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Holiday World | Thunderbird | Launched B&M Wing Coaster

Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Maverix said:
Is it a flywheel launch or are they using the flywheel as a generator? Correct my if I'm wrong but doesn't Hulk have something similar that they had to use to bring enough power for the launch?
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As I said on the previous page, Hulk uses the flywheel for power storage, not the launch itself. This will work in the same way, just with LSMs instead of drive tires.
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Wow! I am impressed! So glad to see B&M finally launch their launched coaster! Must say, I am surprised they started with wing riders, but I am glad they did as I think it'll be an amazing experience! Also what a layout, it looks pretty damned decent! Oh and finally we can cross off the orange B&M track!
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

I think the thing everyone was missing was the reference to the fact that they had to wait cause the tech wasnt just there yet.

Pilgrims Plunge was supposed to be a steel coaster.

Holiday World was going to get an Intamin Wing Rider at one point and decided against it.

Oh.

My.

GOD!

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Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Official site: http://www.holidayworld.com/thunderbird/

Press Release

HOLIDAY WORLD ANNOUNCES THUNDERBIRD, THE NATION’S FIRST LAUNCHED WING COASTER
SANTA CLAUS, IND—
The nation’s first launched wing coaster will take flight over Holiday World in 2015.

Named Thunderbird, Holiday World’s first major steel roller coaster will feature a zero-to-60 miles-per-hour launch in 3.5 seconds, followed by multiple inversions – including a 14-story Immelmann loop, Zero-g roll, barrel roll, and loop.

Continuing Holiday World’s tradition of sending roller coasters through its thickly wooded and hilly terrain, Thunderbird will at first soar and loop high in the air and then hug the ground, surprising riders with rapid-fire “near misses” such as keyholes, themed elements, other rides, trees, and even the ground.

“A wing coaster creates a feeling of incredible freedom – you ride beside the coaster track with nothing above or below you,” says Holiday World’s president, Matt Eckert. “Thunderbird is the first launched wing coaster in the nation – we can’t wait to ride it!”

Eckert calls Thunderbird’s manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard, the “Cadillac of roller coasters, known for their safety, quality and reliability. We’ve dreamed of adding a B&M steel coaster for many years and are excited that Thunderbird will be B&M’s first launched coaster.”

Thunderbird’s $22 million price tag is more than twice the amount of any other single-ride investment at
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in the park’s 68-year history.

Thunderbird will be located in the park’s Thanksgiving section. Construction is already underway and may be viewed live on Holiday World’s ConstructionCam. Thunderbird will open next spring.
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Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

I'm pretty surprised by the announcement. The fact that it's a wing coaster doesn't surprise me, but the launch definitely does. And the flywheel seems pretty surprising as well (assuming I heard that right)... when's the last time a flywheel launch was built?

Just looking at the animations playing, I'm a little disappointed that the coaster doesn't seem to use the terrain at all. The end has a terrain section/near misses, but the rest seems to be fairly generic looping stuff, just with a wing coaster. I'm yet to ride a wing coaster, but I'd always assumed that their strength was near misses (especially given the lack of force they seem to have).

Also, did they claim that Holiday World was the oldest theme park? I was under the impression that Lake Compounce was oldest in the US, with Bakken being the oldest in the world.
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Interesting note, first launched wing coaster in the US.

Where will the other(s) be?
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

^I assumed that was a reference to Baco, as it's sort of a wing coaster. There aren't any speculated wing coasters for the near future, are there?
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Last time I'm gonna write this:

Flywheels are mechanisms for storing energy. The Incredible Hulk Coaster uses a flywheel to store energy for its launch, and this will work in the exact same way, but with the flywheel holding power for LSMs instead of drive tires. The flywheel does NOT launch the train by itself like on a Schwarzkopf shuttle loop coaster.
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Completely forgot about Baco. Very well could be such a thing, but when Six Flags and Cedar Fair do their cluster announcements, random things happen.
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Hobbes said:
Also, did they claim that Holiday World was the oldest theme park? I was under the impression that Lake Compounce was oldest in the US, with Bakken being the oldest in the world.
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A THEME park, meaning that it was the first park to have a unified theme all throughout the park.

And the trees to the sides of The Voyage are rather tall so if they preserve as many as they can the ride can travel alongside the trees.
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

The specifically stated US though, not the World. It also seems like they knew OF Baco.

It does make me wonder about this years and next years announcements.

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Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

I will say, the only thing that disappoints me about this is the lack of theme on the trains themselves. The totem pole trains would have looked so killer. Not digging the train color scheme on this one (and I'm not a fan of orange but the track is beautiful), but the shorter trains should make the ride smoother with less of the back-and-forth shuffle of the Wing Coasters.
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Awesome!
While I don't like Wing Coasters, it's nice to finally see B&M do a launch and overall it looks like the perfect ride for Holiday World.

And what a beauty she is.

Layout-1000x652.jpg
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Jarret, why are you not a part of this live chat on coasterradio.com?!

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
 
Videos:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqtbR5MlQVg[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImxKYUxivs[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_scBdoKZJM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR5WY5H7cFI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1uZCpGyqP8[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-kvyAiVxyA[/youtube]

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk

Edited to add all the videos - ECG
 
Holy **** a B&M winged launch coaster??! As others have already said I did not expect that at all!

I thought it would just be another normal B&M wingrider. I didn't think we'd see a new launch coaster by B&M anytime soon (despite all the speculation of this), and that they'd use sit down trains. But a launched wing rider? That seemed out there to me!

That being said, it does look like a lot of fun! I love the color scheme and I think this'll look gorgeous next year. I just don't know if the launch will be good with the winged trains and those tight restraints. Who knows, it could be a nice smooth launch or tight and rattle it's way up the track.
 
Re: Holiday World | Unknown | Unknown

Intricks said:
Jarret, why are you not a part of this live chat on coasterradio.com?!

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
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Work, that's why. I had to leave at 9:40 and drive to work all goonwired. :p

(Goonwired is a word now. :p )

Love this, though! It'll have to have some force for me to love it though. If it's tamer like GateKeeper it's probably the weakest of the wing coasters. But if it's intense like back seat Wild Eagle or new B&M like Banshee we could be looking at my new favorite wing coaster.

And they need to mention that Thunderbird is based off of a Native American legend or it won't fit very well in Thanksgiving.

Glad to see I was right about this! Orange track and all! :)
 
Re: Holiday World | Thunderbird | Launched B&M Wing Coaster

^It won't fit well in Thanksgiving, an area themed after a holiday which was first celebrated with Native Americans present, who had previously been assisting the settlers since their arrival?
 
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