Do-Dodonpa
| Do-Dodonpa | |
|---|---|
On the left the top hat by Dodonpa |
|
| Data | |
| Location |
Fuji-Q Highland ( Fujiyoshida , Japan ) |
| Type | Steel - seated |
| model | Thrust Air Coaster |
| Drive type |
pneumatic launch Before: 0–172 km / h in 1.8 s. |
| Manufacturer | S&S Worldwide |
| opening | December 21, 2001 |
| length | 1244 m |
| height | 49 m |
| Departure | 50 m |
| Max. speed | 180 km / h |
| Max. acceleration | 4.3 g |
| Travel time | 0:55 min |
| Trains | 4 trains, 4 cars / train, 1 row of seats / car, 2 seats / row of seats |
| Security restrictions | Minimum size from 130 cm |
| elements | Looping |
| Inversions | 1 |
Do-Dodonpa ( Jap. ドドンパ ) in Fuji-Q Highland ( 富士急ハイランド , Fujikyu Hairando ) in Japanese Fujiyoshida is a Launched Coaster by model Thrust Air 2000 the manufacturer S & S Worldwide , which on 21 December 2001 under the name Dodonpa opened and thus the world's second roller coaster whose launch works with compressed air . It was built on the spot where the Moonsault Scramble did its lap until 2000 .
When it opened, Dodonpa was 52 m high and reached its top speed of 172 km / h in 1.8 seconds thanks to its pneumatic launch. At that time, it was considered the fastest roller coaster in the world, before that Superman: Escape from Krypton and Tower of Terror shared this title. It is currently the fourth fastest roller coaster in the world, but still holds the world record as the roller coaster with the strongest acceleration when it is launched.
journey
Even in the queue you can hear deep, dull drum beats, from which the name of the railway, Dodonpa, is derived. This percussive music, which represents the sounds “Do-don-pa”, is produced with Taiko drums, old, traditional Japanese drums. Such drums were previously used to demonstrate the power and influence of Japanese villages, and they were probably used in war, among other things, to scare away the enemy with the thundering sound.
After the passengers have taken their seats in one of the four trains, it rolls to the launch. There a Japanese voice goes through a checklist and starts a countdown . The passengers have three minutes to prepare mentally, during which the pressure builds up in the launch system, then the train is accelerated to the top speed of 180 km / h within 1.56 seconds. The passengers are pressed against the back of the seats with up to 3.27 g. Sometimes a “ false start ” is simulated and sirens go off, only to surprise the passengers with an “accidental” launch of the train. After the launch there is a wide curve before the train goes through the 49 m high loop. The train covers a total of 1,244 meters.
Trains
Do-Dodonpa has four trains with four cars each. Two people (one row of two) can be seated in each car. The four trains are each designed with different colored motifs: cheetah, snake, zebra and strawberry.
As a special feature, the trains do not have ordinary metal wheels with a plastic coating, as they are normally used for roller coasters, but rather air-filled tires, which are used, for example, on small aircraft.
modification
Dodonpa was closed at the beginning of October 2016 and reopened as Do-Dodonpa in summer 2017. During this renovation phase, a 52 meter high top hat was removed and replaced by the 49 m high vertical loop. Furthermore, the launch was accelerated: while earlier a speed of 172 km / h was reached within 1.8 seconds, today a speed of 180 km / h is reached within 1.56 seconds. Before the renovation, the length was 1189 meters. The trains of Dodonpa were designed as faces and represented the members of a family. Each train had a different face, including father, mother, sister and the baby.
Web links
- Description of the roller coaster on the park's website (Japanese)
- detailed report on Coastersandmore
- Do-Dodonpa in the Roller Coaster DataBase
Coordinates: 35 ° 29 ′ 13.4 " N , 138 ° 46 ′ 50.3" E