Raptor (roller coaster)

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Raptor
Raptor's lift hill and 100 foot (30.48 m) vertical loop
Location	Cedar Point
Status	Operating
Opened	May 7, 1994
Manufacturer	Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Inverted coaster
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	137 ft (42 m)
Drop	119 ft (36 m)
Length	3,790 ft (1,160 m)
Max speed	57 mph (92 km/h)
Inversions	6
Duration	2:32 (source: Ride SOP Manual)
Max vertical angle	45°
Capacity	1,858 riders per hour
Cost	$11.5 Million
Height restriction	4 ft 6 in (140 cm)
Raptor at RCDB Pictures of Raptor at RCDB
Amusement Parks Portal

Raptor is a steel inverted roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, Raptor opened in May 1994 and was the first inverted roller coaster to feature a "cobra roll". Still beloved more than a decade after its debut, Amusement Today ^[1] ranked Raptor the 19th best steel roller coaster in the world in 2007. When it was built, Raptor was the world's tallest and fastest inverted coaster (the Raptor layout proved to be the largest and most advanced for a B&M inverted coaster, following the initial design and Six Flags' subsequent cloning of “Batman The Ride,” which debuted in 1992 with a two train operation). Raptor is the 11th roller coaster (since Blue Streak opened in 1964) to be built at Cedar Point in the modern era. This giant green coaster stands tall over the main midway[1], and is the first coaster park guests come to upon entering the park through the main entrance. The logo depicts an unidentified modern bird of prey, not a velociraptor.

Contents 1 Ride Elements 2 Operations Data & Ride History 3 Construction & Engineering Data 4 Awards 5 Gallery 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Ride Elements

• 100 foot tall loop
• 1 Zero G roll
• Cobra Roll
• 2 corkscrews
• 540 degree helix finale

[edit] Operations Data & Ride History

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Each train weighs 16,000 pounds empty.
• If the platform crew is working efficiently, a train should leave the station every 45 seconds.
• If maximum capacity is being utilized, each train should travel the circuit 19 times an hour.
• Raptor opened with a ride time of 2 minutes and 16 seconds. In the late 90s, the ride duration was extended to 2 minutes and 32 seconds, after the ride maintenance department slowed down the chain speed of the lift hill (the stats on the official Cedar Point web site still reflect the opening statistics). It currently takes approximately 30 seconds to ascend the lift hill.
• There are five "blocks" or five sections of track that a train will move through during the ride. Each one of these blocks is monitored by a complex computer system that uses photo eye sensors and proximity switches to ensure trains stay a safe distance from each other (keep an open eye out for the bright green boxes attached to the track. These are the proximity switches that sense the presence of a moving train and then report the car's location to the ride computer).^{[citation needed]}
• Raptor will not operate empty in winds stronger than 20 mph. Raptor will not operate loaded in wind speeds greater than 30 mph.^{[citation needed]}
• When trains leave the station, riders descend 7 feet before engaging Raptor's 137-foot tall lift.
• Each night after closing, loose change found under the Raptor is collected and deposited in a charity fund benefiting several Erie County, Ohio non-profit organizations. Following Raptor's first year of operation, $12,269 was donated to Sandusky's Ontario School (at the time, 7 Macintosh computers were purchased). Another $1,000 was donated to Sandusky's Osborne School.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Construction & Engineering Data

• 300 steel support columns are anchored by a cement footer, much of which is hidden 6 to 8 feet underground.
• 88 pieces of track make up Raptor's 3,790 feet of "electric green" rails.
• Construction began following Labor Day 1993, with the retirement of the Mill Race, the nation's second log flume ride created by Arrow Dynamics (Raptor also sits on a site also formally occupied by the Wild Mouse Roller Coaster and Cedar Point Monorail, dubbed "Midnite").
• The price tag of Raptor was estimated at $12 million. That figure was later revised to $11.5 million after a design revision.
• The oldest ride at Cedar Point, the Midway Carousel, was relocated to the front of the park following the 1993 season to make way for Raptor. A new pavilion now houses the merry go round.

[edit] Awards

Golden Ticket Awards: Best Steel Coaster
Year	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Ranking	6	6	5	8	12	10	10	11	14	19

[edit] Gallery

Raptor offseason	Raptor beginning its descent	Raptor directly before its loop	Raptor's loop
Raptor's zero-g roll	Raptor's cobra roll	Raptor's helix before its mid-course brake run	Raptor's final corkscrew
Raptor's layout

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Raptor's Page at Cedar Point.com

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