Inverted roller coaster
StatusIn Production
First manufactured1992
No. of installations189
ManufacturersBolliger & Mabillard, Vekoma, Intamin, and Mack Rides
VehiclesSuspended trains
Restraint StyleOver-the-shoulder (most common style)

An inverted roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. Riders are seated in open cars, letting their feet swing freely. The inverted coaster was pioneered by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard in the early 1990s with the development of Batman: The Ride, which opened at Six Flags Great America on May 9, 1992.

B&M style inverted roller coaster car.

Versions of inverted coasters have since been produced by other major coaster manufacturers such as Vekoma and Intamin. Intamin has few designs classified as inverted coasters, although they do install inverted coaster trains on some of their launched designs. Vekoma, however, predominantly mass-produced the same design (Suspended Looping Coaster) with 41 identical coasters installed around the world, though Vekoma now markets a newer style of inverted coaster, the Suspended Thrill Coaster, which utilises lap-bar restraints instead of the traditional over-the-shoulder restraints.[1] Vekoma was also the first manufacturer to install a family-friendly inverted roller coaster with the opening of Flying Ace Aerial Chase at Kings Island in 2001. Giovanola also has a single inverted coaster operating, which uses the box-track design, also used by Bolliger & Mabillard.

The inverted coaster differs from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the track, but features cars that enclose the rider's legs and lower body and are attached to the track above by a pivoting bar, whereas the trains on inverted coasters are directly attached to the track. This direct attachment facilitates inversions, which aren't possible on suspended coasters. Inversions typically featured on inverted coasters include vertical loops, zero-g rolls, Immelmann loops, cobra rolls, and corkscrews, though Vekoma's suspended loopers typically feature sidewinder and in-line twist elements.

History

The inverted coaster was developed in the early 1990s by engineers Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard of the Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger and Mabillard in cooperation with engineer Robert Mampe and Jim Wintrode, at the time the general manager of Six Flags Great America, who first envisioned a suspended coaster capable of inversions.[2][3][4] The result of this partnership, Batman: The Ride, soft opened at Six Flags Great America as the first inverted coaster in the world on May 2, 1992, officially opening on May 9, 1992.[3] With the coaster's success, Time Warner, Six Flags' parent company at the time, moved to construct a series of duplicates of the ride at various Six Flags parks. In 1993, a second installation of Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great Adventure opened as the second inverted coaster in the world.[5] Six Flags has since gone on to construct five additional duplicates of the ride.[6]

The second unique inverted coaster was Flight Deck which opened in 1993 at California's Great America as Top Gun.[7] Nemesis was the first inverted coaster constructed outside the United States when it opened at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England in 1994.[8]

Installations

231 inverted roller coasters have been installed at various theme parks, some of which have been relocated. The following list is not exhaustive and only shows the most notable installations.

