The Swarm (roller coaster)

The Dive Drop of The Swarm

The Swarm (proper spelling: "THE SWARM ") is a steel roller coaster model from coaster Wing of the Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard in the English Thorpe Park. In the complex there is the second Wing Coaster by the manufacturer and is the first in the United Kingdom. The construction work was started in May 2011, the railway opened on March 15, 2012.

The 775 meter long track reaches a height of 39 meters and has five inversions. During the 85 seconds continuous drive speed trains at a top speed of 95 km / h and experienced a vertical acceleration of 4.5 g

History

Planning and announcement

The plans for The Swarm began in 2010 in secret. Internally, the web has been dubbed codenamed LC12. On January 31, 2011, Thorpe Park submitted a planning application to the council of the county Runnymede. The document was presented in detail how the park intended, a roller coaster, codenamed LC12 and an apocalyptic theming erect. On 30 March 2011 the applicant was granted by the council in a majority decision.

On August 1, 2011, Thorpe Park, the railway announced officially as The Swarm. On the existing site LC12.net a redirect to the domain theswarm.co.uk was created. The site had to obtain additional information about the theming that would deal with an apocalyptic war.

Construction and opening

At the time of announcement of the construction work was already underway. The rail was closing on November 18, 2011. Shortly after the system was adapted to the loading gauge of trains. On January 17, graduated for the first time a train the entire route.

On March 15, 2012 The Swarm was opened to the public. In January 2013, the Thorpe Park announced that early in the season for the first time at a Wing Coaster, the last two rows of each move would rotated opposite the direction of travel. The park marketed this conversion under the slogan "THE SWARM - Brave It Backwards " - "THE SWARM - defy him backwards". The park also announced that it would place a destroyed billboard along the route through which would go through the trains.

The Swarm has two Wing Coaster trains by Bolliger & Mabillard. Each train has seven rows of seats with four seats of which two each on the left and right are the rail. The last two rows of seats are mounted in the rearward direction. As a lap bar restraint system are used that will keep passengers in addition by an integrated vest in the seats. The highlighting of the traits reminiscent of the eponymous extraterrestrial beings. The side of the train, a row of red LEDs mounted.

Ride

The train begins its journey in the station building, which is designed as a partially destroyed church. After leaving the station hall he pulled the 38.7 meter high chain lift up. Once at the top, the train completed the world's first dive drop. The train then moves under the wing of a crashed aircraft and through moves which are located 30.7 meters above the ground Zero-G Roll. He then goes narrowly through the hole of a destroyed billboard and then climbs the Inclined Loop. The train then passes through a ground-level curve with a crashed helicopter in the middle, its blades rotate slowly. It follows a corkscrew, which extends through the Inclined Loop. After leaving the corkscrew, the train drives past a destroyed fire engine, which is set with fire and water effects, particularly in scene. Then the train passes a typical Wing Coaster keyhole element in the form of a partially destroyed church tower. Finally, the train crosses the station building and crosses an in-line twist before it is delayed by eddy current brakes to walking speed and then again goes into the station building after a short left turn back. After the ride, passengers can purchase an onride video, for which they were filmed while driving, similar to the also located in the park rollercoaster Saw - The Ride.

Theming

The site is designed as if it would have been destroyed as a result of a major disaster for the most part. The journey thus represents the flight is through this disaster scenario, which includes, among other things, a destroyed aircraft, an overturned ambulance, half -standing in the water fire engine and a crashed helicopter.

Marketing

The end of April Thorpe Park launched its marketing campaign for the then " LC12 " project mentioned by the park placards reading " The end is near " were hung and the site LC12.net online was made. On the website vague references to the theming of the new attraction as well as a countdown could be found until 1 August 2011. A few days before the countdown is published Thorpe Park on his Facebook page a video with the statement that the war would close.

On January 25, 2012 published reports, that there had been in the test of The Swarm an incident. The legs of two dummies were terminated when the train drove past an object that was too close to the track. The Daily Mail speculated in the incident, it would be a publicity stunt.

In March 2012, announced the park, he had a contract with the band You Me at Six closed so that the band produce the world's first single for a roller coaster. On March 18, 2012, a few days after the opening of The Swarm, was the " The Swarm " baptized song on iTunes for download. In the UK singles charts in the title climbed to number 23

Reception

The Swarm was reacted favorably by the media. Nick Sim from the website Theme Park Tourist praised the ride and theming. He said the trains completed " a series of incredible items on a compact track ". The roller coaster was very nearly his reaching immeasurably expectations not met mainly due to the short drive. The sheet was evaluated by him with four out of five stars.

Joanna Churchill by the British newspaper the Daily Mirror test the car to the rearward facing seats rotated and came to the conclusion that the " train is a new high-adrenalin experience that is simply not suitable for cowards ." She wrote that her " blood pressure and their heart rate went through the roof ", but it is hardly been time to process what happened before she was back on solid ground.

In the roller coaster ranking " Best Roller Coaster Poll" The Swarm is placed to its opening at number 68 out of 365 listed roller coasters. Wild Eagle X -Flight at Six Flags Great America came in at number 58 in Dollywood at No. 87 and Raptor at Gardaland ranked 113th contrast, the train went at: Compared to the other in 2012 recorded Wing Coastern the train struck so not bad Golden ticket Awards 2012 and 2013 empty-handed.