Jump to content

X-Flight: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Line 85: Line 85:
* [[Raptor (Gardaland)|Raptor]] at [[Gardaland]], the first Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster
* [[Raptor (Gardaland)|Raptor]] at [[Gardaland]], the first Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster
* [[The Swarm (roller coaster)|The Swarm]] at [[Thorpe Park]], another Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction
* [[The Swarm (roller coaster)|The Swarm]] at [[Thorpe Park]], another Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction
* [[Wild Eagle]] at [[Dollywood]], another Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 21:28, 7 September 2011

X-Flight
File:X-Flight (Great America) - concept.jpg
Concept art for X-Flight.
Six Flags Great America
LocationSix Flags Great America
Park sectionCounty Fair
StatusUnder construction
Opening dateSpring 2012 (2012)
Cost$12-15 million[1]
General statistics
TypeSteel – Wing Rider
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
ModelCustom
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height120 ft (37 m)
Drop120 ft (37 m)
Length3,000 ft (910 m)
Speed55 mph (89 km/h)
Inversions5
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains2 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
X-Flight at RCDB

X-Flight is a steel Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois.[2] The 3,000-foot (910 m) long ride will feature barrel rolls and high-speed drops when it opens in 2012.[2]

History

Six Flags Great America in Gurnee plans to add a new, state-of-the-art roller coaster for the 2012 season. X-Flight is considered by the theme park as a groundbreaking “wing coaster” featuring cutting-edge technology. They say Great America is the first to announce plans for a wing coaster in the United States. Construction is slated to begin in fall in the park’s County Fair section. It’s scheduled to open in spring 2012. X-Flight is supposed to take riders on a flight that defies gravity, with no track above or below them. Riders would sit in pairs, suspended on either side of the track with their feet dangling, as they begin climbing 12 stories before a plunge that launches them at speeds of 55 mph. The coaster would twist through 3,000 feet of intense drops and five inversions, including a barrel roll and a zero-g roll.

One of the most adrenaline-pumping moments on the ride would be an extreme fly-through where the coaster speeds straight toward a structure, before making a last-minute vertical flip to fit through a keyhole cutout.

Great America President Hank Salemi said X-Flight would add to the park’s tradition of introducing coasters and other compelling rides.

“The coaster’s train actually looks like a plane with seats suspended on either side of the track,” Salemi said. “It’s like nothing you have ever experienced before.”

Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik said she’s excited about the X-Flight plans and hopes it bolsters village coffers. She said the fact X-Flight would be the first of its kind in the country bodes well for the village’s tourism industry and the tax revenue that comes from it.

“If you haven’t been there (to Great America) for years, you have a reason to come back,” Kovarik said.

Gurnee officials noted in the village’s latest budget documents that Great America is one of parent company Six Flags Entertainment Corp.’s most profitable operations, and added new features to its Hurricane Harbor water park this season.

Most of Gurnee’s 3 percent amusement tax revenue comes from Great America visitors, with projections for the 2011-12 fiscal year at a little beyond $2 million. Village officials say they are in constant contact with park management and monitor Great America, which has been operating since a June 2009 bankruptcy filing by the parent company mostly to restructure debt.

In addition to the amusement tax, Gurnee collects a 5 percent hotel tax and a 2 percent resort fee, along with a 1 percent food and beverage tax. Those sources are projected to bring Gurnee slightly more than $3.1 million in the 2011-12 budget season ending April 30.

Ride

X-Flight will be a Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster.[3] Each train will feature 8 cars which each seat 4 people in a single row.[4] Riders will be seated in pairs on either side of the track with nothing above or below them.[5][6][7]

The ride will begin with a chain lift hill out of the station. Upon reaching the top of the 120-foot (37 m) lift hill, the track inverts riders before they then dive down through a large half loop in a similar fashion to a diving loop. The train will then enter a zero-g roll followed by a dive under a building and into an immelmann. After exiting the immelmann, the track will turn approximately 180 degrees to the right and enter a second zero-g roll. A sharp left turn will then be followed by an inline twist which will weave through a keyhole gap in an air traffic control tower. The ride will conclude with a tight right hand turn into a set of block brakes. A second set of brakes is located after a 180 degree turn to the left. These will lead directly back into the station.[4][8][9][10][11][12][13]

See also

  • Raptor at Gardaland, the first Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster
  • The Swarm at Thorpe Park, another Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction
  • Wild Eagle at Dollywood, another Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction

References

  1. ^ Black, Lisa (3 September 2011). "Six Flags gets in line for more thrill rides". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  2. ^ a b MacDonald, Brady (September 1, 2011). "Six Flags unveils new attractions for every park in 2012". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 1, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  3. ^ X-Flight at the Roller Coaster DataBase Please specify an RCDB ID number as the first parameter.
  4. ^ a b Six Flags Great America (September 1, 2011). "Revolutionary Wing Coaster Coming to Six Flags Great America in 2012". Press Release. Six Flags. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  5. ^ Robinson-Jacobs, Karen (1 September 2011). "Six Flags parent plans new rides and attractions for sister parks". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  6. ^ Moran, Dan (1 September 2011). "New coaster coming to Gurnee Six Flags in 2012". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  7. ^ Filas, Lee (1 September 2011). "X-Flight coming to Six Flags Great America". Daily Herald. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  8. ^ Six Flags Great America (1 September 2011). "X-Flight - New in 2012 - Get ready to take flight!". Six Flags. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  9. ^ Six Flags Great America (1 September 2011). "X-Flight POV B-Roll Roller Coaster Six Flags Great America 2012 B&M Wing Rider". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  10. ^ Morgan, Matt (2 September 2011). "Six Thrilling New Theme-Park Rides for 2012". Wired. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  11. ^ Rhodes, Dawn (2 September 2011). "New roller coaster in the loop for Great America". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  12. ^ Balde, Lisa (1 September 2011). "Six Flags Unveils New 'Wing Coaster' - X-Flight is billed as the first "wing coaster" in the U.S." NBC Chicago. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  13. ^ Leshock, Marcus (1 September 2011). "VIDEO: State-of-the-art "wing coaster" X-Flight coming to Six Flags Great America in 2012". WGNTV. Retrieved 3 September 2011.

Template:Six Flags in 2012

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=X-Flight&oldid=449004790"