Firebird (roller coaster)

Last updated

Firebird
Previously known as Iron Wolf (1990–2011)
Apocalypse (2012–2018)
Firebird logo.jpg
Six Flags America
Park section Chesapeake
Coordinates 38°54′30″N76°46′26″W / 38.90833°N 76.77389°W / 38.90833; -76.77389
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 17, 2019
ReplacedSkull Mountain
Six Flags Great America
NameIron Wolf
Park section County Fair
Coordinates 42°21′58″N87°55′52″W / 42.36611°N 87.93111°W / 42.36611; -87.93111
StatusRemoved
Opening dateApril 28, 1990 (1990-04-28)
Closing dateSeptember 5, 2011 (2011-09-05)
Replaced Z-Force
Replaced by Goliath
Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America at RCDB
General statistics
Type Steel  Floorless Coaster
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer Werner Stengel
Model Floorless
Track layout Twister
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height100 ft (30 m)
Drop90 ft (27 m)
Length2,900 ft (880 m)
Speed55 mph (89 km/h)
Inversions 2
Duration2:00
Capacity1220 riders per hour
Height restriction54–76 in (137–193 cm)
Trains2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train.
Fastpass availability icon.svg Flash Pass Available
Firebird at RCDB

Firebird is a floorless roller coaster located at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. [1] The roller coaster had originally debuted in 1990 as a stand-up roller coaster named Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America. It was later relocated to Six Flags America in 2012 and renamed Apocalypse, under which it operated until 2018. [2]

Contents

The roller coaster was the first to be built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. [3] When known as Iron Wolf, the roller coaster briefly held world records among stand-up roller coasters for height (100-foot or 30-metre) and speed (55 miles per hour or 89 kilometres per hour) before being surpassed several years later.

History

Six Flags Great America (1990–2011)

Iron Wolf train inside a vertical loop Iron Wolf (Six Flags Great America) 01.JPG
Iron Wolf train inside a vertical loop

On April 28, 1990, Apocalypse opened as Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America on the former site of Z-Force (the only Intamin Space Diver ever manufactured). [4] [5] [6] It debuted in 1990 as the tallest and fastest stand-up roller coaster in the world. [7] [8] [9] Its height record was surpassed in 1992 by Milky Way at Mitsui Greenland, which stands at 125 feet (38 m), [10] and its speed record was exceeded by Mantis at Cedar Point in 1996, which had a maximum speed of 60 mph (97 km/h). [11]

In 1994, Iron Wolf appeared in the movie Richie Rich as Richie's backyard roller coaster. [4] [12]

On August 5, 2011, Six Flags Great America announced on their official Facebook page that the Iron Wolf would be closed on September 5, 2011: "After a long 21 year history at the park, we will be removing Iron Wolf. Make sure to get your last rides in – Iron Wolf’s Last Stand is September 5". [7] [13] [14] 'The Last Stand' is also a reference to the slogan afforded to Apocalypse. [15] [16] Iron Wolf's former site would be taken over in 2014 by a custom RMC coaster, Goliath.

Six Flags America (2012–present)

Apocalypse (2012–18)

Fire effects on Apocalypse Fhoto a ciaster.jpg
Fire effects on Apocalypse

On August 22, 2011, Six Flags America announced on their Facebook page that they would be adding a new attraction in 2012. [17] From this day, the park began to slowly remove burnt pieces from an envelope each days leading up to the official announcement on September 1, 2011. [18] On September 1, 2011, Six Flags America announced that they would be adding Apocalypse in 2012. [19]

Iron Wolf closed on September 5, 2011, [7] and work began on preparing it for transport to its new location. [20] The new owners planned to add the roller coaster to the Skull Island section of their park, but before the relocation could take place, the Skull Mountain ride at Six Flags America had to be closed and demolished to make room for the new attraction. [21] [22] [23] Vertical construction of Apocalypse began in February 2012. [24] This continued until the end of March 2012 when the final piece of track was installed. [25]

The official Facebook page for Six Flags America had stated that the ride would officially open on May 25, 2012, [26] but this was later changed to June 7, 2012. [1] [27]

Firebird (2019–present)

