The Euro-Fighter is a type of steel roller coaster developed by Gerstlauer. First launched in 2003, the trademark feature of the roller coaster is its beyond-vertical drop, which reaches an angle greater than 90 degrees. Although the majority of Euro-Fighters are custom designed for each installation, every design so far has included the trademark drop. A number of different track elements are possible, including vertical loops, diving loops and barrel rolls. Almost all Euro-Fighter models have a vertical chain-driven lift hill, although LSM launch systems are also available.
Riders are transported in individual cars around the track, which feature two rows of four seats. Two exceptions are Huracan at the Belantis amusement park in Germany and Dare Devil Dive at Six Flags Over Georgia, which both feature cars similar to those used on Gerstlauer's launched roller coasters. The cars have over-the-shoulder restraints and may be themed (to an extent) according to the customer's requirements. Dare Devil Dive's cars were the first to use a new lap-bar only restraint system in 2011 and were used on several following models. Over-the-shoulder restraints continued to be offered on Euro-Fighters and an updated design eventually appeared on Defiance in 2022.
Fluch von Novgorod , located at Hansa Park in Germany, was the first Euro-Fighter to incorporate both a vertical lift and an LSM launch in the same circuit. [1]
Name | Model | Park | Country | Opened | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vild-Svinet | Model 500/8 | BonBon-Land | Denmark | 2003 | Operating | [2] |
Typhoon | Model 670/8 | Bobbejaanland | Belgium | 2004 | Operating | [3] |
Speed: No Limits | Model 600 | Oakwood Theme Park | United Kingdom | 2006 | Operating | [4] |
Rage | Model 320+ | Adventure Island | United Kingdom | 2007 | Operating | [5] |
Mystery Mine | Custom | Dollywood | United States | 2007 | Operating | [6] |
SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge | Custom | Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America | United States | 2008 | Operating | [7] |
SAW: The Ride | Custom | Thorpe Park | United Kingdom | 2009 | Operating | [8] |
Falcon | Model 320+ | Duinrell | Netherlands | 2009 | Operating | [9] |
Flucht von Novgorod | Custom | Hansa Park | Germany | 2009 | Operating | [10] |
Huracan | Custom | Belantis | Germany | 2010 | Operating | [11] |
Dare Devil Dive | Custom | Six Flags Over Georgia | United States | 2011 | Operating | [12] |
Untamed | Model 320+ | Canobie Lake Park | United States | 2011 | Operating | [13] |
Takabisha | Model 1000 | Fuji-Q Highland | Japan | 2011 | Operating | [14] |
Eurofighter | Custom | Zoosafari Fasanolandia | Italy | 2011 | Operating | [15] |
Iron Shark | Model 380 | Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier | United States | 2012 | Operating | [16] |
Abyss | Custom | Adventure World | Australia | 2013 | Operating | [17] [18] |
Krater | Model 380 | Colombian National Coffee Park | Colombia | 2014 | Operating | [19] |
Serpent | Model 320+ | Parc Sindibad | Morocco | 2015 | Operating | [20] |
Predator | Model 320+ | IMG Worlds of Adventure | United Arab Emirates | 2016 | Operating | [21] |
Hydrus | Model 320 | Casino Pier | United States | 2017 | Operating | [22] [23] |
Adrenaline Peak | Model 320 | Oaks Amusement Park | United States | 2018 | Operating | [24] [25] |
Tantrum | Model 380 | Six Flags Darien Lake | United States | 2018 | Operating | [26] |
TMNT Shellraiser | Model 1000 | Nickelodeon Universe American Dream | United States | 2019 | Operating | |
Vertika | Custom | La Récré Des 3 Curés | France | 2020 | Operating | [28] |
Defiance | Custom | Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park | United States | 2022 | Operating | [29] |
Vindfald | Custom | Tivoli Friheden | Denmark | 2024 | Operating |
Anton Schwarzkopf was a German engineer who founded Schwarzkopf Industries GmbH, a German manufacturer of roller coasters and other amusement rides that were sold to amusement parks and travelling funfairs around the world.
The Suspended Looping Coaster is a model of steel inverted roller coaster built by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma. There are at least 39 different installations across the world. The minimum rider height requirement is 130 centimetres. Vekoma is now marketing a Suspended Thrill Coaster as a successor to the Suspended Looping Coaster. The Odyssey is the largest, fastest and tallest SLC ever built at Fantasy Island in the UK.
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.
Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH is a German manufacturer of stationary and transportable amusement rides and roller coasters, located in Münsterhausen, Germany. As of May 2024, all 113 Gerstlauer-made rollercoasters are still in operation and at their original park, apart from Seifenkiste at Trampolino Familien- und Freizeitpark, which is currently in storage, and Pandemonium at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, which now operates at Six Flags Mexico under the name of Joker.
Rage is a steel roller coaster situated at Adventure Island in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. Rage is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter model roller coaster. At 97 degrees, it is steeper-than-vertical and tied for the third steepest roller coaster in the United Kingdom. it is also tied six ways between itself, Fahrenheit, Speed: No Limits, SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, Typhoon, and Vild-Svinet.
Mumbo Jumbo is a roller coaster which opened to the public on 4 July 2009 at Flamingo Land Resort, UK. Mumbo Jumbo is situated in the Lost Kingdom section of the park and has orange supports and black tracks.
Dare Devil Dive is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Designed by German company Gerstlauer, Dare Devil Dive is based on the company's Euro-Fighter model, and features a 95-foot (29 m)-tall vertical lift hill, a 95° first drop, three inversions and a top speed of 52 miles per hour (84 km/h). It is also the first Euro-Fighter to debut a new lap-bar restraint system, replacing the more common over-the-shoulder harnesses.
Untamed is a steel Euro-Fighter roller coaster located at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire.
Takabisha (高飛車) is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter steel roller coaster located at Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan. It opened on 16 July 2011, and is known for having a drop angle of 121°. It was the steepest coaster in the world before it was overtaken in 2019 by TMNT Shellraiser at American Dream in New Jersey. The Japanese name Takabisha translates to "high-handed" or "domineering" in English. The name is a pun, in that the three kanji in the name literally mean "high fly car".
Iron Shark is a steel roller coaster at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier. The Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster opened to the public on June 1, 2012. Iron Shark was the first Euro-Fighter coaster in Texas. The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.
El Loco is a model of steel roller coaster manufactured by S&S Worldwide. The rides are characterised by a vertical or beyond-vertical drop, tight corners and abnormal banking. As of November 2013, there are six El Locos operating around the world.
Abyss is a steel roller coaster located at the Adventure World amusement park in Perth, Western Australia. The $12-million attraction was announced in April 2013, and construction began the following month. It opened to the general public six months later on 1 November 2013.
Vild-Svinet is a steel roller coaster at BonBon-Land in southern Zealand, Denmark, approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Copenhagen. Vild-Svinet is the prototype for the Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster model. At 97 degrees, the coaster is the steepest roller coaster in Denmark.
Huracan is a steel roller coaster at Belantis amusement park in Leipzig, Germany. Huracan is one of two Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter model roller coasters in Germany, the other being Fluch von Novgorod.
Falcon is a steel roller coaster at the amusement park Duinrell, located in Wassenaar, Netherlands. The roller coaster is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter model coaster which was opened to the public on 14 May 2009. At 97 degrees, Falcon has a steeper-than-vertical drop, and the steepest drop of any roller coaster in the Netherlands.
Eurofighter is a steel roller coaster at Zoosafari Fasanolandia in Fasano, Italy. Eurofighter is the only Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter model roller coaster that bears the name of the coaster model. At 97 degrees, the coaster is also the steepest roller coaster in Italy.
Hydrus is a steel roller coaster at Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Opened in 2017, it was the sixth Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster to open in the United States and the first Euro-Fighter 320 model in the world. It replaced Star Jet, which was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Tantrum is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Darien Lake in Darien, New York, United States. It is a Euro-Fighter roller coaster manufactured by German manufacturer Gerstlauer and opened on May 25, 2018. Tantrum features a maximum height of 98.4-foot (30.0 m), with a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) and a total track length of 1,246.7 feet (380.0 m). With a drop angle of 97 degrees, it was the first roller coaster in the state of New York to feature a beyond-vertical drop and the park's first new roller coaster since 2008.
The TMNT Shellraiser is a steel indoor roller coaster at Nickelodeon Universe amusement park, within the American Dream Meadowlands shopping and entertainment complex, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The roller coaster is a Euro-Fighter model manufactured by Gerstlauer, and themed to the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series. It is the steepest roller coaster in the world with a vertical drop of 121.5 degrees. The TMNT Shellraiser has the same layout as Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan, a previous record holder for world's steepest roller coaster. The ride is temporarily closed due to track repairs. No opening date has been given.
Adrenaline Peak is a steel roller coaster at Oaks Amusement Park, just south of Portland, Oregon. The ride replaced the Pinfari Looping Thunder coaster in the park's South End, which closed after the 2017 season. The coaster was manufactured by Gerstlauer and is one of their Euro-Fighter coasters, containing three inversions and a vertical lift hill.