NameParkOpenedManufacturerStatus
Batman: The RideSix Flags Great America1992Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Batman: The RideSix Flags Great Adventure1993Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Flight DeckCalifornia's Great America1993Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Nemesis RebornAlton Towers1994Bolliger & MabillardUnder Refurbishment
Batman: The RideSix Flags Magic Mountain1994Bolliger & MabillardOperating
RaptorCedar Point1994Bolliger & MabillardOperating
CondorWalibi Holland1994VekomaOperating
DiavloHimeji Central Park1994Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Batman: The RideSix Flags St. Louis1995Bolliger & MabillardOperating
T3Kentucky Kingdom1995VekomaClosed
EurostarGerman Traveling Fairs1995Intamin/GiovanolaOperating
Flight DeckCanada's Wonderland1995VekomaOperating
Arkham Asylum - Shock Therapy
Lethal Weapon - The Ride
Warner Bros. Movie World1995VekomaClosed 2019
The Great Nor'easterMorey's Piers1995VekomaOperating
Mind EraserSix Flags America1995VekomaClosed
MontuBusch Gardens Tampa Bay1996Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Batman: The RideSix Flags Over Georgia1997Bolliger & MabillardOperating
The Great WhiteSeaWorld San Antonio1997Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Mind EraserSix Flags Darien Lake1997VekomaOperating
The Riddler RevengeSix Flags New England1997VekomaOperating
Mind EraserElitch Gardens1997VekomaOperating
PyreneesParque Espana-Shima Spain Village1997Bolliger & MabillardOperating
AlpengeistBusch Gardens Williamsburg1997Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Great BearHersheypark1998Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Linear GaleLaQua1998IntaminOperating
Volcano: The Blast CoasterKings Dominion1998IntaminClosed 2018
Blue TornadoGardaland1998VekomaOperating
Kong
Formerly The Hangman
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Opryland
1998
1995
Vekoma Operating
Closed 1997
Anaconda Gold Reef City 1999 Giovanola Operating
TornadoParque de Atracciones de Madrid1999IntaminOperating
Batman: The RideSix Flags Over Texas1999Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Dragon ChallengeIslands of Adventure1999Bolliger & MabillardClosed 2017[9]
AfterburnCarowinds1999Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Twisted TyphoonWild Adventures1999VekomaOperating
InvertigoKings Island1999VekomaOperating
KatunMirabilandia2000Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Batman: The RideSix Flags Mexico2000VekomaOperating
MP XpressMovie Park Germany2001VekomaOperating
TalonDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom2001Bolliger & MabillardOperating
TornadoSärkänniemi2001IntaminOperating
The Flash: Vertical Velocity
Formerly V2: Vertical Velocity
Six Flags Great America2001IntaminOperating
Batman: Arkham AsylumParque Warner Madrid2002Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Stunt FallParque Warner Madrid2002VekomaOperating
Wicked TwisterCedar Point2002IntaminClosed 2021
Le VampireLa Ronde2002Bolliger & MabillardOperating
The Flash: Vertical Velocity
Formerly V2: Vertical Velocity
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom2002IntaminOperating
Sky RocketDreamworld2002VekomaOperating
Jubilee OdysseyFantasy Island2002VekomaOperating
Nemesis InfernoThorpe Park2003Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Swamp ThingWild Adventures2003VekomaOperating
Kiddy HawkCarowinds2003VekomaOperating
Steel VenomValleyfair2003IntaminOperating
LightningKuwait Entertainment City2004Bolliger & MabillardClosed 2016
Silver BulletKnott's Berry Farm2004Bolliger & MabillardOperating
BatLagoon2005VekomaOperating
PatriotWorlds of Fun2006Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Black MambaPhantasialand2006Bolliger & MabillardOperating
KumaliFlamingo Land Resort2006VekomaOperating
Infusion
Formerly Traumatizer
Pleasure Beach Blackpool
Pleasureland Southport
2007
1999
Vekoma Operating
Closed 2006
Jimmy Neutron's Atomic FlyerMovie Park Germany2007VekomaOperating
KvastenGröna Lund2007VekomaOperating
PhaethonGyeongju World2007Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Goliath
Formerly Batman: The Ride
Formerly Gambit
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Six Flags New Orleans
Thrill Valley
2008
2003
1995
Bolliger & Mabillard Operating
Closed 2005
Closed 2002
ThunderhawkMichigan's Adventure
Geauga Lake
2008
1998
Vekoma Operating
Closed 2007
Possessed
Formerly Steel Venom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Geauga Lake
2008
2000
Intamin Operating
Closed 2006
Aftershock
Formerly Déjà Vu
Silverwood Theme Park
Six Flags Great America
2008
2001
VekomaOperating
Closed 2007
Steel LassoFrontier City2008VekomaOperating
The Monster
Formerly Orochi
Walygator Parc
Expoland
2010
1996
Bolliger & Mabillard Operating
Closed 2007
Ednör - L'Attaque
Formerly Serial Thriller
La Ronde
Six Flags Astroworld
2010
1999
Vekoma Operating
Closed 2005
Battlestar Galactica: CylonUniversal Studios Singapore2010VekomaOperating
Sky Mountain
Formerly Déjà Vu
Mirabilandia
Six Flags Over Georgia
2011
2001
VekomaOperating
Closed 2007
Mountain PeakJinjiang Action Park2011VekomaOperating
Goliath
Formerly Déjà Vu
Six Flags New England
Six Flags Magic Mountain
2012
2001
VekomaOperating
Closed 2011
OzIrisParc Astérix2012Bolliger & MabillardOperating
BansheeKings Island2014Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Family Inverted CoasterHappy Valley2014Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Arthur - The RideEuropa-Park2014Mack RidesOperating
Hals-über-KopfErlebnispark Tripsdrill2020VekomaOperating
MonsterGröna Lund2021Bolliger & MabillardOperating
Phoenix RisingBusch Gardens Tampa2024Bolliger & MabillardUnder construction

See also

References

  1. "Vekoma". rcdb.com. Archived from the original on 2006-05-16.
  2. Meyer, Russell (May 12, 2014). "Coaster Tech: An Insider's look at inverted coasters". themeparkinsider.com. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Coaster Landmark Award – Batman: The Ride". American Coaster Enthusiasts. June 20, 2005. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  4. O'Brien, Tim (March 24, 2003). "In my office: Jim Wintrode". Amusement Business. 115 (12).
  5. Marden, Duane. "Batman The Ride  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  6. "Batman: The Ride Installation List". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  7. Marden, Duane. "Flight Deck  (California's Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  8. Marden, Duane. "Nemesis  (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  9. "Dragon Challenge closing for a new Harry Potter ride". orlandoinformer.com. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
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