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B&M Wing Coasters - Fad or Fab?

B&M wing coaster - Fab or Fad?

  • Fad - people will get bored of them

    Votes: 13 44.8%

  • Fab - they'll remain popular

    Votes: 16 55.2%
  • Total voters
    29
Ian

Ian

From CoasterForce
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Four B&M wing rider coasters have been built in 2 years, with the prospect of a few more next year.

Is this coaster type going to be around forever, or will they end up being another Flying Coaster? The flying coaster type had a similar burst at the start (2002-3) but dripped out in following years to present day; only 8 in total. We could mention Intamin's wing coaster attempt as well, which was hardly a commerical success.

What do you think? Do you think B&M wing coasters will be a bright feather in B&M's cap for years to come, or the dead pigeon stuck under the wheel arch of Walter Bolliger's car?
 
Fad, to an extent. I can't see them being as steady as the invert model, but I think they will fall in behind it with a few popping up every few years. Granted, the only thing you can't call a fad of B&M is invert and hyper. When was the last time a stand up, flyer, floorless, or flyer were built in mass numbers (and excluding China).

Really hoping to grab a few of these in the near future so I can make a real verdict.
 
I cant speak for any other Flyers apart from Air, its not the most reliable coaster, is it? Do all of them suffer with issues like Air? If so, that could be a big reason why they aren't as popular with parks.
 
It's only really Air that suffers from the major problems, the others are all relatively reliable (certainly for quite a complex coaster).

It's simply a fad, and something you see in every industry. A new "product type" is launched and everyone sees the potential of having something new and interesting on the market. New and interesting sells, but it's a little more than that, there has to be a factor that also works really well.

You can see the fads in the coaster industry right from the get go. In the 80's everything had to have a loop and manufacturers like Arrow and Vekoma excelled. Yet the highly popular Pinfari couldn't really break into the market (not to the extent of the other coasters they produced). That's simply because the Pinfari version was limited in scope and uncomfortable.

We then see the Hyper fad, again with Arrow (and Morgan) in the lead. Everyone needs a 200 ft+ coaster. At the same time, the Inverted arrives and we see them everywhere as well (B&M and the cheaper Vekoma leading the way here).

In the 2000's it's the turn of the launch coaster, with Intamin's version being leader of the pack. We also see the Eurofighter and Flyers appear everywhere.

With all these "fad" coasters it's about an exciting new product that does something "different", but it is also flexible in design to fit any park, and most importantly, reliable. So it doesn't matter that Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks have Inverted coasters, because they are custom models to each park (well ,the B&M ones), same with Floorless, etc. You have the current "industry standard" coaster, and it's not the same layout as anyone else's.

Why don't we see more Intamin Wing Riders like Baco? It's a different version of a launch coaster. The launch coaster fad is over now and at it's heart, that's what it's sold as. It's also not a great ride to showcase the technology.

So yeah, we'll see more and more Wing Coasters in the coming years as they bed in as the new "must have" coaster type at a park. They look lovely in motion, they are comfortable to ride and they're very reliable. A very easy coaster type to sell.
 
I don't see the wing rider being a fad.

Partly because of the amount of potential you have with them. The four so far are all very different beasts, in fact the only two that have any kind of similarity are Swarm and X-Flight and even then, the theming of Swarm characterises Thorpes, whilst the length of ride gives X-Flight its edge. The scope of near misses and effects you can throw at the ride and the way the ride gives such a unique riding position will help sell the product. Unlike the Dive Machine, Flyer and Floorless coasters, Wing riders are a very different sensation to anything else B&M sell.
 
^ They're rough and go backwards. Name one coaster that goes backwards and is good.

(And yes, I know I'm going off topic...)
 
Expedition Everest and Ben 10.

Sorry, invalidated my answer by giving two rather than just one :p

Anyway, yes, Boomerangs can be pretty horrendous.
 
They're not all rough though. They are great little coasters, very forceful, disorientating and genuinely thrilling.

Boomerangs are the only coaster type that actually make me feel a bit sick. And they're not just great to ride, they are a fantastic all round package. I think I'm right in saying that they are the most successful thill coaster type in the world...?
 
Define successful. How many feature in the top 300 of Mitch Hawkers poll?

They sold a lot of them, but I don't think they're often re-ridden. I've been on about six or seven and could live without five or six of them in my life (the one at Lake Compounce was okay).

I actually enjoy Boomerangs, you're right in everything you say to be honest, but they really aren't great rides. They're great rides if they're not rough and the right choice for the right park. Perfect "fillers" today really.
 
Martyn B said:
Define successful. How many feature in the top 300 of Mitch Hawkers poll?
Click to expand...

I dont think Vekoma give two **** about that to be honest.
Click to expand...

They don't, but there's a reason people are stilling building new B&M Inverts 20+ years after they were invented and why nobody bothered to carry on buying Boomerangs. While it's nice to have a blip of high success, you need to have a sustainable product too.

Likewise (slipping neatly back on topic), we'll see a continued installation of the Wing Coasters probably for 20+ years, though much more slowly once the initial burst fad has died down.
 
Parks still buy Boomerangs, whether they are relocated or not, they still purchased one/got it from another park. There was a new GIB this year, and there's an actual brand new Vekoma Boomerang opening in China this year too.

Oz-Iris was the first new B&M Invert in 5 years, so they're not exactly that popular nowadays either. There are nearly twice as many Boomerangs on the planet than B&M Inverts.
 
They are though because they're still selling points 20 years on for the parks that installed them. The B&M Inverts still have long lines at the parks, they're a popular choice. Boomerangs are only popular (for parks, and it tends to be smaller parks at that) because they're a 10th of the cost.


The GIB is also a very different beast.
 
Well, 'B&M Invert' is quite broad really, considering the different layouts. So I think GIB's can fall into the Boomerang catergory for this.

Oh, and Boomerangs are still selling points nearly 30 years on....
 
Martyn B said:
Oh, and Boomerangs are still selling points nearly 30 years on....
Click to expand...

Only for **** little parks in the middle of Inbredshire :p

I do give in though, Boomerangs are certainly a superb coaster type, they outshine the B&M Invert and certainly have a much high reputation amongst theme park visitors and park owners than B&M Inverts and are an absolutely solid coaster for today's market. B&M and Intamin should be looking to Vekoma (three times bankrupt) for hints and tips on how to produce successful coasters and a successful business model. I mean, they certainly losing out on all the major coaster contracts to Vekoma at the moment. The GIB and Boomerang will certainly be the death knell of the Wing Coaster boom.
 
B&M Wing Coasters - Fad or Fab?

How many brand new boomerangs have been ordered in the past 10 years?
 
I'll tell ya when I ride one.. but I DO think they will go the way of the Stand Up and Floorless.
 
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