Wing Rider roller coaster
Encyclopedia
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
where pairs of riders sit on either side of a roller coaster track.
History
The Wing Rider was derived from John F. Mares' 4th Dimension roller coaster4th Dimension roller coaster
A 4th Dimension roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster whereby riders are rotated independently of the orientation of the track, generally about a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to the track. The cars do not necessarily need to be fixed to an angle.-History:John F...
concept from the 1990s. However, unlike 4th Dimension roller coasters, cars on a Wing Rider train do not spin - they are locked in place facing forward in a seated position. In 2007, the first Wing Rider roller coaster opened. Manufactured by Intamin AG
Intamin AG
Intamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an...
, Furius Baco
Furius Baco
Furius Baco is a hydraulically-launched steel Wing Rider roller coaster located at PortAventura in Salou, Catalonia. Manufactured by Intamin, the ride opened on June 5, 2007 as the 2nd fastest roller coaster in Europe at 83.9 mph, which the ride reaches in 3.5 seconds...
at PortAventura
PortAventura
PortAventura is a theme park and a resort in Salou, Catalonia, Spain; on the Costa Daurada , approximately an hour drive south of Barcelona. It attracts around 3 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in Spain. PortAventura Park is also the 6th most visited theme park in...
launches riders from 0 to 135 kilometres per hour (83.9 mph) in 3.5 seconds. Six rows of four people (two on either side of the track) make up a single train.
In 2010, Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
announced that they would be building a prototype Wing Rider design at Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd is a British operator of amusement parks and other attractions. It is the largest such company in Europe, and globally the second largest after Walt Disney Parks and Resorts....
' Gardaland
Gardaland
Gardaland is the third-most-popular theme park in Europe and is between Peschiera and Lazise, at Lake Garda in Italy. Built on the eastern shore of Lake Garda at Castelnuovo del Garda, the park opened on July 19, 1975. It has expanded steadily in both size and attendance, topping 1 million visitors...
. Raptor
Raptor (Gardaland)
Raptor is a steel roller coaster at the Gardaland amusement park in Lake Garda, Italy. The ride is a prototype Wing Rider design by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. Raptor opened to the public on April 1, 2011. The ride begins from an underground station and features two...
opened April 1, 2011 as the world's second Wing Rider. As part of a deal with Bolliger & Mabillard, Merlin Entertainments will also open a second Wing Rider called The Swarm at Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park is a theme park located in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK. It was built in 1979 on the site of a gravel pit which was partially flooded, the intention of creating a water based theme for the park. The park's first large roller coaster, Colossus, was added in 2002...
in 2012. The first announced wing coaster in the United States, X-Flight
X-Flight (Six Flags Great America)
X-Flight is a steel Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. The long ride will feature barrel rolls and high-speed drops when it opens in 2012.-History:...
, is also slated to open in 2012 at Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
. The first to open in the United States, however, will be Wild Eagle
Wild Eagle
Wild Eagle is a steel Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It will be the first of its kind in the United States when it opens in March 2012.-History:...
at Dollywood
Dollywood
Dollywood is a theme park owned by entertainer Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dollywood has 3,000 people on its payroll, making it the largest employer in that community....
, opening March 2012 and also created by Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
.
Installations
| Name | Park | Opened | Manufacturer | Status | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furius Baco Furius Baco Furius Baco is a hydraulically-launched steel Wing Rider roller coaster located at PortAventura in Salou, Catalonia. Manufactured by Intamin, the ride opened on June 5, 2007 as the 2nd fastest roller coaster in Europe at 83.9 mph, which the ride reaches in 3.5 seconds... |
PortAventura PortAventura PortAventura is a theme park and a resort in Salou, Catalonia, Spain; on the Costa Daurada , approximately an hour drive south of Barcelona. It attracts around 3 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in Spain. PortAventura Park is also the 6th most visited theme park in... |
June 5, 2007 | Intamin AG | Operating | |
| Raptor Raptor (Gardaland) Raptor is a steel roller coaster at the Gardaland amusement park in Lake Garda, Italy. The ride is a prototype Wing Rider design by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. Raptor opened to the public on April 1, 2011. The ride begins from an underground station and features two... |
Gardaland Gardaland Gardaland is the third-most-popular theme park in Europe and is between Peschiera and Lazise, at Lake Garda in Italy. Built on the eastern shore of Lake Garda at Castelnuovo del Garda, the park opened on July 19, 1975. It has expanded steadily in both size and attendance, topping 1 million visitors... |
April 1, 2011 | Bolliger & Mabillard | Operating | |
| Wild Eagle Wild Eagle Wild Eagle is a steel Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It will be the first of its kind in the United States when it opens in March 2012.-History:... |
Dollywood Dollywood Dollywood is a theme park owned by entertainer Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dollywood has 3,000 people on its payroll, making it the largest employer in that community.... |
March 2012 | Bolliger & Mabillard | Under construction | |
| The Swarm | Thorpe Park Thorpe Park Thorpe Park is a theme park located in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK. It was built in 1979 on the site of a gravel pit which was partially flooded, the intention of creating a water based theme for the park. The park's first large roller coaster, Colossus, was added in 2002... |
March 2012 | Bolliger & Mabillard | Under construction | |
| X-Flight X-Flight (Six Flags Great America) X-Flight is a steel Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. The long ride will feature barrel rolls and high-speed drops when it opens in 2012.-History:... |
Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain... |
May 2012 | Bolliger & Mabillard | Under construction |
See also
- 4th Dimension roller coaster4th Dimension roller coasterA 4th Dimension roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster whereby riders are rotated independently of the orientation of the track, generally about a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to the track. The cars do not necessarily need to be fixed to an angle.-History:John F...
s feature a similar seating arrangement, however, their seats rotate