The Swarm (roller coaster)
| The Swarm | |
|---|---|
The dive drop of The Swarm | |
| Thorpe Park | |
| Location | Thorpe Park |
| Park section | Swarm Island |
| Coordinates | 51°24′20″N 0°30′55.5″W / 51.40556°N 0.515417°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 15 March 2012 |
| Cost | £20 million |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Wing Coaster |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Custom |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 38.6 m (127 ft) |
| Length | 775 m (2,543 ft) |
| Speed | 59 mph (95 km/h) |
| Inversions | 5 |
| G-force | 4.5 |
| Height restriction | 140–196 cm (4 ft 7 in – 6 ft 5 in) |
| Trains | 7 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 28 riders per train. |
| Website | Official website |
Fastrack available | |
| The Swarm at RCDB | |
The Swarm is a steel roller coaster located at Thorpe Park in the United Kingdom. The Swarm was the world's second Wing Coaster model designed by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and the first one located in the United Kingdom. Construction commenced in May 2011, and the coaster opened on 15 March 2012. From 2013 until 2015, the last two rows of each train used to be facing backwards, while the first five rows faced forward. This was restored to the original configuration in 2016.
The 2,543-foot-long (775 m) ride stands 127 feet (39 m) tall and features five inversions along with a heavily-banked left turn. Riders experience speeds of up to 59 mph (95 km/h) and 4.5 times the force of gravity. A marketing campaign for the ride dubbed LC12 - The End is Coming began eleven months before The Swarm opened to the public. It has generally been well-received, ranking highly amongst other winged roller coaster designs.