Thunderbird Wing Coaster Takes Inaugural Launch

Holiday World shared an exciting moment yesterday of the park’s Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) wing coaster, Thunderbird, taking its first launch.

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The 0-62 mph, 3.5-second launch is B&M’s first in-house launch system. The Incredible Hulk’s (Islands of Adventure) launch system was a product of Universal and a third-party company.

Watch the video below to see the launch in action:


The park shared some more photos of the test launch on Facebook:

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Immediately following the launch, the 20-seat winged trains will maneuver a 140-foot-tall Immelmann inversion. Thunderbird’s layout contains three additional inversions: a 125-foot vertical loop, zero-g roll and inline twist.

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All Photos © Holiday World

I know I’m envious of those test dummies. The coaster is expected to open to the public next month.

What are your thoughts on B&M’s first in-house launched coaster? Discuss in the comments section below.

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