Kings Dominion Project 2025/Caldera: Rapterra (Launched B&M Wing Coaster)
- Thread starter horsesboy
- Start date
We shall call it the "Shed of the Gods"BGW is contacting them to see if they can get this exact structure (unfinished) to put in the field of Pantheon and call it "theming"
I’m sure there’s a reason for it. It’s an electrical building anyhow so I don’t expect much from it.
According to Chat GPT, this coaster will have a height of 156ft. Don't know where it got this information but it seems like a pretty reasonable expectation/estimate.
If anyone knows if this info is accurate let the group know.
Odd source, to say the least… I’m still expecting 130-140ft, leaning towards 130ft.
New article is now live on KDFans! Most of it will be an unnecessary recap for people keeping up with this thread, but the biggest news is probably about @CoasterMac's current thinking on the element after the dive loop.
Direct Link to Embedded Media Source
Direct Link to Embedded Media Source
So possibly 2 less inversions? So the least inversions on a wing in the states?
I should not have suggested this would be better than Thunderbird. Ugh WHY am S hill into another dead section? All that potential hangtime…..
I should not have suggested this would be better than Thunderbird. Ugh WHY am S hill into another dead section? All that potential hangtime…..
In my opinion, having more inversions doesn’t always make for a better coaster. In fact, I’ve often found that unnecessary inversions (especially on B&Ms) can kill the pacing of a coaster.
I remember when Twisted Timbers was announced, and people criticized the three large back-to-back airtime hills following the first drop, calling them redundant and a wasted opportunity for an inversion or two. Since TT opened, those three airtime hills have been the subject of some of the ride’s loudest praise, and in my opinion they’re the most fun part of the ride.
So I’d say it’s premature to criticize a ride for not having as many inversions as expected.
I remember when Twisted Timbers was announced, and people criticized the three large back-to-back airtime hills following the first drop, calling them redundant and a wasted opportunity for an inversion or two. Since TT opened, those three airtime hills have been the subject of some of the ride’s loudest praise, and in my opinion they’re the most fun part of the ride.
So I’d say it’s premature to criticize a ride for not having as many inversions as expected.
I mean you're not wrong, my Top 10 coasters does not show any correlation with more inversions. That said the dive loop into a nice roll like the initial guess looked like it was going to hit soooooo good and airtime hills on wing coasters.............do "not" hit sooooo good and are just kind of transitionary to something else usually.
I’m not bummed out about the first element not inverting.
I do agree with @CoasterAuditor though that a corkscrew after the dive loop would be epic. It would flow really well and would have such a cool look from the pathways.
Hopefully it still comes through.
I do agree with @CoasterAuditor though that a corkscrew after the dive loop would be epic. It would flow really well and would have such a cool look from the pathways.
Hopefully it still comes through.
I concur, the first element not inverting is not a loss for me really. The third element pivot is a big pacing hit for me on this ride. I was looking forward to how this would look from a distance with the first element, huge dive loop, and then finally that corkscrew sticking up as the 3rd large element. With the large corkscrew in the middle the layout made a wing coaster layout that really "hit" for me on an excitement level. Without it I mean the dive loop to the only corkscrew would just feel like "meandering" in the heart of the ride which really is not what I want to be doing at that point on a large roller coaster. That said, we don't know what the final speed is, however I am lowering my expectations.
I kinda like one less inversion? We've got intensity and inversions at KD already. I still expected this to be a punchy experience, but it will provide an elegance, smoothness, and re-rideability not currently present at the park.
The first element will basically be an inversion; it's so steeply banked, the classification is simply semantics (call it what you want). There's already a corkscrew in the second-half of the ride, so the potential S-hill would create a more diverse layout. Since the coaster should be hauling through that hill, I would a imagine a pretty substantial whip through that element in those winged seats.
The impact this thing already has from the midway is jaw-dropping!
The first element will basically be an inversion; it's so steeply banked, the classification is simply semantics (call it what you want). There's already a corkscrew in the second-half of the ride, so the potential S-hill would create a more diverse layout. Since the coaster should be hauling through that hill, I would a imagine a pretty substantial whip through that element in those winged seats.
The impact this thing already has from the midway is jaw-dropping!
I’ll go against the grain here: as a wing coaster I’m disappointed by the lack of an inversion there. If this were anything but wing or thrill inverted I’d be fine with it. I feel (mind you after only riding 2 wing coasters) that the inversion elements are what make it great.
I just don't get the point of building a wing coaster if it's not going to focus on inversions.
I've completed the US circuit of wings, and I feel as if my favorite moments from each of them are the odd sensations of being inverted and pulled in directions that are abnormal for a typical roller coaster.
The ride will be fun and a great addition to the park. Yes. That point still stands. I do not think a wing coaster with 7+ inversions is automatically a great attraction as that is not how this works. I just personally really liked the flow of the idea of the large inversion subsequent to the dive loop and now it's going to seem like "filler" versus an impactful element of the coaster itself and that kind of stuff matters for an "overall" take on a specific ride.
This one's got at least 3 inversions (4 if you count the first element; maybe 5 if the S-curve is actually a corkscrew). That's a good amount of upside-downs!
This wing has a launch, one of two B&M launched wings in the Western Hemisphere. I think that's probably the ride's main focus.