Batwing is a
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
flying
Flying may refer to:
* Flight, the process of flying
* Aviation, the creation and operation of aircraft
Music
Albums
* ''Flying'' (Grammatrain album), 1997
* ''Flying'' (Jonathan Fagerlund album), 2008
* ''Flying'' (UFO album), 1971
* ''Fl ...
roller coaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
built by
Vekoma at
Six Flags America in
Prince George's County, Maryland
)
, demonym = Prince Georgian
, ZIP codes = 20607–20774
, area codes = 240, 301
, founded date = April 23
, founded year = 1696
, named for = Prince George of Denmark
, leader_title = Executive
, leader_name = Angela D. Alsobroo ...
. This is nearly identical to
Nighthawk at
Carowinds
Carowinds is a amusement park located adjacent to Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The park straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina state line, with a portion of the park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. However, it has an of ...
, however that ride has a slightly different ending, and different paint scheme. The ride is also a clone of the now-defunct
Firehawk at
Kings Island.
Of the two operating Vekoma Flying Dutchmans, Batwing is the only one still operating under its original name at its original park, since Nighthawk originally operated at
California's Great America
California's Great America, often shortened to Great America, is a amusement park located in Santa Clara, California. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, it originally opened in 1976 as one of two parks built by the Marriott Corporation. Califor ...
as Stealth. Batwing operates alongside the standard schedule of Six Flags America.
History
In February 2001, it was confirmed that
Six Flags America would be receiving Batwing. This attraction would be a
Vekoma Flying Dutchman coaster themed to
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
. It would be built towards the back of the park in the Gotham City section. Although the ride was set to open in May 2001, the opening was delayed. On June 16, 2001, Batwing officially opened to guests. It was the first flying roller coaster on the
East Coast
East Coast may refer to:
Entertainment
* East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop
* East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017
* East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004
* East Coast FM, a ra ...
.
Ride experience
Track
The steel track is approximately in length and the height of the lift is approximately .
Batwing has a total of five inversions. It features one
vertical loop, two
inline twists, two "Lie to Fly" and two "Fly to Lie" elements.
Each "Lie to Fly" and "Fly to Lie" element is counted as a half inversion.
A "Lie to Fly" element is when riders are on their backs, facing the sky and they are flipped and face the ground.
A "Fly to Lie" element is the opposite.
Layout
Once riders are seated and restrained, the
train tilts backwards into a 'lay-down' position and dispatches. The train travels backwards out of the
station
Station may refer to:
Agriculture
* Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production
* Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle
** Cattle statio ...
, turns left and travels up the
lift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is an upward-sloping section of track on a roller coaster on which the roller coaster train is mechanically lifted to an elevated point or peak in the track. Upon reaching the peak, the train is then propelled from th ...
at a 33 degree angle. Once the train reaches the top of the lift hill, it dips down into a twist (called a "Lie-to-Fly") that turns the trains upside down into a flying position where riders face the ground. After the twist, the train travels down the first drop, reaching speeds of . Riders then go through an
over banked Horseshoe Curve element. Following the Horseshoe, the train enters a "Fly-to-Lie" element that turns riders back to a lay-down position. After the banked turn, the ride enters the tall
vertical loop, where riders experience 4.3 G's. The train then goes into another "Lie-to-Fly" element. Following the loop, riders go through another turn and then hit two consecutive
inline twists. Following the inline twists, the train enters the final helix. After the helix, riders hit the final "Fly-to-Lie" element and the train is slowed down on the
brake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust ...
.
Trains
Batwing currently operates with two trains. Each train has six cars that have four seats in a single row for a total of 24 riders.
It originally operated with three trains but was reduced to two in 2007. Riders are secured by a vest over the chest and a lap bar.
See also
*
Nighthawk (roller coaster) - a similar ride located at
Carowinds
Carowinds is a amusement park located adjacent to Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The park straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina state line, with a portion of the park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. However, it has an of ...
References
External links
Batwing at Six Flags America website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Batwing (Roller Coaster)
Roller coasters operated by Six Flags
Six Flags America
Roller coasters in Maryland
Roller coasters introduced in 2001
Batman in amusement parks
Warner Bros. Global Brands and Experiences attractions