On August 16, 2018, the park announced on their social media platforms that Apocalypse would close on September 8, 2018. [2] [28] On August 30, 2018, instead of being demolished or relocated, it was announced that Apocalypse would be converted into a floorless coaster and renamed Firebird for the 2019 season. [29] Firebird opened on May 3, 2019, to Six Flags members with a Platinum membership or higher. It opened to the public on May 17, 2019. [30]

Meanwhile, the former Apocalypse train was being donated to the National Roller Coaster Museum. [31]

Ride experience

After departing the station, the train makes a 180 degree turn leading to the 100-foot (30 m) chain lift hill. Once at the top, the train goes through a pre-drop before making a sharp left hand turn leading into the first drop. Once the train is at the bottom of the first drop, it immediately goes through the first of two inversions, a vertical loop. The train then makes an upward right turn before making a left turn back down to the ground. The train continues to go left before going through an upward helix. After, the train makes a downward right s-bend leading into the second and final inversion, a corkscrew. The train makes a left turn back up before going through another s-bend, small over-banked turn which leads to the brake run. [32] [33] One cycle lasts about 2 minutes with riders reaching a top speed of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). [1]

Trains

Firebird operates with two floorless trains. Each train has six rows with four each for a total of 24 riders per train. [1]

When the roller coaster was known as Iron Wolf, both trains featured the face of a wolf on the front of the train. After the ride was relocated to Six Flags America, the wolf was removed and the word "Apocalypse" replaced it. [34]

Track

The steel track is approximately 2,900 feet (880 m) in length and the height of the lift is approximately 100 feet (30 m). The first drop is 90 feet (27 m). [1] The track spine is painted orange and the rails red. The supports are dark gray.

When the coaster was known as Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America, the track was brown.

Theme

Between 1990 and 2011, when Apocalypse was known as Iron Wolf, there was no theme for the roller coaster. After its relocation to Six Flags America, to match the new name of the coaster, an end of the world apocalypse theme was added with fire, crashed planes and zombies located in the queue line and along the layout of the roller coaster. [35] [36] As guests went further in the queue line to the end at the station, it mimicked an end of the world apocalypse scenario. The skull from Skull Mountain also serves as a backdrop to the ride. [35]

After being converted to Firebird, much of the Apocalypse theming has been removed. The fire effect is still used, however.

See also

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">Bolliger & Mabillard</span> Swiss roller coaster manufacturer

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.

<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.

<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">Green Lantern (Six Flags Great Adventure)</span> Steel roller coaster

Green Lantern, formerly known as Chang, is a stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Green Lantern stands 155 feet (47 m) tall and features a top speed of 63 miles per hour (101 km/h). The 4,155-foot-long (1,266 m) ride features five inversions and a duration of approximately 212 minutes. This steel coaster was designed and built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Riddler's Revenge</span> Stand-up roller coaster

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">Medusa (Six Flags Great Adventure)</span> Steel floorless roller coaster

Medusa, formerly known as Bizarro, is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride debuted as the world's first floorless roller coaster on April 2, 1999. It was repainted and rethemed to Bizarro in 2009. In 2022, it was repainted and renamed back to Medusa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant Inverted Boomerang</span> Steel roller coaster

A Giant Inverted Boomerang is a type of steel shuttle roller coaster manufactured by the Dutch firm Vekoma. The ride is a larger, inverted version of Vekoma's popular Boomerang sit down roller coasters. As of May 2024, four installations of the model are operating, with another one under construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flashback (Six Flags Magic Mountain)</span> Defunct roller coaster

Flashback was a steel roller coaster made by Intamin of Switzerland. The coaster was located in the Six Flags Plaza area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. The model of the ride, a Space Diver coaster, was intended to be mass-produced, however, Flashback was the only installation.

<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">Patriot (California's Great America)</span> Floorless roller coaster

Patriot is a floorless roller coaster located in Hometown Square at the California's Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, California, United States. The roller coaster originally opened as Vortex on March 9, 1991. It was a stand-up roller coaster designed by Werner Stengel and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard.

<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.

Amusement rides and stunt shows themed to the Batman franchise its derivative elements are commonly found at Warner Bros. and Six Flags amusement parks across the world.

