Project 2021/Drachen Spire: Intamin Multi-Launch Shuttle Giga Coaster [Cancelled]

General Information:​

"Project Drachen Spire," is a community-generated identifier for the Intamin-made, multi-launch, shuttle giga coaster that was originally slated to open at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 2021. The attraction is planned to utilize the currently-vacant land behind Verbolten, Festhaus Park—the former home of Drachen Fire.

The coaster's main layout—as leaked before the addition was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic—featured two launches, two spikes (one spiral, one vertical-ish), and a couple of banked turns. Drachen Spire was designed to run two trains by means of a pair of switch tracks connecting the primary, shuttle portion of the layout to the station platform.

Important Articles:​

• Most Up-To-Date Understanding of the Layout:
  
  

  Leaked Electrical Plan Depicts Busch Gardens Williamsburg's 2021 Roller Coaster in Detail – BGWFans

  If there’s a god, he’s up there laughing this afternoon. Why? Because BGWFans just had one of those classic sitcom moments. Yesterday, we published our painstakingly detailed analysis of the footer plan for what we believe is Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s 2021 roller coaster—seemingly a huge...

  bgwfans.com
• Most Recent Status Update:
  
  

  Drachen Spire Height Waiver Extension Details – BGWFans

  Just over a week ago, we reported on the renewal of the notorious 355 foot Festhaus Park height waiver that was originally requested for the controversial, Intamin-made, multi-launch, giga, shuttle coaster we’ve dubbed Drachen Spire. In last week’s article, we were very careful to leave the door...

  bgwfans.com

NoLimits Model of the Layout:​

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Direct Link to Embedded Media Source

Additional Coverage (Newest to Oldest):​

• https://bgwfans.com/2022/drachen-spire-height-waiver-extension-details/
• https://bgwfans.com/2022/drachen-spire-height-waiver-renewal/
• https://bgwfans.com/2021/drachen-spires-slumber/
• https://bgwfans.com/2020/leaked-ele...-williamsburgs-2021-roller-coaster-in-detail/
• https://bgwfans.com/2020/busch-gardens-williamsburg-2021-shuttle-giga-coaster/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/germany-expansion-site-plans/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/2021-rpa-impacts-plan/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/newly-leaked-document-depicts-project-2021s-station/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/project-2021-height-waiver-vote-happens-tomorrow/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/born-from-the-ashes/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/bgw-project-2021/

Previous Thread:​

https://parkfans.net/threads/january-2019-festhaus-park-height-survey.5696/

 

[Zachary]

The one thing I'd say is that there may be a simpler way to skin a cat if the top hat isnt locked into the 180 degree turn design.

Completely agree. I have a few concepts with wackier top hats too—I just figured this was the most straightforward "these existing elements on Red Force can fit" concept.

 

[GrandpaD]

It looks good @Zachary . My initial thoughts -

1. Speed - RF is 112mph for a top hat 12ft higher than 2021. So, 105ish? Would you lose speed on the turn?
2. Speed and turn going up - 305 was trimmed from 94 to 90 (so I've read) because of gray outs. You're going even faster on a turn. Issue?
3. Speed and turn coming down - really the same as 2. Isn't that pulling a lot of G's?

?

 

[FoozMuz]

It also seems at first glance like the easy choice would have been to put the high point over by the train tracks. It will be interesting to see just how and why this is designed... in a year ?

 

[PhantomJB93]

I like the idea a lot - it’s just different enough from Red Force/TTD/KK to be unique and interesting while also probably not completely breaking the bank to stray from the “one trick pony” style. The high speed launch into the first turn is definitely unorthodox but not unprecedented or impossible (Do-Dodonpa). My biggest concern/criticism is the speed lost on the turn before the top hat - I just find it hard to believe the ride will have a tophat THAT tall and not have it be the very first thing immediately following the launch. Even Do-dodonpa which had a launch and turn this fast didn’t even attempt 200’ on the ensuing top hat/loop, let alone 350’. But like we’ve examined that’s the problem here, it otherwise doesn’t seem to fit.

My thought/idea without putting it into MS paint - a top hat immediately following the launch where the drop is turned only 90 degrees from the entrance rather than 180. Similar to supersized Storm Runner tophat (or, a closer example, Pantheon).

 

[Zachary]

Speed - RF is 112mph for a top hat 12ft higher than 2021. So, 105ish? Would you lose speed on the turn?

It would definitely drop some speed in a turn like mine. That said, I don't know that I think the actual track of 2021 would sit at 355 feet above grade—I'd expect that there's a 10-ish (?) foot buffer for catwalks, an airplane light, the height of the train, etc.

