Bolliger & Mabillard

Last updated

Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Inc.
Company typePrivate
Industry Roller coaster design
Founded1988
Founders
  • Walter Bolliger
  • Claude Mabillard
Headquarters
Monthey
,
Switzerland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Walter Bolliger (CEO)
  • Claude Mabillard (VP)
  • Kim Jent (Structural engineer)
  • Sophie Bolliger (VP/Head of Sales)
Products
Number of employees
37 (2012)
Website Official website

Bolliger & Mabillard, officially Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. and often abbreviated B&M, is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by engineers Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, both of whom had worked for Giovanola. [1]

Contents

B&M has pioneered several new ride technologies, most notably the inverted roller coaster [2] [3] and the box-section track. [4] In 2016, the company completed its 100th roller coaster. B&M currently produces ten types of coaster models: Stand-Up Coaster, Inverted Coaster, Floorless Coaster, Flying Coaster, Hyper Coaster, Dive Coaster, Sitting Coaster, Wing Coaster, Family Coaster, and most recently, the Surf Coaster. Though B&M has not used the term, the company has also manufactured three giga coasters.

History

Roots

Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard started working for Giovanola, a manufacturing company which supplied rides to Intamin, in the 1970s. During their time at Giovanola, they helped design the company's first stand-up roller coaster, Shockwave (at Six Flags Magic Mountain). They also worked on other projects, such as Z-Force (at Six Flags Great America). [5] Bolliger & Mabillard left Giovanola, but the company continued to use that track design; the company's roller coasters Goliath (at Six Flags Magic Mountain) and Titan (at Six Flags Over Texas), use a track style very similar to B&M's. [6] [7]

An inverted model with the curved drop, common on inverted roller coasters, Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great Adventure Batman The Ride SFGA.jpg
An inverted model with the curved drop, common on inverted roller coasters, Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great Adventure

Launch

In 1987, Giovanola underwent a change of management, and the pair decided to leave and create their own company. [5] At the time, B&M employed four people, including two draftsmen: Bolliger and Mabillard. When B&M was created, the pair had agreed not to make any more amusement attractions. [8] [9] However, Robert Mampe, Six Flags Great America's staff engineer, had worked with both men during the construction of Z-Force ; he contacted the newly-formed company and asked them to reconfigure the cars for its Giovanola-built, Intamin bobsled coaster, to be relocated from Six Flags Great Adventure. [10]

Following that project, Mampe asked the new company to design and build a stand-up roller coaster for Six Flags Great America, similar to Shockwave at Six Flags Magic Mountain. [10] B&M accepted the offer and hired two more draftsmen. But B&M had a problem regarding how and where to manufacture the track pieces for the roller coaster. With the favorable history of the work done by Clermont Steel Fabricators (on Vortex , Kings Island, and Shockwave , Six Flags Great America), Walter Bolliger went to the steel plant and asked if they would be interested in manufacturing the track. Clermont Steel Fabricators accepted, and to this day, manufactures all of B&M's roller coaster track pieces for all of North America. [4] Now with a company to manufacture the track, B&M built its first roller coaster, a stand-up roller coaster, Iron Wolf , which opened in 1990 at Six Flags Great America. [8] [9] Two years later, Bolliger & Mabillard built another project for Six Flags Great America, Batman: The Ride , the world's first inverted roller coaster, which brought them to prominence in the industry. [11] [12]

Development

Bolliger & Mabillard also invented the Floorless Coaster [13] and the Dive Coaster. The company also built its first launched roller coaster, the Incredible Hulk , which is at Islands of Adventure. [14] In 2010, B&M unveiled its new Wing Coaster and premiered the prototype model, named Raptor , at Gardaland in 2011. [15] It has two seats on each side on the car that hang riders over the sides of the track. As of 2019 there are fifteen in operation. [15] In 2015, B&M constructed Thunderbird at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, its first in-house launched coaster. [16]

By 2010, B&M employed twelve engineers, twelve draftsmen and two draftswomen. [8] [9] The company has made other contributions to the roller coaster industry. The company built the trains for the Psyclone , a now-demolished wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The trains were later used on the park's Colossus wooden roller coaster (until it was refurbished by Rocky Mountain Construction), but were only used during October each year. The trains faced backward and usually raced against trains on the second track, which ran forward. [17]

In 2013, the company launched the construction of Banshee, the world's longest inverted roller coaster. [18] B&M supplied new trains for Steel Dragon 2000, built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing in 2000. [19] [20] As of 2012, Bolliger & Mabillard had 85 operating roller coasters worldwide. [2] Of these, twenty-two were listed among that year's Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards Top 50 Steel Coasters List for 2012 and five were in the top 10.