<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 sixteen B&M-designed Wing Coasters either under construction or operating worldwide as of December 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SheiKra</span> Roller coaster 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 support structure – designed to look like an air traffic control tower – as it passes through an opening known as a keyhole element.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goliath (Six Flags New England)</span> Defunct steel shuttle roller coaster

Goliath was a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. Manufactured by Vekoma, the ride originally opened as Déjà Vu at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2001. The ride was a larger, inverted version of Vekoma's popular Boomerang sit-down roller coasters. In 2021, the park removed the ride from its map indicating it would not reopen for the remainder of the season. In late 2021, demolition of the coaster began.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Marden, Duane. "Firebird  (Six Flags America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  2. 1 2 Six Flags America (August 16, 2018). "Six Flags America is closing its Apocalypse stand-up roller coaster". Washington Top News. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  3. Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  4. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Iron Wolf  (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  5. biZarRo (February 12, 2011). "The Significance of Bolliger & Mabillard". COASTER-Net. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  6. Marden, Duane. "Space Diver". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  7. 1 2 3 "'Iron Wolf's last stand is Sept. 5'". Chicago Sun-Times. August 5, 2011. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  8. Six Flags Great America. "Iron Wolf". Six Flags. Archived from the original on August 2, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  9. Yeager, Connie (March 25, 1990). "New roller coasters promise wilder rides". The Telegraph. p. 59. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  10. Marden, Duane. "Milky Way  (Mitsui Greenland)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  11. Marden, Duane. "Mantis  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  12. "Ri¢hie Ri¢h (1994) – Trivia". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  13. Six Flags Great America (August 5, 2011). "After a long 21..." Facebook. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  14. Coasterholic14 (August 6, 2011). "Six Flags Great America Losing Long-time Stand-Up Coaster". COASTER-Net. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. "Wall Photos". Six Flags Great America (Facebook). September 1, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  16. Moran, Dan (September 1, 2011). "New coaster coming to Gurnee Six Flags in 2012". Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  17. Six Flags America (August 22, 2011). "This TOP SECRET envelope..." Facebook. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  18. "Six Flags America's Standing Orders for 2012". News Plus Notes. August 25, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  19. Six Flags America (September 1, 2011). "Maryland's..." Facebook. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  20. Barron, Christina (May 30, 2012). "Six Flags America previews its new coaster, Apocalypse". Washington Post. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  21. Six Flags America (September 1, 2011). "Apocalypse". Six Flags. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
  22. "Six Flags America Prepares Final Voyage For Skull Mountain". Six Flags America. June 9, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  23. "Six Flags America prepares for final voyage of Skull Mountain to make way for 2012 attraction". Behind The Thrills. June 9, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  24. Stevenson, John (February 28, 2012). "Apocalypse Vertical Construction Begins". Coaster101. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  25. SFAFans.com [@sfafans] (March 31, 2012). "Apocalypse is complete!" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  26. Six Flags America (September 1, 2011). "Six Flags America Announces Apocalypse". Six Flags. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  27. Six Flags America (June 7, 2012). "Six Flags America Unleashes Apocalypse". Six Flags. Archived from the original on June 8, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  28. Six Flags America (August 16, 2018). "THE APOCALYPSE ENDS AT SIX FLAGS AMERICA". Six Flags. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  29. "Six Flags adds a 'floorless' roller coaster". 30 August 2018.
  30. Six Flags America (May 9, 2019). "Firebird Opening Weekend". Six Flags. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  31. "National Roller Coaster Museum Facebook post". Facebook . Archived from the original on 2022-02-26.
  32. "Apocalypse HD POV Six Flags America". CoasterBandit3D (YouTube). June 2, 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  33. "Apocalypse - The Last Stand (Coaster-Net)". Coaster-Net. December 17, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  34. "Iron Wolf Train". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  35. 1 2 "Maryland Six Flags Theme Park Opens First Stand-Up Roller Coaster". Ultimate Roller Coaster. June 7, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  36. "Apocalypse Roller Coaster POV Front Seat Six Flags America 2012". themeparkreviewtpr (YouTube). June 8, 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved August 16, 2012.