Author Topic: Cool Drachen Fire Article (Read 10109 times)

Millennium Force 44 · « **on:** March 27, 2011, 06:20:42 PM »

Just found this interesting blog about Drachen Fire and how Arrow was given B&M's plans for a multi-looper which they used to come up with such a unique coaster.
http://www.coaster-net.com/blogs/161-let-s-look-a-drachen-in-the-mouth/

Steve · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2011, 08:21:09 PM »

That was actually a really good read. Thanks for sharing.

B-mac · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2011, 08:26:47 PM »

I remember that ride standing there when I went to BGW for the first time. They had a nice for sale sign on the support where the train passed under it and in my four year old head i thought "WOW! that would look nice in my backyard!" When they finally reopened that area for their concerts I noticed a whole lot of things about drachen fire and BBW. BBW's turnaround after its first drop went right up next to the pathway to drachen fire and back in where drachen fire was you had a very nice view of the middle section of BBW, even getting a look at the MCBR and the second lift hill. You can even get a nice view of the old footers for BBW back there, too. Now drachen fire was something special to me. When the area was opened up for the summer concerts I noticed that the entire station was still sitting there, the loading station, the maintenance bay, even the generator hidden under the loading station! Busch also left a lot of the footers for the supports there in the area. When you're riding the train you can see some of the footers where the wraparound cork was and while I was watching one of the concerts I was actually sitting on one of footers to what I believe was the cutback, i really don't know. But while I was watching the concert I was really thinking if busch had any plans to rebuild over drachen fire's plot of land and what they would do with BBW's station and all that. Then we all found out about Busch Garden's plans for a multi-launch coaster and all the rumors that have swirled around with its layout and "gigantic warehouse."

Millennium Force 44 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2011, 08:35:17 PM »

Yeah I thought it was a good read too! B-mac, those are some great memories. Drachen Fire still amazes me, I wish I could ride it!

rjholla2003 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2011, 09:38:10 PM »

That article was amazing. It kind of sounds like Viper...but better. LOL.

AV Matt · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2011, 11:08:16 PM »

While I've known about the alleged B&M connection for about 10 years, this article seams more like an enthusiast trying to come up with an explanation for every detail rather than reporting actual facts.

dkny6363 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 28, 2011, 01:06:33 AM »

What an interesting coaster. I never really knew anything about it before today. I just assumed it was like a Gasm, viper, or shockwave. Very interesting stuff. Coasters like this intrigue me, especially once they become extinct.

dkny6363 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 28, 2011, 01:11:15 AM »

Question: they went with arrow for this because B&M could only do 1 coaster at the time... then why is it drachen fire opened in 1992, and kumba in 93. Am I missing something. Is it that they wanted then for 93 and B&M could only do 1 for 93 then they asked arrow and they said hey we can do it for 92.

AV Matt · « **Reply #8 on:** March 28, 2011, 12:54:15 PM »

Don't know. But the first Batman Invert and their third standup (Vortex at Carowinds) opened in '92 as well. Perhaps it had nothing to do with Kumba.

It's even more reason why this reads more like enthusiast speculation than fact.

Millennium Force 44 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 28, 2011, 04:58:03 PM »

meh, either way I thought it was a good read and it started a good conversation!

dkny6363 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2011, 05:23:55 PM »

who liked this ride of people who have been on it?

B-mac · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2011, 07:57:44 PM »

I haven't been on it, and from the people I've met in BGW there are very few people who've been on it. Matt's been riding BBW for ages before it closed, maybe he's been on it lol.

AV Matt · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2011, 08:06:55 PM »

Unfortunately, no, this Matt did not get to ride BBW for ages before it closed. My first visit to WIlliamsburg, VA was in 2006. :-/ BUT, I had been in love with that ride since I saw it in Popular Mechanics magazine 20 years previously. It's sad in all my travels from 1989 to present, I didn't get to that park until near the end of that ride's life. :-/

I was always fascinated by Drachen Fire from the moment it was leaked to ACE News. The artist rendering was out of this world different from any previous Arrow looper. Then I remember watching it on the Entertainment Tonight coaster segment the following summer (along with the first B&M invert, Batman, and several others. The Drachen Fire segment was sound-tracked with Van Halen's "Mine All Mine", which made it extra cool for me. And another VH tune "Runaround" was used during a silly carousel sequence. In the ET footage, you could see the riders getting shaken up pretty good, kinda like Alvey on theat press day i305 footage last year.

