Suspended Family Coaster

Suspended Family Coaster
Woodstock’s Air Rail(formerly Rugrats Runaway Reptar and Flying Ace Ariel Chase) at Kings Island was one of the first Family Inverted Coaster models.[1]
StatusIn production
First manufactured2001
No. of installations11
ManufacturersVekoma, S&S Sensei
TypeSteelInvertedFamily
Models294 m, 342 m, and 395 m
Lift systemDrive tire
Suspended Family Coaster at RCDB

A Suspended Family Coaster is a steel inverted roller coaster built by Vekoma designed for families with no inversions. Just like all inverted roller coasters the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended swinging coaster, which runs under the track, but "swings" via a pivoting bar attached to the wheel carriage.

History

[edit]

The Suspended Family Coaster debuted in 2001 with the Rugrats Runaway Reptar opening at Kings Island in Ohio, USA,[1] and Silver Streak at sister park Canada's Wonderland.[2] Several clones and variations have opened since.[3]

The original designs featured trains with a safety system consisting of over-the-shoulder restraints. These restraints would lock into place with a belt-type connector which would be attached the seat base. All of the original track designs were of the 342m model with concrete footers.

In March 2007, Vekoma debuted a new version of the Suspended Family Coaster, the 294 m model. The first installation of this was Jimmy Neutron's Atomic Flyer at Movie Park Germany. The ride differs from previous Suspended Family Coasters because it has a portable base-frame beneath the track rather than concrete footers and features a new train style with fully padded seats that use lap bar restraints.[4]

One month later in April 2007, the 395 m model was launched at Gröna Lund in Sweden. The ride, which was named Kvasten, features the same redesigned trains as Jimmy Neutron's Atomic Flyer. The ride also features a larger layout with a peak height of 20 metres (66 ft) and a length of 395 metres (1,296 ft).[5]

Models

[edit]

All models have one train, which has 10 cars with 2 seats on each car.[6] This caters for up to 650 riders per hour. All of the models feature lift hills powered by tires and magnetic brake runs.

  • 294 m — features a compact footprint where riders rise to 13 metres (43 ft) before completing a 48-second ride of turns and drops.[4]
  • 342 m — riders are taken up 14.8 metres (49 ft) and go through a tight helix, followed by a series of small turns and drops for a one-and-a-half-minute ride.[6]
  • 395 m — This model stands 20 metres (66 ft) above the ground and reaches speeds of up to 55 kilometres per hour (34 mph).[5]

Installations

[edit]
Name Amusement park Location Opening date Model Notes Ref.
Bat Lagoon Amusement Park Farmington, Utah, United States 16 April 2005 342 m [7]
Big Top Oriental Heritage Changsha Ningxiang, Changsha, China 2019 453 m [8]
Dragonflier Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States 2019 453 m [9]
Eagle Warrior VinWonders Phú Quốc Phú Quốc, Kiên Giang, Vietnam 1 June 2020 453 m [10]
Family Coaster Children's Grand Park, Seoul Seoul, South Korea 2014 395 m [11]
Flight of the Pterosaur Paultons Park Romsey, Hampshire, England 17 May 2016 395 m [12]
Fire Mountain Zigong Fantawild Dinosaur Kingdom Da'an District, Zigong, China 2022 453 m [13]
Woodstock’s Air Rail Kings Island Mason, Ohio, United States 7 April 2001 342 m [14]
Flying School
formerly Swamp Thing
Legoland Florida Winter Haven, Florida, United States 9 December 2004 342 m Installed by Martin & Vleminckx[15] [16]
Freedom Flyer Fun Spot America Orlando, Florida, United States May 2013 395 m [17]
Insomnio Kataplum Mexico City, Mexico 1 November 2018 395 m [18]
Jimmy Neutron's Atomic Flyer Movie Park Germany Bottrop, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany March 2007 294 m [4]
Kenny's Forest Flyer Dreamworld Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia 26 December 2002 342 m [6]
Kiddy Hawk Carowinds Charlotte, North Carolina, United States 22 March 2003 342 m [19]
Kvasten Gröna Lund Stockholm, Sweden 28 April 2007 395 m [5]
Orkanen Fårup Sommerland Jylland, Denmark 5 June 2013 453 m [20]
Orochi Parc du Bocasse Le Bocasse, Normandy, France 1 July 2021 453 m [21]
Phoenix Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park Brooklyn, New York, United States 2 July 2021 375 m [22]
Roller Coaster Galaxy Kyiv, Ukraine 2016 375 m [23]
Silver Streak Canada's Wonderland Vaughan, Ontario, Canada 6 May 2001 342 m [24]
Suspended Family Coaster Happy Valley Nanjing Qixia District, Nanjing, China 11 November 2020 453 m [25]
Steel Lasso Frontier City Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States 18 July 2008 294 m [26]
Swamp Thing Wild Adventures Valdosta, Georgia, United States 10 May 2003 342 m [27]
[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Rugrats Runaway Reptar, Kings Island, Coaster-Net
  2. ^ Wonderland has 4 new thrills, Toronto Star, Jim Fox, 5 May 2001
  3. ^ Marden, Duane. "Suspended Family Coaster". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  4. ^ a b c Marden, Duane. "Jimmy Neutron's Atomic Flyer  (Movie Park Germany)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Marden, Duane. "Kvasten  (Grona Lund)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  6. ^ a b c Marden, Duane. "Escape from Madagascar  (Dreamworld)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  7. ^ Marden, Duane. "Bat  (Lagoon)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  8. ^ Marden, Duane. "Big Top  (Oriental Heritage Changsha)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  9. ^ Marden, Duane. "Dragon Flier  (Dollywood)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  10. ^ Marden, Duane. "Eagle Warriors  (VinWonders)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  11. ^ Marden, Duane. "Family Coaster  (Children's Grand Park, Seoul)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  12. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flight of the Pterosaur  (Paultons Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  13. ^ Marden, Duane. "Fire Mountain  (Zigong Fantawild Dinosaur Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  14. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Ace Aerial Chase  (Kings Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  15. ^ "Vekoma". Martin & Vleminckx. Archived from the original on 25 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  16. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying School  (Legoland Florida)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  17. ^ Marden, Duane. "Freedom Flyer  (Fun Spot America)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  18. ^ Marden, Duane. "Insomnio  (Kataplum)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  19. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Ace Aerial Chase  (Carowinds)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  20. ^ Marden, Duane. "Orkanen  (Fårup Sommerland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  21. ^ Marden, Duane. "Orochi  (Parc du Bocasse)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  22. ^ Marden, Duane. "Phoenix  (Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  23. ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster  (Galaxy)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  24. ^ Marden, Duane. "Silver Streak  (Canada's Wonderland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  25. ^ Marden, Duane. "Suspended Family Coaster  (Happy Valley Nanjing)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  26. ^ Marden, Duane. "Steel Lasoo  (Frontier City)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  27. ^ Marden, Duane. "Swamp Thing  (Wild Adventures)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
[edit]