Vekoma Rides, the Dutch roller coaster specialist, has won a coveted Asian industry award for a newly-designed coaster. The Top Gun Launch Coaster ‘Fighter Jet’ covers a footprint of 132 x 98 meters with a track length of 912 meters.
Reaching a top height of 31.7 meters, the ride features four inversions. The coaster is supplied with four trains, each with two coaches. With each train seating eight passengers, the theoretical hourly ride capacity is 920 people per hour.
Immersive ride experience
Last year, Fantawild ‘Oriental Heritage’ in Ningbo, China, and Fantawild ‘Oriental Glorious’ in Ganzhou, also China, benefitted from a new design of roller coaster from Vekoma. This year and the next, Fantawild will open its third and fourth versions of the concept at its latest Fantawild theme parks in Huai’an and Jining.
Vekoma describes the opening scene: “A beautiful day on the majestic aircraft carrier is disrupted by an emergency radio call: “code red, harbour breached! Scramble fighters”! In no time, eight brave pilots strap into their comfortable seats and steer their fighter jets onto the launch strip. Time seems to slow down when all the green flags go up. The catapult is charged, no time for second thoughts: 3…2…1… blast off!”
Coaster experience
The train speeds down the launch deck, reaching a speed of 97 km/h in just three seconds. Riders then shoot up 32 meters up in the air, with a twist back down courtesy of the world’s first rollover camelback.
The coaster features a number of carefully crafted ‘close calls’ with other jets, providing great views for guests and onlookers – an example being the following airtime-filled double-down camelback, with another jet racing on the left towards an upcoming Immelmann loop.
The jets pass each other mid-air, before flying down to water level with a forceful S-Turn. Vehicles are then spun 360 degrees upside down with a blitz roll, followed by a right-hand carousel turnaround, quick track twist and a left-hand carousel turn.
Other key ride elements follow including a camelback, surprise zero-g roll and an overbanked turn before the train hits the brakes and returns to the themed aircraft carrier station. The duelling experience features five breathtaking airtime moments and features an extensively themed launch sequence.
A video showcasing the ride can be seen by clicking below:
Earlier this month, Vekoma celebrated the opening of Fønix at Fårup Sommerland, Denmark’s tallest, fastest roller coaster.
