Specific Type: Wing Coaster
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Thorpe Park has always and always will be a thrill park. It attracts the older audience, who tries and braves the six major coasters at the park. The first of the six is X:\ No Way Out, a themed indoor coaster that tries to disorient riders. The second was Colossus, the first coaster in the world to invert riders ten times in one run. This Intamin contraption, however, has grown unpopular over the years, since it has lost its intensity. The following year, Thorpe Park built Nemesis Inferno, a B&M Inverted Coaster that had a lengthy pre-lift section, four inversions, and a volcano theme.
The next coaster was another Intamin contraption that was much shorter than Colossus. Stealth was a smaller version of Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure, but was a bit more intense because of the smaller stature. In 2009, Thorpe Park opened Saw: the Ride, a roller coaster themed after the popular horror film series. This Gerstlaur Eurofighter was heavily themed, with a pre-lift section in a building and a ripsaw on the way down the 97 degree drop. Obviously, Thorpe Park has outdone itself again with its new coaster, Swarm. This apocalypse themed ride is the second B&M running at the park, with the first being Nemesis Inferno. Swarmis a B&M Wing Coaster, which features seats to the side of the track. The ride opened on March 15th, 2012, and was very well received by fans of Thorpe Park. Swarm is one of three B&M Wing Coasters opening this year. Swarm opened first, but is to be followed up by Wild Eagle at Dollywood, and then by X-Flight at Six Flags Great America. Swarm beats both rides in terms of inversions, but Wild Eagle wins the height record for 210’, and X-Flight features a lengthier layout. The ride’s layout is very unique, featuring the first inclined loop since Riddler’s Revenge at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and also features an in-line twist at the end of the layout. But, what really makes Swarm unique is its opening element. Immediately off the lift, riders slowly roll upside down and dive straight towards the ground. This twist and dive element is the first ride by B&M to feature it, and is also implemented into X-Flight's design. Future riders make their way to the right of the park, close to Stealth. Actors are roaming around the entrance to the ride, wearing blood-stained lab coats and tinfoil. Once riders queue, board the train, and pull down their restraints, the thumbs up is given, and the train slowly moves up the lift. Once at the top, riders slowly roll in the twist and dive element mentioned above. After taking the dive, riders zoom under a plane wing and fly into a zero-g-roll and subsequent inclined loop. After circling around to the right, riders experience a corkscrew, which goes through the middle of the inclined loop. Riders make a turn to the left now, which leads into a low-lying in-line roll. The train glides through the first set of brakes, and circles around into the final brake run. |
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