By 2016, Bolliger & Mabillard had completed its 100th coaster, and had built more roller coasters than any other manufacturer on the Golden Ticket Awards Steel Coasters list. [21]

Features

Raptor's cobra roll, a first for inverted roller coasters Raptor 05.JPG
Raptor's cobra roll, a first for inverted roller coasters

Bolliger & Mabillard currently manufactures ten different roller coaster styles: Stand-Up Coaster, Inverted Coaster, Floorless Coaster, Flying Coaster, Hyper Coaster, Dive Coaster, Sitting Coaster, Wing Coaster, Family Coaster and most recently, the Surf Coaster. [22] [23] Bolliger & Mabillard has been involved in developing new technologies and concepts in roller coasters almost since its inception. It has often worked with engineer Werner Stengel and with designers and management of client theme parks. [24] [25]

Lift hills

Diagram comparing a standard lift hill and the B&M pre-drop lift hill. Pre-drop.jpg
Diagram comparing a standard lift hill and the B&M pre-drop lift hill.

Early Bolliger & Mabillard coasters feature an element known as a "pre-drop", a short drop after the top of the lift hill and before the start of the first drop, designed to reduce stress on the lift chain. The flat section between the pre-drop and the first drop serves as a shelf to support the weight of the train, reducing related stresses on the chain. On most coasters without a pre-drop, the weight of the train tends to pull on the lift chain as it begins its descent because the latter half of the train is still being lifted by the chain. Pre-drops have not been used on the company's Dive or Flying coasters, or on hyper coasters built after 1999. [26] [27] OzIris at Parc Astérix was the first B&M inverted roller coaster that does not feature a pre-drop. [28] Ever since, no coaster built by B&M has featured a pre-drop [29] [30] because the chain accelerates to acquire the same speed as the train when it is being taken over by gravity after it passes the crest.

Trains

Most of Bolliger & Mabillard's roller coaster trains use four-abreast seating. Each car has one row of four seats, while the train length can vary between coasters. All of the company's coaster models, except the Dive Coaster, Wing Coaster, Family Inverted Coaster and Surf Coaster use this configuration. The Dive Coaster uses six, seven, eight or ten-abreast seating, with two or three rows of seats. For example, Griffon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, uses ten seats in three rows, while Krake at Heide Park uses six-across seating in three rows. [31] On recent hyper coaster projects, B&M has used a new car design that has two rows of two seats; the two seats in the rear of the car pushed out from the centerline so that the four seats resemble a V formation. This formation has only been used on Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland, Diamondback at Kings Island, Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Shambhala: Expedición al Himalaya at PortAventura Park, in the resort PortAventura World. In 2013, B&M introduced a new car design that has two rows of two seats, however, they are not in a V formation. [19] [20]

All B&M hyper coasters use a type of restraint called a "T-bar" or "Clamshell" restraint, which consists of bar with a cushioned lap bar with two handles for riders to hold on to. This type of restraint generally does not use a seat belt, however seat belts have been added to Behemoth and Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland, Diamondback and Orion at Kings Island, and Intimidator and Fury 325 at Carowinds. [32] Bolliger & Mabillard also uses over-the-shoulder restraints, in that the restraint is placed over the riders' shoulders and sits and extends to the riders' laps. This type of restraint is used on Dive, Inverted, Sitting, Flying, Floorless, Stand-up and Wing Coasters. [33] Bolliger & Mabillard has recently begun using a vest like over the shoulder restraint, which reduces headbanging found on the older, more common padded over the shoulder restraints. These have been met with some criticism from the coaster community, due to the nature in which they tighten during the ride; stapling riders to their seats, resulting in less airtime (negative g-forces) being felt.

