Dive Coaster

Griffon at Busch Gardens

A dive coaster (originally known as the Diving Machine ) is the manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, which is defined by at least a near-vertical descent and extra wide car a roller coaster type. Unlike other roller coasters, a train arrives in this type after the lift hill and a short flat bar piece into a holding brake, the train at an inclination of about 45 ° directly above the following departure - usually 90 ° - holds for a few seconds and then again leaves free.

Development began between the years 1994 and 1995., The first roller coaster of this type is the Oblivion in the British theme park Alton Towers, which opened on 14 March 1998. It is characterized by very wide but for short trains and the resulting very broad and massive rails. There are deliveries of the coatings both with and without soil. To date, seven roller coasters of this type were opened.

History

According to Walter Bolliger the development of the Dive Coasters began in the years 1994 and 1995., The first dive coaster in the world was on 14 March 1998 Oblivion opened at Alton Towers. Although Oblivion is called a dive coaster, the web has only a 88.8 ° steep descent. Two years later the second dive coaster Diving Machine G5 was opened in Janfusun Fancyworld who did not have a true 90 ° drop. Both tracks have trains with soil and only two rows.

When in 2005 SheiKra was opened, had the track for a dive coaster two new elements. When Splashdown of the train with the fins attached to the rear part is immersed in the water tank and hurls by water. Another new element was the Immelmann, wherein the carriage first passes through a half loop, which is followed by a half roll. So the train is going to this element opposite to the direction from which he came. The Immelmann was also the first inversion of a Dive Coasters. All built after SheiKra dive coaster had at least one Splashdown and an Immelmann. SheiKra was also the first dive coaster, which had a true 90 degree drop and trains with three rows of seats. As Sheikra was opened, it was the largest, fastest and longest dive coaster and the first in North America.

By Griffon in 2007 at sister park Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, the fourth dive coaster been completed. This was the first train, which had ten seats in a single row and the first track with bottomless trains. In addition, there was at first Griffon with two Immelmann elements, two inversions. Due to the successful launch of the bottomless trains SheiKra who previously owned trains with soil was then refitted and equipped with new features. Since then, everyone has by SheiKra built dive coaster floorless trains.

On 21 January 2008, the longest dive coaster and the first in China was opened with Dive Coaster in Chimelong Paradise. With Diving Coaster at Happy Valley was also built in China on August 16, 2009, a substantial copy of SheiKra.

With the octopus said path Resort in Soltau opened the first plant in Germany on 16 April 2011 at Heath Park. The coaches of the train have for the first time only six seats in a row. In addition to an Immelmann loop, the track also has the famous splashdown, as found in SheiKra or Griffon. It is the first plant in Europe that has achieved these items.

Technology

Layout

The layout of each dive coaster can be quite different. However, the basic principle is always the same. In order for the trains to gain energy, carries a chain lift to the starting height. This is down to the exceptional octopus in Heide-Park with 41 meters, between 50 and 65 meters. At the end of the chain lift is always followed by a flat stretch in the form of a curve. This section passes through the train accordingly slowly so that, if he enters the holding brake can be stopped by this. The holding brake which is no brake in the classical sense, since it consists of a chain, in which the train hooks, leads the train from an upright position slowly and over the drop in one, depending on the row of seats about 45 ° forward inclined position keeps the train there for a few seconds. The train remains are on the way to the vertical slope and leaves the passengers stare into the abyss.

If the holding brake is released again, follows the characteristic, mostly vertical descent. All dive coaster, with the exception of the first two tracks Oblivion and Diving Machine G5 as well as octopus, each with 87 ° inclination, have a vertical descent. The first two tracks the experience of this first departure is further reinforced by the fact that it ends in a tunnel. A similar principle was also at Octopus application, since there the descent leads through a specially built ship with it by pressing the eponymous octopus.

The two oldest tracks focus only on this one run, so that the train apart from a curve immediately enters into the final brakes. For the railway opened in 2005 SheiKra there was a rethink. They contained a first inversion, and a second drop and a special Splashdown, in which the car drives through a pool of water and aufschleudert water. This concept was so successful that after all SheiKra built dive coaster at least an Immelmann and Splashdown had. The second drop, the friction loss has a lower height due compared to the first, though still has an extreme, but not completely vertical tilt. On this second departure comes on any of the tracks again a holding brake.

Rail

The rail type, which is to dive Coastern used is a modified form of - Bolliger & Mabilliard standard Boxschiene. It consists of a solid rectangular steel body. From this body the actual guide tubes are connected by individual strut slightly offset outwardly about it. In contrast to the standard rails is the normal dive- coaster track to a considerable broad and massive, in order to withstand the punktuellere by the broader massive trains load. An exception is octopus. Because there this problem is not given by the only six seats in a row comprehensive features, the narrower standard rails could be used.

The trains differ depending on delivery. The first delivery Oblivion and the second Diving Machine G5 own trains with only two rows of eight seats and floor. All other tracks have three rows. There, only the number of seats per row is different. Griffon has ten seats in a row the widest, octopus with six of the narrowest Wagen.Außerdem have all tracks with the exception of the first two points with no solid ground under their feet.

All trains turn to the principle of the stage Seatings. This means that the rear seat row have in comparison with the respective front an increase in the seating position by about 30 centimeters, to allow the best possible view of the route and from these rows. The coatings have in each wagon nylon polyurethane wheels in order to minimize the friction on the rails. Among the features there is also a rollback backup that you want to prevent roll back of the train in the event of a continued fraction of the chain lift in an emergency, and side-mounted metal strips as a counterpart to the brakes. All dive coaster own brake shoes. Only newer facility use for braking of the train as a supplement eddy current brakes. Additionally, there is a device for the holding brake and the rear part of baffles for the fountains of Splashdowns.

Seats

The seats that used to come at Dive Coastern, are the standard seats from Bolliger & Mabillard. They consist of a bolted on the car steel structure, which is initially slightly tilted backwards. Since the seat shell has the same angle itself, the passengers sit in a slight hollow. Right and left are mounted from the back wings out to the side stabilization of passengers. At the level of the head of the back of the shoulder strap is attached to the paneled back. When open, the bracket is folded by 90 ° upwards, so that it is possible for passengers to sit facing forward in the seat. If the bracket is closed, it prevents the passengers through its U-shape from falling out of the vehicle by an integrated in the seat shell horn that has the passenger while sitting between his legs, closes normally. For safety reasons it is of the piston via notches and ironing working or a belt, similar to an aircraft, which is fixedly secured to the seat and can be pushed into a holder in the folded-down bar. If fail the first backup, is guaranteed by the tension of the belt, that the bow may not work.

Station

Due to the fact that the newer trains have no ground, in order to ensure the entry and exit, for each train a floor in the station are made ​​available. Therefore, hydraulic platforms were installed in each Dive Coaster station that are deployed in the loading of the train. These specially tailored to the train platforms, together with parts of the train itself as the axes that ground. As in the first row of the train no natural limit is given to the front, in addition, a fence member is extended. Is the train about to start so all platforms and fences are so folded to the side that they do not obstruct the train on the descent. The visitors have thus while driving no ground under your feet. Since the platforms are permanently installed, a train with any directions must occupy the same position. This is done through the interaction of the rail built-in proximity switches and drive wheels.

To increase the capacity, some plants have two of these installations directly behind each other, so that always two trains can be handled simultaneously.

Deliveries

By 2012 B & M has opened seven dive coaster. The table shows a list of the technical data of the tracks, which by default is sorted by the date of opening.