Moonsault Scramble
{{Short description|Defunct shuttle roller coaster}}
{{Infobox roller coaster
| name = Moonsault Scramble
| image = FujiQ-NT-MoonsaultScramble.jpg
| caption = Moonsault Scramble's first car
| previousnames =
| location = Fuji-Q Highland
| locationarticle = Fuji-Q Highland
| section =
| type = Steel
| type2 = Shuttle
| type3 =
| coordinates = {{Coord|35.487|138.780|display=it}}
| status = Removed
| opened = 24 June 1983
| closed = {{End date|2000|04}}
| manufacturer = Meisho Amusement Machines
| manufacturerarticle = Sanoyas Hishino Meisho
| designer =
| model =
| track =
| lift =
| height_ft = 229.7
| drop_ft =
| length_ft = 1,509.2
| speed_mph = 55.9
| inversions = 2
| duration =
| angle =
| capacity =
| cost =
| acceleration =
| acceleration_from =
| acceleration_mph =
| acceleration_km/h =
| acceleration_in =
| gforce = 6.2
| restriction_in =
| trains = 1
| carspertrain = 7
| rowspercar = 2
| ridersperrow = 2
| rcdb_number = 1292
|height_m=70|length_m=460|speed_km/h=90}}
Moonsault Scramble (ムーンサルト・スクランブル) was a shuttle roller coaster located at Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan. Manufactured by Sanoyas Hishino Meisho, the ride opened to the public on 24 June 1983. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Moonsault Scramble was the tallest roller coaster in the world at {{Convert|70|m}} when it opened.{{cite book |last1= Russell |first1= Alan |last2= McWhirter |first2= Norris D. |title= Guinness Book of Records |edition= 1988 |year= 1987 |publisher= Guinness World Records Limited |isbn= 0-85112-868-8 }} It held the record until the opening of Fujiyama, a coaster that opened at the same park in 1996, which reached {{convert|79|m}} in height. The coaster was removed from the park in 2000 to make way for the construction of Dodonpa, which opened in 2001.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020|reason=For Dodonpa claim}}
Ride experience
Moonsault Scramble was known for producing extremely high g-forces on its riders. As of 1998, it was cited by some to exert up to 6.5 Gs on its riders.{{cite RCDB|coaster_name=Moonsault Scramble|location=Fuji-Q Highland|rcdb_number=1292|accessdate=October 26, 2020}} It was one of only three roller coasters outside the United States to exert such extreme forces on its riders (the others being Mindbender and Dreier Looping Coaster).{{cite book |title= Roller coasters, or, I had so much fun, I almost puked |last= Cook |first= Nick |year= 1998 |publisher= Millbrook Press |isbn=1-57505-071-4 |page=34 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6uDyERmZxb8C |access-date=19 June 2010}} The pretzel knot element (comprising two inversions) that produced these high g-forces was the only such pretzel knot inversion ever implemented in a roller coaster until the opening of Banshee at Kings Island in 2014.[http://www.rcdb.com/8897.htm RCDB listing of roller coasters using a pretzel element] The pretzel knot element is different from the much more common pretzel loop element.
Height record
The height claims of coasters like Moonsault Scramble stirred controversy among coaster enthusiasts. Moonsault Scramble's {{Convert|63|m|ft|adj=on}} height was reportedly attributed to decorative towers that flanked the support structure, while the actual track height measured {{Convert|60|m|}}.{{cite news |title=Steep Thrills |first=Nan K. |last=Chase |newspaper=Washington Post |date=August 7, 1994 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/travel/1994/08/07/steep-thrills/154153de-a998-4412-9ae2-2f0f6b4e11dc/}} According to the Sun Sentinel in 1989, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized the height as {{Convert|75|m}}, but the American Coaster Enthusiasts organization refused to recognize the claim, describing it as "disappointing" since riders do not approach the maximum height or "go over the top".{{cite news |last1=Meskil |first1=Paul |title=A Rolling Revival |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1989-08-06-8902240513-story.html |access-date=October 26, 2020 |work=Sun Sentinel |date=August 6, 1989}} The Roller Coaster DataBase (RCDB) lists the overall height as {{Convert|70|m}}.
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{{succession box | title=World's Tallest Roller Coaster| before=Montezooma's Revenge | years=June 1983 – July 1996| after=Fujiyama}}
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