CAD model of B&M's signature box-spined track BandMTrack.jpg
CAD model of B&M's signature box-spined track
B&M Friction Brakes Model B&M brakes.png
B&M Friction Brakes Model

Track

A notable feature of Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters is the box-section track. The running rails are connected to a box-section spine, instead of the circular spine used by other manufacturers. When a train travels around a box-section track, it creates a one-of-a-kind whooshing sound, which is sometimes nicknamed the “B&M roar” by roller coaster enthusiasts. However, on some Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters, such as Talon at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and GateKeeper at Cedar Point, the track is filled with a proprietary sound dampening material to reduce this noise. [34]

Also, depending on the model of the roller coaster, the track size can vary. Models such as the Flying, Wing and Dive Coaster have heavier trains which require a larger track size while models with lighter trains, such as the Stand-Up and Hyper Coaster, do not and use a smaller sized track. [4]

Brakes

As of 2016, Bolliger & Mabillard uses three types of braking systems: friction, magnetic, and water.

Friction brakes

When B&M was first founded, the linear magnetic eddy brake had yet to be developed, so it used friction brakes as its main braking system. On the train, pads are fitted on the vehicle chassis between the wheel assemblies. On the brakes, similar pads are connected to steel supports. When the pads on the train come into contact with the brakes, friction is created which slows the train. [35] Beginning with Kumba in 1993, friction brakes have also been used as trim brakes that regulate the speed of the train while it is still navigating the course. [36]

SheiKra's splashdown element Patent for water brakes for Bolliger+Mabbilard SheiKra (Busch Gardens Africa) 03.jpg
SheiKra's splashdown element
Patent for water brakes for Bolliger+Mabbilard Bolliger + Mabbilard Water Breaks.png
Patent for water brakes for Bolliger+Mabbilard

Magnetic brakes

Magnetic brakes provide smoother deceleration than friction brakes; most B&M roller coasters built after 2001 (starting with Nitro) have at least one set of magnetic brakes. Magnetic brakes do not make contact with the train. Metal fins that run parallel to the train are fitted on the vehicle chassis between the wheel assemblies. As the fins pass through the brakes, the magnetic field created by the brakes slows the train. Magnetic brakes have also been used as an alternate type of trim brake on B&M roller coasters such as Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland. [37]

Water brakes

Water brakes were first introduced on SheiKra at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in 2005. [38] Water brakes can only be used when a splashdown element, in which a body of water surrounds a section of track, is present within the layout of the roller coaster. When scoops on the last car of each train come in contact with the surrounding water, the train slows down and the water is sprayed several feet into the air behind it. [39]

Notable roller coasters

Vortex at Carowinds, a Stand-up Coaster model Vortex (Carowinds) 02.JPG
Vortex at Carowinds, a Stand-up Coaster model
Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland, a Hyper Coaster model Leviathan Hammerhead Turn.jpg
Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland, a Hyper Coaster model
Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great Adventure, an Inverted Coaster model Batman (Corkscrew) - Six Flags Great Adventure.JPG
Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great Adventure, an Inverted Coaster model
Dragon Khan at PortAventura Park, a Sitting Coaster model Rollercoaster dragon khan universal port aventura spain.jpg
Dragon Khan at PortAventura Park, a Sitting Coaster model
Oblivion at Alton Towers, a Dive Coaster model AltonTowers-Oblivion.JPG
Oblivion at Alton Towers, a Dive Coaster model
Hydra at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, a floorless coaster model Hydra (Jo-Jo Roll).JPG
Hydra at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, a floorless coaster model
Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland, a Hyper Coaster model 900behe.jpg
Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland, a Hyper Coaster model
Manta at SeaWorld Orlando, a Flying Coaster model SeaWorld Manta 1.JPG
Manta at SeaWorld Orlando, a Flying Coaster model
Raptor at Gardaland, first Wing Coaster model Raptor Gardaland 2011.jpg
Raptor at Gardaland, first Wing Coaster model

According to the Roller Coaster DataBase, Bolliger & Mabillard has built 127 roller coasters since its founding in 1988, [40] beginning with Iron Wolf, which opened at Six Flags Great America in 1990. [41] Some have either been relocated, renamed or closed. In North America, B&M coaster designs are manufactured by Ohio company Clermont Steel Fabricators. [42] [43] [4]

NameModelParkCountryOpenedStatusNotesRef
Iron Wolf
Renamed Apocalypse
Renamed Firebird
Stand-Up Coaster

