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After months of speculation, hints and denials about its new roller coaster, Six Flags Great America finally told the Chicago area what many residents figured out months ago.
Officials at the Gurnee amusement park announced the new "Superman - Ultimate Flight" opens in early May, ending what could be the worst kept secret in the history of theme parks.
Mimicking the attraction of the same name at Atlanta-based Six Flags Over Georgia, Superman will take riders on an "unparalleled flying experience at speeds greater than 50 mph," spokeswoman Susan Storey said Tuesday.
"This will be the one and only 'flying' coaster currently located in the Midwest," Storey said. "We are very excited about it."
The attraction is an inverted coaster made by Bollinger & Mabillard. The Swiss company has produced such coasters as the Iron Wolf, Raging Bull and Batman: The Ride.
Superman will have four seats to each car that hang below the track - just like they do on Batman: The Ride - and propel riders forward along 2,798 feet of twisting, looping steel.
Storey said the seats will tilt after the cars leave the station, putting riders into a face-down "flying" position...