Krake

A train in Splashdown without built octopus mouth

Octopus at Heide Park Resort ( Soltau, Germany ) is a floorless roller coaster on the model dive coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, opened on 16 April 2011. The 476 m long and 12 -million-euro range reaches a height of 41 m and has a Splashdown and an Immelmann and a Camelback. Octopus, the only dive coaster in Germany, has three trains for the first time only six seats in one of the three rows, making the use of the narrower standard rail manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, in contrast to the broader dive coaster rails was possible.

History

The first speculation that a new roller coaster in the park is built, began in late 2009, when it became known that they are working on a project called monster 2011. In September 2010, the park received the first delivery of the track pieces from B & M, so that the suspicion was confirmed that a dive coaster is built. On October 31, 2010, Heide Park officially announced Germany's first dive coaster octopus. The railway was built by the company RCS. Construction work first splashdown element was started on. Later, the Immelmann and the station has been built on the site of the demolished dolphinarium. On 28 January 2011, the railway track circuit celebrated after the rails to the first drop had been connected. After the test drives and an opening ceremony octopus was opened on 16 April 2011. The maiden voyage came to CEO Hannes W. Mairinger and Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht.

After the announced theming element of an octopus mouth through which the train after the first drop should go, had not been established, the park had a lot of criticism because of the promised theming. As a response was finally added and additionally established a chamber of horrors called Octopus Lives in the following winter break the item.

Theming

Since octopus is found in the subject area of the skull and crossbones pirate bay, puts the entire railway system to the piracy issue. To implement these theming part of the original dolphinarium was remodeled and decorated with protruding cannons. The station building was designed as an abandoned pirate bastion. Since 2012, the train has another theming element in the form of an octopus mouth penetrated by a vessel through which the train travels. From the symbolism that the passenger is torn from the octopus into the depths, there is the name of the attraction.

The park commissioned the composer Andreas and Sebastian Kübler by music producer IMAscore from Paderborn to the composition and production of the musical accompaniment to the roller coaster that is heard in the area around the attraction, the queue and the station.

Ride

The ride is released from twelve years and a height of 1.40 m. After the hydraulic platforms and fences have been worked out for boarding aside, the train leaves the station directly in the 41 -meter-high lift hill. After a left turn takes you to a holding brake, which leads first to the train slowly over the first drop, it lasts about three seconds in the slant and finally leaves free. At the end of the 87 degree first drop, which leads to the lower part by the octopus mouth, the train reaches its maximum speed of about 103 km / h before he plunges into the splash down in the water by baffles at the end of the vehicle in two fountains is stirred, whereby it is slowed down. It is an over- turning an Immelmann on. After a sink still follows a small Camelback Hill before the train after a right turn into the final brake retracts downward sloping. After a 180 -degree left turn greatly slowed the train passes back into the station. The journey takes about two minutes.

Technology

Rail

The railway line made ​​of steel is 476 meters long, the lift hill is about 41 meters high. The rails are black and the supports dark brown. The built-in rails weigh about 700 tons. Due to the smaller in comparison with other dive Coastern as SheiKra or Griffon trains first time it was possible to use the standard rails by Bolliger & Mabillard for a dive coaster. All other Dive Coasters use due to the higher weight of the trains much more solid and wider rails.

Octopus has three identical made ​​of steel and fiberglass trains that were manufactured in Switzerland. Each train consists of three cars, each with six seats for 18 passengers per train. Every single black seat has a brown shoulder strap as a restraint system. At the rear seats as compared to the front for a better view of the seat positions are increased by about 30 cm; thus the rows are jagged. Among the features there is also a rollback backup that you want in the event of a continued fraction of the chain lift to prevent roll back of the train. In addition, there are among the trains nor a device for the holding brake and the rear part of baffles for the fountains of Splashdowns.

Records

Octopus does not have a world record in comparison to the other seven Dive Coasters. With 981 meters dive coaster ( Chimelong Paradise ) is the longest in the world. Griffon is at a maximum speed of 114 km / h the fastest and Diving Coaster at 65 meters the highest dive coaster.

Octopus still has some peculiarities. He is the first dive coaster, which has only six seats in a row, so that the narrower rails could be installed. He is also the first and only dive coaster in Germany. The web has discovered the first direct Splashdown after the first drop, which is followed by the Immelmann. All other Dive Coasters with Splashdown to go first an Immelmann.

Reception

Octopus had to suffer from the broad masses of visitors a lot of criticism. In particular, the length of the web and the lack of the promised theming was criticized. Nevertheless rated airtimers.com in his New -Check the octopus with four out of five stars.

Jurnan signs of Theme Park Tourist evaluated the track also with four out of five stars.

Importance for the park

Octopus is one of nine roller coasters in the park. It is the second tallest and second fastest, while also the third shortest path of the park, where the even shorter paths are children roller coasters.

Although there was this major new attraction in 2011, the opening year of the octopus, the number of visitors to the park could not be increased. They stagnated compared to last year at 1.35 million, although the average growth of 20 most visited parks in Europe was 2.8 %. 2012 suffered a major decline in the number of visitors to the park. This decreased despite the attraction by 7.1% to 1.3 million.