Later Floorless Coaster		 Six Flags Great America
Six Flags America 		United States1990 to 2011
2012 to 2018

2019
OperatingFirst B&M project and first build of this model [41]
[44]
Batman: The Ride Inverted Coaster Six Flags Great America United States1992OperatingFirst build of this model [12]
Kumba Sitting Coaster Busch Gardens Tampa United States1993OperatingFirst build of this model [45]
Dragon Khan Sitting Coaster PortAventura Park Spain1995OperatingRecord for most inversions (8) at opening [46]
Alpengeist Inverted Coaster Busch Gardens Williamsburg United States1997OperatingTallest of its class [47]
Oblivion Dive Coaster Alton Towers United Kingdom1998OperatingFirst build of this model [48]
The Riddler's Revenge Stand-Up Coaster Six Flags Magic Mountain United States1998OperatingLargest and fastest of its class [49]
Medusa
Formerly Bizarro		Floorless Coaster Six Flags Great Adventure United States1999OperatingFirst build of this model [50]
Incredible Hulk Sitting Coaster Universal Islands of Adventure United States1999OperatingFirst launched B&M attraction [51]
Dragon Challenge
Formerly Dueling Dragons		Inverted Coaster Universal Islands of Adventure United States1999RemovedFirst B&M project to be demolished [52]
Apollo's Chariot Hyper Coaster Busch Gardens Williamsburg United States1999OperatingFirst build of this model [53]
Galactica
Formerly Air		Flying Coaster Alton Towers United Kingdom2002OperatingFirst build of this model [54]
Dominator
Formerly Batman: Knight Flight		Floorless Coaster Kings Dominion
Geauga Lake 		United States2008
2000 to 2007		OperatingLargest of its class [55]
[56]
Raptor Wing Coaster Gardaland Italy2011OperatingFirst build of this model [57]
Leviathan Hyper Coaster Canada's Wonderland Canada2012OperatingFirst B&M roller coaster to be classified as a "gigacoaster" [58]
Rougarou
Formerly Mantis
Floorless Coaster
Formerly Stand-Up Coaster
 Cedar Point United States2015
1996 to 2014
OperatingFirst instance of B&M changing train type [59]
Fury 325 Hyper Coaster Carowinds United States2015OperatingWorld's tallest non-launched roller coaster [60]
Yukon Striker Dive Coaster Canada's Wonderland Canada2019OperatingTallest of its class [61]
Pipeline: The Surf Coaster Surf Coaster (Stand Up) SeaWorld Orlando United States2023OperatingFirst launched stand-up roller coaster [62]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverted roller coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

An inverted roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. Riders are seated in open cars, letting their feet swing freely. The inverted coaster was pioneered by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard in the early 1990s with the development of Batman: The Ride, which opened at Six Flags Great America on May 9, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floorless Coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

A Floorless Coaster, commonly known as a Floorless Roller Coaster, is a type of steel roller coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard where riders sit with no floor underneath them, allowing their feet to swing freely just above the track. Development of the Floorless Coaster model began between 1995 and 1996 with Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure opening on April 2, 1999, making it the world's first Floorless Roller Coaster. Floorless Roller Coasters also tend to have 3 to 7 inversions incorporated in the layout of the coaster.

Giovanola Frères SA was a prominent steel manufacturing company based in Monthey, Switzerland. It was known for building electrical power stations, water storage tanks, pipelines, boilers, highway bridges, submarines, ski lifts and many other steel products. The company started out as a small metal forging shop, founded by Joseph Giovanola in 1888. Joseph Sr. died in 1904, and the company was taken over by his sons, the eldest of which, Joseph Jr., was just 17 years of age. By 1930 the company had grown to the point that it required a new factory which was constructed in Monthey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypercoaster</span> Height class for roller coasters

A hypercoaster is a roller coaster with a height or drop measuring at least 200 feet (61 m). The term was first coined by Arrow Dynamics and Cedar Point in 1989 with the opening of the world's first hypercoaster, Magnum XL-200, which features a height of 205 feet. The next hypercoaster, Pepsi Max Big One, opened five years later at Blackpool Pleasure Beach featuring a height of 213 feet (65 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Riddler's Revenge</span> Roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain

The Riddler's Revenge is a steel stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the park's eleventh roller coaster on April 4, 1998, setting multiple world records among stand-up coasters. Originally located in the Movie District section of the park, which later became Metropolis in 2017, The Riddler's Revenge was also the park's single biggest investment at a cost of $14 million. It features a height of 156 feet (48 m), a maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h), six inversions, and a track length of 4,370 feet (1,330 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Krypton Coaster</span> Roller coaster in Texas, U.S.

