Swarm is a steel Wing Coaster at Thorpe Park, a theme park in the United Kingdom.[2] The Swarm was the world’s second Wing Coaster designed by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and the United Kingdom’s first Wing Coaster.[3] Construction commenced in May 2011, and the coaster opened on 15 March 2012.[1] Starting in 2013, the last two rows of each train face backwards, while the first five rows face forward.
The 775-metre-long (2,543 ft) ride stands 39 metres (128 ft) tall and features five inversions. On the one-minute twenty-five second ride, riders experience speeds of up to 59 miles per hour (95 km/h) and 4.5 times the force of gravity. A marketing campaign for the ride began 11 months before The Swarm was opened to the public. The ride has generally been well received, ranking highly amongst other roller coasters of its type. The ride also features two rows of backwards facing seats at the back of the train.
Statistics:
Length: 2,543 ft
Height: 127 ft
Inversions: 5
Elements: Chain Lift Hill, Dive Drop, Zero-G Roll, Inclined Loop, Corkscrew, In-Line Twist
The roller coaster begins in the station, which is built to look like a partially destroyed church, and climbs up a 38.7-metre (127 ft) chain lift hill. Upon reaching the top of the lift hill, the track twists 180 degrees anticlockwise, so that riders are upside down, before plunging down the world’s first dive drop element. The train then proceeds to dive under the wing of a wrecked plane and into a zero-g roll 30.6 metres (100 ft) above the ground before passing through a billboard and entering an inclined loop. It then enters a turnaround with a wrecked helicopter with slow-spinning rotor blades in the centre. This is followed by a corkscrew, which passes through the inclined loop. Upon leaving the corkscrew, the train curves past a crashed fire engine with water and fire effects and proceeds through a keyhole: a partly destroyed church tower. The ride then flies over the station and enters into a last inline twist before a mid-course brake run. Following this, the train makes a banked left-hand turn into the final brakes. The train then goes back into the station. The ride features an on-ride video camera, which shows you your ride experience which you can purchase when you exit the ride. Note: The front row & last row will not record your ride as there is no camera to film.
More Info:
* http://rcdb.com/9820.htm
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swarm_(roller_coaster)
* https://www.thorpepark.com/