Jump to content

The Swarm (roller coaster)

Coordinates: 51°40′57.48″N 0°51′55.31″W / 51.6826333°N 0.8653639°W / 51.6826333; -0.8653639
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Themeparkgc (talk | contribs) at 00:16, 20 February 2012 (Reverted edits by 86.152.193.37 (talk) to last version by Mike Selinker). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"LC12" redirects here. For the air force station commonly abbreviated to LC12, see Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 12.

The Swarm
File:The Swarm logo.png
File:The Swarm concept art.jpg
The concept art for The Swarm, released on 1 August 2011.
Thorpe Park
LocationThorpe Park
Coordinates51°40′57.48″N 0°51′55.31″W / 51.6826333°N 0.8653639°W / 51.6826333; -0.8653639
StatusUnder construction
Opening date15 March 2012 (2012-03-15)
Cost£20,000,000[1]
General statistics
TypeSteel – Wing Coaster
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
ModelCustom
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height127 ft (39 m)
Length775 m (2,543 ft)
Speed57 mph (92 km/h)
Inversions5[2]
Height restriction140 cm (4 ft 7 in)
Trains2 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 28 riders per train.
Official websitewww.theswarm.co.uk
Max Height Restriction195cm
The Swarm at RCDB

The Swarm (officially stylised as "THE SWARM") is the name of a steel Wing Coaster under construction at Thorpe Park in the United Kingdom.[2] The ride was codenamed LC12 in the early process of its planning and construction.[3][4] The Swarm will be the world's second Wing Coaster design by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard.[2] The coaster is planned to open on 15 March 2012 with construction having commenced in May 2011.[1]

History

In late 2010, planning for The Swarm began behind closed doors.[3][4] On 31 January 2011, Thorpe Park submitted a planning application for their 2012 ride to the Runnymede Borough Council.[5][6] The documents detailed the intent to build a roller coaster, codenamed LC12, which would have an apocalyptic theme.[3][4] On 30 March 2011, the application was approved by majority vote.[1] By that time, early work had already begun on the site.[7]

In late April 2011, Thorpe Park released an advertising campaign around the park. Hundreds of posters were 'flyposted' around the park visible to all. The posters exclaimed that "The end is coming. Uncover the truth" along with a URL for a teaser website, LC12.net.[8] Along with the posters actors roamed the park looking like homeless citizens wearing sandwich boards with similar text to that of the posters.[9][10][11][12] The LC12.net website featured a brief description hinting to the possible theme of the ride alongside a countdown until 1 August 2011.[7][13]

On 25 July 2011, Thorpe Park released a video via Facebook stating that "WAR is coming" on 1 August 2011.[14] When that day arrived, Thorpe Park officially announced The Swarm.[15][16] The existing LC12.net website was redirected to a new website for The Swarm (www.theswarm.co.uk).[17] The website gave further information about the new ride being themed around an apocalyptic battle.[15]

Track was complete for The Swarm on November 23, 2011, and gave the first test run with one of the trains on January 17, 2012.[15]

On 25 January 2012, it was reported around the world that an incident occurred when testing The Swarm.[18] Limbs of test dummies were lost when the ride went past an element of themeing that was located too close to the track.[19] However, many suspect it was a fake incident like a media-grabbing stunt by Thorpe Park similar to the stunts performed in 2011 with the launch of Storm Surge.[20]

Detail

The Swarm will be located on the reclaimed island adjacent to Stealth[21] with parts of the roller coaster to be built over water.[22] A bridge will be constructed to link the main core of Thorpe Park to an island which will host the roller coaster station and themed retail, food and toilet buildings.[4][23] The area will be themed as if being partially destroyed by explosions associated with a major disaster. According to the submitted plans, the ride will re-create "flying through a crash scene" and will feature extensive theming including a crashed aeroplane and helicopter around its layout.[24][25]

The roller coaster will begin in the station which is a partially destroyed church,[26] and will climb up a 38.6-metre (127 ft) chain lift hill.[2][1] Upon reaching the top of the lift hill, the track inverts riders before they dive down through a large half loop in a similar fashion to a diving loop.[27] The train will then proceed to dive under a wrecked plane and incline into a zero-g roll 30.6 metres (100 ft) above the ground before entering a 23-metre (75 ft) inclined loop.[27] It then enters a turn around with a wrecked helicopter in the centre followed by a corkscrew through the inclined loop, creating a near-miss point.[25][27] Upon leaving the corkscrew the train will curve past a crashed fire engine and a partly destroyed church tower[25][27] and enter into a last inline twist before the final brakes of the ride stop the train and guide it back into the station.[22] The ride will feature an on-ride camera somewhere along the course.[4] It has also been confirmed that the ride will feature and on-ride video camera, as tested before at Thorpe Park in the Saw: The Ride rollercoaster. "Raptor" at Gardaland in Italy, a Wingrider coaster at the park, which is also owned by Merlin Entertainments, features an on-ride video camera. "Raptor" was built as a test of the new wingrider design, for the investment to the new Thorpe Park rollercoaster in 2012, but is still acclaimed as a popular ride at Gardaland. The concept art implies that both water and fire effects will be utilised at points in the ride, this has now been confirmed by the park.