Superman: Krypton Coaster is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas amusement park in San Antonio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model opened to the public in 2000 as one of the first of its kind in the world. The well-received ride held the title for the world's tallest vertical loop from its opening until 2013. Superman: Krypton Coaster stands 168 feet (51 m) tall and reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montu (roller coaster)</span> Ride at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Montu is an inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it is the park's second roller coaster designed by that company following the success of Kumba, which opened 3 years prior. When the ride opened on May 16, 1996, it was the world's tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster, a title it has since conceded to Alpengeist at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The ride stands 150 feet (46 m) tall and reaches speeds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tatsu</span> Flying roller coaster

Tatsu is a flying roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard at the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park located in Valencia, California, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, it opened as the tallest, fastest, and longest flying coaster in the world on May 13, 2006. It became the park's seventeenth coaster, featuring a height of 170 feet (52 m), a track length of 3,602 feet (1,098 m), and a maximum speed of 62 mph (100 km/h). Tatsu also features the world's tallest pretzel loop and the only zero-gravity roll inversion on a flying coaster model. Nearly a decade later, The Flying Dinosaur opened at Universal Studios Japan in 2016, breaking Tatsu's length record and matching its speed. In its debut season, Tatsu was ranked 40th among steel coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today, peaking with a rank of 28 in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kraken (roller coaster)</span> Ride at SeaWorld Orlando

Kraken is a steel roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the second longest floorless coaster in the world on June 1, 2000, with a track length measuring 4,177 feet (1,273 m). It features a total of seven inversions and reaches a maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h). The coaster was named after a fictional sea monster of the same name. In late 2016, Kraken underwent a refurbishment and reopened as Kraken Unleashed in June 2017. A virtual reality experience was added to the ride, but due to technical difficulties and extensive wait times, the feature was permanently removed the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scream (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster

Scream is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model was the park's sixteenth roller coaster and is located in the Screampunk District area of the park. The 150-foot-tall (46 m) ride consists of a series of roller coaster elements including seven inversions ranging from a zero-g roll to interlocking corkscrews. The ride is a mirror image of Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: The Dark Knight (roller coaster)</span> Roller coaster at Six Flags New England

Batman: The Dark Knight is a steel floorless roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard located in the Gotham City section of Six Flags New England. The roller coaster has 2,600 feet (790 m) of track, reaches a maximum height of 117.8 feet (35.9 m) and features five inversions. The coaster was released to the public on April 20, 2002. In 2008, the ride's name was changed to Batman: The Ride to avoid confusion with Six Flags New England's installation of The Dark Knight Coaster that was planned to be built at the park, but after the project was cancelled, the ride's name reverted to Batman: The Dark Knight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griffon (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster in Virginia

Griffon is a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg amusement park in James City County, Virginia, United States. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the Dive Coaster model opened to the public on May 18, 2007. It climbs to a height of 205 feet (62 m) and reaches a maximum speed of 71 mph (114 km/h). It features two Immelmann loops, a splashdown, two vertical drops, and was the first B&M Dive Coaster to use floorless trains. Griffon was well-received by media and enthusiasts, and it placed third in 2007 in the category of Best New Ride polled by Amusement Today for their annual Golden Ticket Awards. Since its debut, it has also consistently ranked in the top 50 among steel roller coasters worldwide in the same annual publication, peaking at #19 in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dive Coaster</span> Roller coaster model

The Dive Coaster is a steel roller coaster model developed and engineered by Bolliger & Mabillard. The design features one or more near-vertical drops that are approximately 90 degrees, which provide a moment of free-falling for passengers. The experience is enhanced by unique trains that seat up to ten riders per row, spanning only two or three rows total. Unlike traditional train design, this distinguishing aspect gives all passengers virtually the same experience throughout the course of the ride. Another defining characteristic of Dive Coasters is the holding brake at the top of the lift hill that holds the train momentarily right as it enters the first drop, suspending some passengers with a view looking straight down and releasing suddenly moments later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medusa (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)</span> Floorless roller coaster

