Werner Stengel

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Werner Stengel, 2017

Werner Stengel (born August 22, 1936 in Bochum ) is a German engineer who has made a name for himself above all through groundbreaking innovations in roller coaster construction .

Life

Stengel studied civil engineering from 1959 to 1962 at what was then the building trade school (forerunner of the University of Kassel ) and from 1962 to 1966 for his graduate engineer at the Technical University of Munich .

In 1964 he was hired by the Swabian amusement facility manufacturer Schwarzkopf GmbH to carry out static calculations for the first German steel roller coaster. Stengel's work soon went far beyond mere statics calculation : in 1976 he developed a solution to the problem of circular looping on roller coasters, which up until then could not be implemented without causing serious health problems for the passengers due to the physical forces involved. Stengel invented the first vertical loop of the post-war period by choosing a clothoid instead of a pure circular shape , which enables smoother transitions when entering and leaving the loop. It was this innovation that made vertical looping on roller coasters risk-free. He was also the first to introduce the principle of the heart line to avoid health problems in the design of roller coasters and thus also made more unusual driving elements possible.

Stengel continues to develop roller coasters and amusement systems in its own engineering office, which are used worldwide. Among other things, he created the Top Thrill Dragster in Cedar Point , which was the highest and fastest roller coaster in the world from 2003 to 2005, and its successor, Kingda Ka , as well as three of the largest wooden roller coasters in the world, Son of Beast , El Toro and Colossos in the Heidepark in Soltau . He also calculated the longest dark roller coaster in the world, Temple of the Night Hawk , which opened as a Space Center in 1988. In addition, Son of Beast was the first wooden roller coaster with a vertical loop, which, however, was made of steel and was dismantled after the end of the 2006 season. In the meantime, the engineering company Stengel has developed the design of 600 roller coasters worldwide (as of 2012). The 500th runway is Maverick in Cedar Point, Ohio , which opened in 2007.

In June 2005 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Gothenburg .

On January 22nd, 2009 Werner Stengel was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his achievements in amusement park construction and the establishment of international standards in this area.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Petra Probst u. a .: 500 roller coasters - jubilation at Stengel and Co. In: EuroAmusement Professional ISSN  1860-2061 , 6/2006, p. 80.
  2. ↑ Roller coaster constructor Werner Stengel receives honorary doctorate at Göteborg University , press release from Göteborg University (Faculty of Science) on RCDB.com from June 15, 2005.
  3. ↑ Press release from the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology .
  4. ↑ Hermann Simon mentions the company in his book of the same name as an example of a " hidden champion ". ( Hidden champions of the 21st century: The strategies for success of unknown world market leaders . Campus, Frankfurt am Main 2007, ISBN 978-3-593-38380-4 , p. 19).

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Stengel, Werner
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German engineer and roller coaster designer
DATE OF BIRTH August 22, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Bochum