American Eagle (roller coaster)

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American Eagle
Blue side crests the hill
Six Flags Great America
Park section	County Fair
Coordinates	42°21′53″N 87°56′01″W / 42.3646°N 87.9336°W / 42.3646; -87.9336
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 23, 1981 (1981-05-23)
Cost	$10 million
General Statistics
Type	Wood – Racing
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Curtis D. Summers James Figley Leonard Wright
Model	Wooden
Track layout	Out and back
Lift/launch system	Chain
	Red	Blue
Height	127 ft (38.7 m)	127 ft (38.7 m)
Drop	147 ft (44.8 m)	147 ft (44.8 m)
Length	4,650 ft (1,417.3 m)	4,650 ft (1,417.3 m)
Speed	66 mph (106.2 km/h)	66 mph (106.2 km/h)
Inversions	0	0
Duration	2:23	2:23
Max vertical angle	55°	55°
Capacity	1800 riders per hour
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	4 2-Blue 2-Red trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 30 riders per train.
Must transfer from wheelchair
American Eagle at RCDB Pictures of American Eagle at RCDB

American Eagle is a wooden racing roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America theme park in Gurnee, Illinois. It was the first wooden roller coaster designed by Intamin of Switzerland and was built in 1981 by the contracting firm Figley-Wright at a cost of $10 million. While most of the records have since been broken, American Eagle had the longest drop and fastest speeds among wooden roller coasters when it debuted and is still recognized as a top racing coaster in the United States.