Predecessor
The first roller coaster to use compressed air to launch its trains was Hypersonic XLC at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Like Dodonpa, it was manufactured by S&S Worldwide and featured a similar 90° 16-story hump. It had a maximum height of 165 feet and a maximum drop of 133 feet. It also included some distinct differences from its successor, Dodonpa. Hypersonic XLC's maximum speed was only 80 mph which it reached in 1.8 seconds from rest. This means riders experienced significantly less G's. Also, the track was only 1560 feet long, about half as long as Dodonpa's track. Hypersonic XLC closed and was dismantled in 2007.
Read more about this topic: Dodonpa