The one thing that I really have a problem with in that article, which makes me doubt other stuff, is that part about Arrow not being able to do a giant vertical loop around the lift hill, because they only make one loop and thus aren't up to engineering anything new. If this is true, it's really sad, but it sure seems like a ridiculous cop-out to me. And then the whole fact about B&M's heartline-designed layout wouldn't work for Arrow. It even says in the article that Arrow had to compress the layout into a smaller footprint after their first attempt. Therefore they weren't locked in to anything B&M designed. They could easily reshape the elements to work better with their design style. It just doesn't add up.

dkny6363 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 28, 2011, 08:16:03 PM »

I bet wow`s tapped that.

WadeJ · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2011, 08:37:31 PM »

I missed riding it by something like 4 days

. I even have video footage and photos of the ride area from the train from when I was there.

Matt, to the best of my knowledge, that loop comment is accurate. The only other "different" loop they did was on Tennessee Tornado @ Dollywood. But what do I know LOL

Looking back at all of the various arrow rides, X seems to be the only other oddball which is for obvious reasons.

AV Matt · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2011, 08:54:13 PM »

I know it's accurate from the perspective of Arrow never made a different loop until the next generation Tennessee Tornado. But the article claims Arrow *couldn't* make the loop that B&M allegedly envisioned around the lift hill. That assumes that Arrow was actually asked to do the loop and that they did in fact take cues from the alleged B&M concept. If you take the B&M involvement part for fact, then yes, it's easy to make up excuses for why Arrow messed up everything else, but I have yet to have seen anything proven to be fact about B&M's involvement. The same ride could have easily been conceived entirely by Arrow as they were starting to head in new directions with their twisting of track. Although it has many similarities to Kumba, there's nothing about the layout that proves it was influenced by B&M's input. It all sounds like enthusiast urban legend to me. And I have been wondering this myself for quite some time. I'd really like to see someone with proof and industry backing to prove or debunk this "legend".

Millennium Force 44 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2011, 09:46:18 PM »

I completely understand what you are saying Matt and see both sides of this mystery. I just think the way the author went through each element comparing the alleged B&M layout to Arrow's "solution" for it was extremely clever if it is in fact made up.

Millennium Force 44 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 28, 2011, 10:05:49 PM »

here is a great tribute to Big Bad Wolf while we are on the discussion of defunct/BBW coasters.
http://vimeo.com/8855401

Steve · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2011, 10:06:34 PM »

I have to say I was actually able to ride this. When my dad first took me to BGW (don't remember the year) it was open so we decided to ride. I don't remember much, but I still remember that it hurt.

dkny6363 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 28, 2011, 11:00:23 PM »

Seems like Dollywood going with Arrow for TT was a strange choice. Wasn`t there a big gap between projects for them by 99? Although i`ve heard TT is quite good.

Perhaps one day technology will advance to the point they will have simulators that can simulate any roller coaster past or present. Drachen Fire, BBW, Eagle Fortress, SOB pre loop, Origional Texas Giant, Gasm, Origional Minebuster, Ozcat... how cool would that be? We need one for the treehouse.

AV Matt · « **Reply #20 on:** March 29, 2011, 12:00:37 AM »

It's called NoLimits.

dkny6363 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 29, 2011, 12:05:03 AM »

I had a more convincing simulator in mind

B-mac · « **Reply #22 on:** March 29, 2011, 07:26:37 AM »

You mean like that 5D one great adventure was supposed to get?

Blackhand1001 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 29, 2011, 09:58:31 AM »

Quote from: dkny6363 on March 28, 2011, 11:00:23 PM

Seems like Dollywood going with Arrow for TT was a strange choice. Wasn`t there a big gap between projects for them by 99? Although i`ve heard TT is quite good.

Perhaps one day technology will advance to the point they will have simulators that can simulate any roller coaster past or present. Drachen Fire, BBW, Eagle Fortress, SOB pre loop, Origional Texas Giant, Gasm, Origional Minebuster, Ozcat... how cool would that be? We need one for the treehouse.

Tennessee tornado is one of the best loopers around period in my opinion. Only problem it has is that its a little short but it sucks that arrow went bankrupt right when they started to get really good. It was intense yet smooth and had very cool forces.

AV Matt · « **Reply #24 on:** March 29, 2011, 12:43:54 PM »

It is a great ride. Still no Anton, but a nice change from the B&M mentality. The big drop in the tunnel is awesome!

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Author Topic: Cool Drachen Fire Article (Read 10109 times)