

But I'd be really interested to know; do you prefer Stealth or Red Force? Which of these European Intamin launch coasters ticks your boxes more?
 
Stealth for me

I've ridden Red Force and Kingda Ka and while I think they're both great, Stealth is better paced than both of them. It's like you don't have the time to react to the launch before going up, and then not enough time to process getting up to 200ft before you drop down again. On a dead day at Thorpe, rerides on it are wonderful and if it had lapbars it'd be one of my favourite coasters

Red Force has the advantage of having lap bars though so it's not super far behind. Would have love to have ridden the OG TTD to compare
 
I love both but Red Force is the clear winner for me. It’s not even about the acceleration. That drop is also insane. Best drop in Europe probably.
 
Before I rode Red Force I thought that this would be a no brainer.

And it is, but not in the way that I expected.

Stealth is a lot better. The launch is better, the airtime hill offers something and most importantly it doesn’t have a horrible rattle .

No silly front row goggles either. And a throughput higher than a line at the bank
 
Almost anything with a hydraulic launch is superior to a LSM/LIM. Including Stealth - though for me Xcelerator is the king (due to lapbars). We'll look back on hydraulic launches like people look back on Concorde in a decade 🥲
 
Matt N said:
Hi guys. The current tallest coaster in the world, Kingda Ka, has a very simple layout, consisting simply of a launch into a giant top hat followed by a hill into a set of brakes. Here in Europe, we have two Intamin launch coasters that follow a very similar playbook layout-wise; Stealth at Thorpe Park and Red Force at Ferrari Land. These two rides both have fast launches into a tall top hat and very little else, but they are quite different rides. Red Force is by far the taller and faster of the two, standing at 367ft tall and reaching 112mph compared to 205ft and 80mph for Stealth. Stealth, however, has a traditional hydraulic launch that Red Force lacks, and what it lacks in height and speed, it makes up for in acceleration; its 0-80 in 1.8s acceleration is the 3rd fastest of any coaster in the world! But I'd be keen to know; which of these two similar Intamin launch coasters do you prefer? Do the height and speed of Red Force win the battle for you, or is the hydraulic launch and faster acceleration of Stealth more your thing?

Personally, I'm not going to pass judgement just yet, as I've only ridden Stealth at the moment. I absolutely love Stealth, though, and it only narrowly misses my top 10!

I should be riding Red Force for the first time in 2024 if all goes well, and while Shambhala is my most anticipated coaster at PortAventura, Red Force is certainly a coaster that excites me as well. If Stealth is anything to go by, Red Force should be awesome! If I get to ride Red Force in 2024, I may even report back my verdict in this thread!

But I'd be really interested to know; do you prefer Stealth or Red Force? Which of these European Intamin launch coasters ticks your boxes more?


I prefer the Stealth at Thorpe Park. By the way, if you are or anyone over here is not so good at writing an essay assignment then I would like to share https://writinguniverse.com/knowledge-base/ website link with you where you will find all the information you need. I am sure you will find it useful for you.
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I prefer the Stealth at Thorpe Park.
 
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VerdieMertz said:
the Stealth
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Go Away GIF
 
The launches don't even compare. Stealth's old school hydraulic is excellent, Red Force is typical LSM progressive acceleration fayre, only with violently uncomfortable Baco style vibrations at the end of the launch track.

But then on Fed Force you are pushed up into air time at the crest of the top hat and dragged down fully ejected out of your seat all the way down the drop, with comfortable and unrestricted lap bars and far more comfortable seats to have your perineum pressed into at the bottom, before being thrown up again over an airtime hill.
 
Comparing LSM to an hydraulic launch is like comparing 'American Style Cheese' to an a fine british cheddar. Yes, they are 'technically' both launches, but one is just better and way more punchy.

Now, to throw gas on to the fire.... who has done a compressed air launch? That is another level!
 
ScottishChris said:
Now, to throw gas on to the fire.... who has done a compressed air launch? That is another level!
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I've done Ice Blast, Cliffhanger, Power Tower, and La Venganza Del Enigma which all seemed to vary quite a bit with their launches.

However the launch on Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America was awesome. Just wished the queue and downtime weren't so bad so I could've gotten another ride on it.
 
AstroDan said:
How is Steaith pants? With exception to Dodonpa, whose launch was mental, Stealth has the most incredible power behind its acceleration.

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Overall it is a bit pants. The launch is excellent, the trains, rest of the layout and operations are not.
 
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