The Swarm will feature two 28-seater Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Coaster trains.[1] Each train will be made up of 7 rows of 4 seats. Pairs of seats will be located on either side of the ride's track and slightly lower than the track as with all Wing Coasters.[28] The trains are themed to resemble alien-like creatures, with a number of red LED lights placed across the train.

The Theme

The Swarm, is home to some spectacular thematic elements which range from a full scale replica of a church to the smouldering fuselage of an aeroplane. The ride begins in a Church that has been ripped apart by 'The Swarm'. Whilst ascending the lift you pass a destroyed tower on the right. When you have made the 127ft climb you plummet towards an aeroplane with fire effects in one of the planes engines, you dive under the wing narrowly missing The wing, engines & Fuselage and can come as close as 3 inches from the element.

The next element you cross is a crashed helicopter, that has been themed to make it look as though the crash just happened with the rotor blades still spinning slowly. Along with this water effects will operator on the right side of the train. The third and one of the magic wonders of the ride is the 'flaming fire truck' which exhales a fireball said to be able to go up to 15 meters into the air. Behind the fire truck another set of water effects blows along side the left hand of the train. The 4th and final element consists of the previously seen tower, whereby 'The Swarm' fly's through it to create a gaping hole. upon leaving the destroyed tower you 'flyover' the station narrowly missing the walls beneath.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Thorpe Park's New £20m Development Is No April Fools". Thorpe Park. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d The Swarm (roller coaster) at the Roller Coaster DataBase Please specify an RCDB ID number as the first parameter.
  3. ^ a b c Thorpe Park (27 January 2011). "Fencing Plan & Details Plan & Elevations" (PDF). Runnymede Borough Council. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e Thorpe Park (27 January 2011). "Toilet Block Plan & Elevations" (PDF). Runnymede Borough Council. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  5. ^ "Application for Planning Permission" (PDF). Runnymede Borough Council. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  6. ^ "Weekly notice of applications registered by Runnymede Borough Council for the period ending: 09/02/2011". Runnymede Borough Council. 9 February 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  7. ^ a b "News: Thorpe Park begin 2012 coaster construction". G-Force Magazine. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  8. ^ Cooper, Matt (21 April 2011). "Thorpe Park Launch LC12 Microsite – Update". UK Park News. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  9. ^ Hills, Leigh (30 April 2011). "Floods". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  10. ^ Hills, Leigh (30 April 2011). "Aliens". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  11. ^ Hills, Leigh (30 April 2011). "Natural Disaster". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  12. ^ Hills, Leigh (30 April 2011). "Nuclear Disaster". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  13. ^ Thorpe Park. "LC12". LC12. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  14. ^ Thorpe Park (25 July 2011). "War is coming..." Video. Facebook. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  15. ^ a b c Thorpe Park (1 August 2011). "Thorpe Park - THE SWARM". The Swarm. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  16. ^ Thorpe Park (1 August 2011). "War is coming..." Video. Facebook. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  17. ^ Thorpe Park (1 August 2011). "LC12". LC12. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  18. ^ "UK amusement park redesigns roller coaster after dummy passengers lose limbs". NewsCore. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  19. ^ "Thorpe Park rollercoaster crash test dummies lose LIMBS during test run". Mirror. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  20. ^ Walford, Charles (25 January 2012). "The rollercoaster that costs an arm and a leg: Thorpe Park's new £20m ride The Swarm has urgent redesign after dummies return from test run with limbs snapped off". Daily Mail. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  21. ^ "Thorpe Park - Developing the Thrills". Press Release. Thorpe Park. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  22. ^ a b Thorpe Park (2 August 2010). "Block Plan as Proposed" (PDF). Runnymede Borough Council. Retrieved 2 August 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ Thorpe Park (29 November 2010). "Bridge Planning Drawings" (PDF). Runnymede Borough Council. Retrieved 2 August 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ Thorpe Park (27 January 2011). "Theming Feature C - Plan & Elevations" (PDF). Runnymede Borough Council. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  25. ^ a b c Thorpe Park (27 January 2011). "Features A&B, Queue Line Kiosk & Entrance Feature - Plan & Elevations" (PDF). Runnymede Borough Council. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  26. ^ Thorpe Park (27 January 2011). "Station Building - Plan & Colour Elevations" (PDF). Runnymede Borough Council. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  27. ^ a b c d Thorpe Park (2 August 2010). "Site Sections BB CC" (PDF). Runnymede Borough Council. Retrieved 2 August 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ The Swarm (roller coaster) at the Roller Coaster DataBase Please specify an RCDB ID number as the first parameter.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Swarm_(roller_coaster)&oldid=477798426"