PLUS, honestly, we're all working with bad data here—the actually height of the track doesn't matter that much—it's about how much altitude is gained between the height at the end of the launch track and the height at the top of the top hat. The end of Red Force's launch track is already a fair bit higher than the grade where it is located. There's a good chance Red Force's actual altitude gain is closer to 345 feet or so.

Further compounding the complexity here is that a theoretical 2021 launch would likely be a bit above grade in the FHP area... But that means it could be CONSIDERABLY above grade around the highest point—potentially shortening our needed altitude gain by a fair bit.

All of that said, it's super complicated and I'm not doing the math—just guestimating my way through all of this. ?

Speed and turn going up - 305 was trimmed from 94 to 90 (so I've read) because of gray outs. You're going even faster on a turn. Issue?

Speed and turn coming down - really the same as 2. Isn't that pulling a lot of G's?

The gray outs and the wheel melting was caused more by the amount of time the forces were sustained for than the forces themselves from what I understand. These would definitely be some "extreme af" (as the kids would say) turns, but I don't think they're horribly unrealistic honestly... Particularly for Intamin...

 

[CoasterMac]

I don't know if my body is ready for this... ???

 

[Jahrules]

I was thinking at least it could maybe have one of those treble clef turns that they like to put into a lot of gigas...

 

[Zachary]

So if we assume this is LSM launch like Red Force, we should field the possibility that this could utilize one of the best features of magnetic launches: the ability to add speed to an already moving train.

So, what if 2021 is a multi-launch? It would easily take the crown for tallest and fastest multi-launch coaster in the world for starters. Plus, it means we no longer need one enormous launch segment, but instead just two large ones. What this could look like in practice:



Launch 1 would take it up to a good, healthy 50 mph or so sending the train into a short, twisty, i305-like segment. That would be followed immediately by the second launch which would take the train up to the full speed needed to crest a roughly 350ft tall top hat. Exiting that top hat, riders would experience the true pièce de résistance of BGW coaster drops down towards the Rhine. A quick swooping turn uphill and to the right sends the train right into the final brake run.

This layout keeps the "knife's edge" angle for the top hat (in fact, it's almost certainly more effective at that than my last) and adds at least a couple multi-launch world records to the coaster. Pacing probably isn't as strong as my first proposal, but this one removes that controversial launch-into-a-turn-into-a-top-hat sequence.

Ok. I have more ideas, but I should sleep now... And I want other people to come up with some clever solutions here!

EDIT: Refined the top hat and last turn.

 

[thopping]

NOT that I want a Red Force gimmicky knock-off and not that this necessarily makes sense...unless you really wanted to orient the top hat to minimize the profile from Kingsmill and really wanted to reuse the station & maintenance shop...

But IF this leaves the DF station in the assumed direction as per the blue prints, launches into a top hat at some point, and that top hat is oriented as above...

Do you think there's enough space to exit the station, pass the maintenance shop, curve over to roughly where boneyard rd. crosses the railroad, then 180 degree turn, then launch straight at either side of the top hat? (no curves to content with)

I tried overlaying Red Force from that angle w/ Google maps... I couldn't get it to look right, but appeared like there could be room... This would be roughly a Red Force-like layout, but oriented perpendicularly from the station. Straight out obviously makes more sense, but then the top hat would be more visible from Kingsmill. I can't remember what the description of the high point moving was now... i.e. where it may have been before, which may give you an idea whether they were trying to rotate a top hat.

edit: it appears @Zachary was in the process of posting a new design while I was writing this that is essentially what I'm describing, but with a curve the other way so that the launch starts on the other side of the maintenance shop.

 

[mountaineers]

I like this layout a lot. I would add an element or two after the top hat. Just seems like a waste to have all that speed only to just go right into a brake run. Kind of like having Apollo hit the brakes after 2 hills. Plus i feel a dive to the Rhine is a must. The previous layout just seemed wrong for the top hat to be away from the Rhine.

 

[JohnD]

Agree - Top hat drop in the direction of the river inlet would seem to be more aligned with BGW tradition.

 

[JohnD]

So if we assume this is LSM launch like Red Force, we should field the possibility that this could utilize one of the best features of magnetic launches: the ability to add speed to an already moving train.

So, what if 2021 is a multi-launch? It would easily take the crown for tallest and fastest multi-launch coaster in the world for starters. Plus, it means we no longer need one enormous launch segment, but instead just two large ones. What this could look like in practice:

View attachment 17367

Launch 1 would take it up to a good, healthy 50 mph or so sending the train into a short, twisty, i305-like segment. That would be followed immediately by the second launch which would take the train up to the full speed needed to crest a roughly 350ft tall top hat. Exiting that top hat, riders would experience the true pièce de résistance of BGW coaster drops down towards the Rhine. A quick swooping turn uphill and to the right sends the train right into the final brake run.

