Thorpe Park’s The Swarm Has Its First Riders
Surrey, England’s Thorpe Park is putting the finishing touches on their new wing roller coaster, The Swarm. Recently, four former fighter pilots braved the great-looking coaster. I love the look of the trains. Instead of an eagle (like Dollywood’s Wild Eagle) or a jet (Six Flags Great America’s X-Flight) theme for the trains, The Swarm’s alien trains look awesome. I wonder if those red lights and red eyes will glow bright enough to enhance night rides.
Here are some photos of those lucky test riders as well as some earlier photos with dummies:
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The airplane wing at the bottom of the first drop (Image 2) looks really close to the track. As does the half-destroyed building that the train flies by (Image 3). I’m really glad that the Thorpe Park incorporated these scenery elements. They didn’t have to, but it was a wise move as they reinforce the theme and create some exciting-looking interactions. Bravo!
UPDATE: Here’s a better test video from Thorpe Park of those pilots riding The Swarm at Thorpe Park:
What’s Your Take?
How do you think The Swarm looks? Leave a comment below. Images courtesy of Thorpe Park’s Facebook page.