Medusa is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard, Medusa opened in 2000 as the first floorless roller coaster on the West Coast. The roller coaster features seven inversions, a 150-foot (46 m)-tall lift hill with a 150-foot (46 m) drop, and the first Sea serpent roll element ever built on a B&M roller coaster. The ride is the longest coaster in Northern California at 3,937 feet (1,200 m) long and is notable as having one of the largest vertical loops in the world at 128 feet (39 m). It also shares the height record in Northern California with another two rides in the same park, The Flash: Vertical Velocity, and Superman: Ultimate Flight at 150 feet (46 m) high.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goliath (Six Flags Fiesta Texas)</span> Steel inverted roller coaster

Goliath is an inverted roller coaster located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Designed by Werner Stengel and Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, Goliath initially opened in 1995 at an amusement park in Japan, it then operated at Six Flags New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina caused the parks abandonment in 2005 and removal of Goliath to Six Flags Fiesta Texas where it has operated since 2008. It stands at a height of 105 feet (32 m), reaches a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 km/h), and features multiple inversions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wing Coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

Wing Coaster is engineering firm Bolliger & Mabillard’s designation for its winged roller coaster designs. Winged roller coasters are a type of steel roller coaster where pairs of riders sit on either side of a roller coaster track in which nothing is above or below the riders. B&M began development on the first Wing Coaster between 2007 and 2008 leading to the opening of Raptor at Gardaland on 1 April 2011. There were eighteen B&M-designed Wing Coasters either under construction or operating worldwide as of 2024, with one more standing but not operating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SheiKra</span> Ride at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

SheiKra is a steel Dive Coaster roller coaster at the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The roller coaster was proposed by Mark Rose, vice-president of design and engineering for the park, and designed by Bolliger & Mabillard. The ride was planned to be 160 feet (49 m) high, but the park's executives rejected this and the height was changed to 200 feet (61 m). SheiKra reaches a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) and has a total track length of 3,188 feet (972 m). It first opened on May 21, 2005, and was converted to a floorless roller coaster on June 16, 2007, following the opening of its sister Dive Coaster Griffon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X-Flight (Six Flags Great America)</span> Roller coaster in Gurnee, Illinois

X-Flight is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the fourth Wing Coaster in the world and the second in the United States on May 16, 2012. It replaced both the Splashwater Falls and Great American Raceway attractions. The 3,000-foot-long (910 m) roller coaster features barrel rolls, high-speed drops, and a signature fly-through element, where the train narrowly misses a relocated air traffic control tower as it passes through an opening known as a keyhole element.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sky Scrapper</span> Roller coaster

Sky Scrapper is a flying roller coaster at World Joyland in Wujin, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China. Sky Scrapper was one of World Joyland's opening day attractions, officially opening on April 30, 2011. The 2,805.1-foot-long (855.0 m) ride stands 131.3 feet (40.0 m) tall, and features a top speed of 54.7 mph (88.0 km/h). Designed by Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard, Sky Scrapper restrains riders in the prone position and features five inversions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitro (Imagicaa)</span> Floorless coaster at Imagicaa in India

Nitro is a steel Floorless Coaster at Imagicaa amusement park in Khopoli, Maharashtra, India. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the roller coaster reaches a maximum height of 132 feet (40 m) and a maximum speed of 65.2 miles per hour (104.9 km/h). The coaster also features five inversions. Nitro opened to the public in October 2013.

