Буш Гарденс Вильямсбургтағы «Дракон оты» аттракционының тарихы

Defunct roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Drachen Fire was a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the ride opened to the public in 1992. Drachen Fire featured a 150 feet (46 m) lift hill, six inversions, and a zero gravity camelback element. One of the inversions was removed after the 1994 season to improve ride comfort. The track was light blue with silver supports, and it was located in the Oktoberfest portion of the park behind Verbolten and Das Festhaus. It was originally configured with three trains, each consisting of red cars with grey seats, and featured red trim lights that illuminated the trains at night. Drachen Fire was closed in the middle of the 1998 season following a history of low ridership and complaints of roughness. It remained standing until its demolition in 2002.

On July 5, 1991, Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced that a new steel roller coaster would be added to the park in 1992. Built by Arrow Dynamics, the ride would be located towards the back of the park next to Big Bad Wolf. The ride would be named Drachen Fire, after the word for "dragon" in German. It would become the park's third major roller coaster. The attraction would feature six inversions, That year, the Anheuser Busch Entertainment Corporation announced a myriad upcoming attractions for their various amusement parks. Keith M. Kasen, then General Manager for Busch Gardens Williamsburg, commented on the addition of Drachen Fire for the 1992 season stating, "Anheuser Busch has shown a commitment to reinvestment and making a real strong quality statement." Construction of the new coaster was completed in early 1992, placing it on schedule to open the same year on April 4. The tagline marketed for the ride was "Feel the Heat". The park hired comedian Dana Carvey to meet and greet visitors, as well as cut the ribbon at a special preview opening ceremony on April 3, 1992.

The ride drew large crowds and was initially well received by many coaster enthusiasts. In 1995, another guest sued Busch Gardens, Arrow Dynamics, and technical consultant William N. Carlson, alleging that he had received "severe permanent injuries" two years earlier because of the ride's restraint system. Riders were routinely advised by announcers to remove any clip on earrings before riding and keep their heads pressed against headrests during the ride. This resulted in ride operators in the station not only checking the train's restraints, but also checking riders' ears for earrings. The train would not dispatch unless these instructions were followed. After increasing complaints, the first corkscrew was replaced with a straight section for the 1995 season.

The removal of the corkscrew after the mid course brake run failed to resolve ongoing issues with ride safety and comfort. and Alpengeist in 1997. The opening of Alpengeist had made Drachen Fire obsolete, as guests preferred to ride Alpengeist. Local residents also complained that the screams of riders on Drachen Fire were disturbing them. Ultimately, the attraction was closed indefinitely in July 1998. The following year, the park would debut another Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster, Apollo's Chariot, while Drachen Fire sat abandoned. The Daily Press reported in January 1999 that the park planned to further modify the coaster. The park had several offers but failed to reach agreements with prospective buyers.

The ride had about 3500 feet (1067 m) of track. After leaving the station, the ride made a small dip and turned 180 degrees to the left, where it entered the lift hill. At the top of the 150 foot lift, the ride made a shallow dive of around 50 feet, then entered a wraparound corkscrew which had an apex of 120 feet, before descending the remainder of a curving drop, ending up facing the opposite direction of the lift hill, and achieving a speed of 60 miles per hour. The ride then entered a camel back hump hill, which was designed to balance the riders between positive and negative g forces, giving a feeling of weightlessness. The ride then entered the Batwing element (cobra roll), which featured two inversions in one element. The ride then turned up an ascending hill to the left, and engaged in a set of block brakes. Next, the ride dove down into a corkscrew, then a slight left turn over the park midway into a cutback. The ride then traversed back over the midway, under the first corkscrew and entered a second corkscrew. It then quickly entered a counter clockwise helix. Exiting the helix, the ride made a right hand turn onto a final brake run, which would then lead straight into the ride station.