Griffon (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)

griffon

Data
Location	Busch Gardens Williamsburg ( Williamsburg , Virginia , USA )
Type	Steel - seated
model	Dive Coaster
category	Floorless coaster
Drive type	Chain lift hill
Manufacturer	Bolliger & Mabillard
costs	$ 15.6 million
opening	May 18, 2007
length	947 m
height	63 m
Max. gradient	90 °
Max. speed	114 km / h
Max. acceleration	4 g
Travel time	3:00 min
capacity	1400 people per hour
dare	3 cars, 1 row of seats / car, 10 seats / row of seats
Restraint system	B&M shoulder strap
elements	63 m high lift hill , Immelmann , hill with a 40 m high descent of 90 °, Immelmann
Inversions	2
Subject area	Aquitaine

Griffon in Busch Gardens Williamsburg ( Williamsburg , Virginia , USA ) is a steel roller coaster model Dive Coaster from the manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard , which was officially opened on May 25, 2007. On May 1, 2018 opened in South Korean Gyeongju World with Draken an identical plant, but with eight-seat rows, rather than ten-seater series.

It is the tallest and fastest roller coaster of its type, followed by its sister SheiKra in Busch Gardens Africa . Griffon originally had two other names - IronEagle and Volture - before Busch Gardens decided on the name Griffon. Griffon has replaced The LeMans Raceway , one of the park's original attractions. It is the fourth roller coaster of its type and the second to be built in the United States.

Griffon was thematized after a griffin , a mythological creature made of half lion / half eagle, and not after a Griffon , a breed of dog. It is not known why the wrong name was chosen. In the area of the railway there is an island area which contains some new shops. This is located behind the former Left Bank Portrait Shop (now Griffon Gifts ), near the Grande Gourmet ice cream stand and the dessert shop . The tram runs through this new area, including a water splash zone in the area of the new Bistro 205 and a first drop that leads under a bridge that was built above the ground.

layout

The waiting guests can see the First Drop and the Immelmann above them directly from the queue , as well as the water fountains that a train creates when it drives through the neighboring water pool.

Each train consists of three rows with ten seats each. As soon as you are buckled up, the boarding platform drives away and the guests hear Now, prepare to enjoy the power and speed of the mythical Griffon (Eng .: get ready to enjoy the power and speed of the mythical Griffon ! ). After a right-hand bend outside the station, the train travels on an incline of 45 ° at a speed of around 3 m per second at a height of 63 m. This is followed by another right turn and the passengers will see the Royal Palace Theater . The trains are stopped by a holding brake for a few seconds before they descend the 63 m on a 90 ° gradient and accelerate to a speed of 114 km / h. The train then drives into the Immelmann before taking the left turn with the block brake. The passengers then drive down a 90 ° steep, 40 m high descent and through another Immelmann. Finally the train goes into the water pool. Each train produces a different water fountain pattern with a height of approx. 14 m. Finally, the train hits the brakes and goes into the station.

Driving elements

63 m high, 90 ° steep descent
45 m high Immelmann
40 m high, 90 ° steep descent
31 m high Immelmann
Water splash
360 ° upward curve
Onride camera (under the bridge)

Trains

Griffon's trains each have two cars. In the first car there are two gondolas that are often mistaken for two cars. In other words, 20 people can sit in the first car and ten people in the second car. The passengers must be at least 1.37 m tall to be allowed to ride. Shoulder straps are used as a restraint system.

Records

The highest dive coaster in the world (63 m).
The fastest dive coaster in the world (114 km / h).
The world's first bottomless dive coaster.
The world's first dive coaster with two Immelmann inversions.

opening

Griffon officially opened on May 25, 2007. On May 1st, 2nd and 3rd an event took place where only special employees could test the new lift. On May 16th the track was opened to the press and on May 17th a special VIP event took place. On May 13th, the lift opened silently . The train ran almost all day with almost no stops. The queue was very short at the beginning but grew longer as the day went on. From May 18 to May 25, the track was opened for a kind of preview week. The ribbon was cut by a child who has the same name as the web. The waiting time for Griffon was around five hours on the opening day. The long waiting time was mainly due to technical problems, which meant that the train had to be stopped. In the following weeks the waiting time for queues of similar size was between one hour and 1.5 hours.

Griffon in the media

Griffon was in the show Build It Bigger the Discovery Channel shown. The show showed the construction of the second Immelmann and the sister railway SheiKra .