References

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  2. 1 2 "Bolliger & Mabillard". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Bolliger & Mabillard – Inverted Coaster" . Retrieved October 13, 2021.
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  5. 1 2 "The Significance of Bolliger & Mabillard". Coaster-net.com. February 12, 2011. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  6. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Titan  (Six Flags Over Texas)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  7. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Goliath  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  8. 1 2 3 PointBuzz (June 7, 2010). "Cedar Point Video – Walter Bolliger at CoasterMania! 2010 (Part 1 / 2)". YouTube. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
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  10. 1 2 Davidson, Mark (2005). "A Revolution on Rails: The Bolliger & Mabillard Story (Part I)". RollerCoaster!. Vol. dd27, no. 1. Minneapolis, Minnesota: American Coaster Enthusiasts. pp. 31–46. ISSN   0896-7261.
  11. ↑ USpatent 5272984,Bolliger, Walter&Mabillard, Claude,"Amusement ride of the roller coaster type",issued December 28, 1993, assigned to Le, Mark T.
  12. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Batman: The Ride  (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  13. ↑ USpatent 6352034,Bolliger, Walter&Mabillard, Claude,"Installation for amusement park, installation referred to as roller coaster",issued March 5, 2002, assigned to Morano, Joseph
  14. ↑ "Yes, Bolliger & Mabillard is Building the New Hulk Coaster at Universal Orlando". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  15. 1 2 MacDonald, Brady (April 11, 2012). "X-Flight wing coaster premieres at Six Flags Great America in May". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  16. ↑ McCleery, Bill (July 24, 2014). "Holiday World takes flight with $22M Thunderbird wing coaster". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  17. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Psyclone  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  18. ↑ "NewsParcs - Bolliger & Mabillard to supply world's longest inverted roller coaster at Kings Island in 2014". NewsParcs. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  19. 1 2 ""Steel Dragon 2000 new" is finally here! Debut on March 15, 2013 (Friday)!". Nagashima Spa Land. March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  20. 1 2 "Steel Dragon 2000 Adds B&M Trains". VHCoasters.com. March 17, 2013. Archived from the original on March 20, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2012" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Family Coaster". Bolliger & Mabillard. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  23. ↑ 2012 B&M product catalog.
  24. ↑ "Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  25. ↑ Alvey, Robb (November 16, 2011). "IAAPA 2011 Trade Show Part 4 Theme Park Review Fishpipe Water Ride B&M Zamperla". Theme Park Review . YouTube. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Dive Machine". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  27. ↑ "Flying Coaster". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  28. ↑ "OzIris". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  29. ↑ "Nitro - Adlabs Imagica". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  30. ↑ "Banshee - Kings Island". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Bolliger & Mabillard 2011". Parkthoughts.com. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  32. ↑ USpatent 6287211,Bolliger, Walter&Mabillard, Claude,"Installation for amusement park",issued September 11, 2001, assigned to Nguyen, Kien T.
  33. ↑ "Bolliger & Mabillard Products". Bolliger & Mabillard. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  34. ↑ Baldwin, Tim (June 2013). "Cedar Point's new GateKeeper gives entrance a complete makeover" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (3): 16. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Batman – The Dark Knight". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  36. ↑ "Behemoth". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  37. ↑ "Leviathan Construction Tour 2012-01-23 (Part 2)". cwcoasterboy (YouTube). January 23, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  38. ↑ "Splashdown". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  39. ↑ USpatent 7430966,Mabillard, Claude&Bolliger, Walter,"Brake, vehicle and roller coaster circuit",issued October 7, 2008, assigned to Morano, Joseph
  40. ↑ Bolliger & Mabillard - rcdb.com
  41. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Firebird  (Six Flags America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  42. ↑ "Typical Clermont Steel Fabrications". Clermont Steel Fabrications. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  43. ↑ "Diamondback built in Clermont". Loveland Magazine. March 23, 2009. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  44. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Iron Wolf  (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  45. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Kumba  (Bush Gardens Tampa)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  46. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Dragon Khan  (PortAventura Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  47. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Alpengeist  (Bush Gardens Williamsburg)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  48. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Oblivion  (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  49. ↑ Marden, Duane. "The Riddler's Revenge  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  50. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Medusa  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  51. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Incredible Hulk  (Universal Islands of Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  52. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Dragon Challenge  (Universal Islands of Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  53. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Apollo's Chariot  (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  54. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Air  (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  55. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Dominator  (Kings Dominion)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  56. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Dominator  (Geauga Lake)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  57. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Raptor  (Gardaland)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  58. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Leviathan  (Canada's Wonderland)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  59. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Rougarou  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  60. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Fury 325  (Carowinds)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  61. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Yukon Striker  (Canada's Wonderland)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  62. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Pipeline  (SeaWorld Orlando)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
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