This layout keeps the "knife's edge" angle for the top hat (in fact, it's almost certainly more effective at that than my last) and adds at least a couple multi-launch world records to the coaster. Pacing probably isn't as strong as my first proposal, but this one removes that controversial launch-into-a-turn-into-a-top-hat sequence.

Ok. I have more ideas, but I should sleep now... And I want other people to come up with some clever solutions here!

PS: The exit for the top hat should probably be perpendicular to the top hat itself. The turn after it should likely be wider and get closer to the Railroad too—if only to utilize the soil testing area we identified over there. I'm too tired to remake the image tonight though.

I like this design. My only observation is that, post top hat, the layout could extend further east with enough train energy to clear another large hill - then return to station.

 

[warfelg]

Ok, I'm throwing forward my 'dream' idea for the coaster:

All black lines are normal track, light red is the launch, green a topcoat element, blue the break run, hot pink is a transfer track to a new maintenance bay in the light blue box. The dark blue bock is themed area with two flat rides (in yellow). Light grey is the queue. The maroon is new pathways. Light green square is a shop area. Dark grey is for seating, with DF's old maintenance bay turned into a dining option. Dark green circles are trees. The white area is future expansion.

I would theme this whole area to the dark forest, and can tie in the indoor area of Verbolten. The coaster can get a Lugwig's Revenge theme to it, and a shoutout to BBW, he turns you into a wolf running wild through the forest.

 

[Zachary]

I like this layout a lot. I would add an element or two after the top hat.

My only observation is that, post top hat, the layout could extend further east with enough train energy to clear another large hill - then return to station.

I'd love extra elements just as much as everyone else—I'd love a full i305-style twister layout after a theoretical top hat. That said, judging by comparable attractions, I was trying to minimize track length to keep things as realistic as possible. I mean, right now, my designs amount to what is essentially a giga version of Xccelerator—a top hat plus two-ish elements (turns)—and that is already entirely unprecedented in the industry.

PS: Updated the layout in my previous post to better utilize the soil test area near the railroad bridge and make the top hat less awkward looking.

 

[JohnD]

The key takeaway from Zachary's second design and Warfelg's proposal above - there's a lot of space east of the river inlet to bleed off the energy of a 300+ foot drop. With plenty of trees potentially on both sides of the track to provide the backdrop for a Black Forest theme'd ride.

 

[GrandpaD]

I appreciate the concepts, but I'm still hard pressed to buy into this type of coaster. The first thing that came to mind is "why hasn't this been done before?" Granted, there are some launch coasters in the 200ft height range that do more than just up/down, but the ideas (above) just seem far too aggressive both monetarily and physically to execute.

 

[Zachary]

The key takeaway from Zachary's second design and Warfelg's proposal above - there's a lot of space east of the river inlet to bleed off the energy of a 300+ foot drop. With plenty of trees potentially on both sides of the track to provide the backdrop for a Black Forest theme'd ride.

I don't want to douse @warfelg's dream layout because it looks a lot like mine would... But the main issue we have is that there has been no known soil tests across the railroad tracks. Sans maybe a stray support or two, I expect whatever this is to stay within the train loop.

 

[warfelg]

I was taking a shot that maybe with the altering of the ride that they changed some things and quietly tests some soil without anyone knowing.

 

[GrandpaD]

I'm not ready to break out Photoshop just yet but I'll throw out an idea... specifically the tower aspect.

@Zachary (and others) brought up the negatives of a long walk to a tower from the high point placement we've seen. So...what about a "Tower of Terror 2/Superman, Escape from Krypton” shuttle? It could load below the picnic area and run parallel to the Verbolten building. Elevate it so people are entering the area below the track (also Drachen Fire).

The "other coaster" would be the Blitz, taking the Black Forest idea (or revive the Drachen name). It would use the DF station.

 

[ControlsEE]

Alright, just a couple of questions that someone can hopefully answer.

1. Is it confirmed that the balloon test is where we think it is? Is there a public record of it's geographical location?
2. I keep seeing "Knife's edge." Where did this term come from? A public hearing or meeting?
3. If the Knife's Edge is towards Kingsmill, where specifically in KM? That neighborhood does kind of surround the rear of the park, so how do we know which way it is facing?

I am hoping to get a NL2 mockup of a few designs, so I appreciate your response(s). I made an accelerator coaster for FH Park in NL2 like 3-4 years ago, but I doubt this ride will be anything like that. Had it on YT for a while until I decided to close that channel down.