Batman: The Dark Knight is a steel floorless roller coaster at Six Flags New England, located in Gotham City. The ride opened to the public on April 20, 2002. It is based on Batman from DC Comics, and features some thematic similarities to the Batman: The Ride inverted roller coasters found at other Six Flags parks.
The roller coaster has 2,850 feet (790 m) of track, reaches a maximum height of 118 feet (35.9 m), and features five inversions.
In 2008, the ride's name was changed to Batman: The Ride to avoid confusion with Six Flags New England's installation of The Dark Knight Coaster that was planned to be built at the park; but after the project was cancelled, the ride's name reverted back to Batman: The Dark Knight.
History[]
Batman: The Dark Knight was announced to the public on February 6, 2002, though construction had started five months earlier in September 2001. The reason for the announcement being held off was likely due to the September 11 attacks and their impact on tourism and the theme park industry overall in the months following shortly after.
After construction on the ride was completed by Martin & Vleminckx, it was tested. Batman: The Dark Knight officially opened to the public on April 20, 2002.
In 2007, Six Flags announced that The Dark Knight Coaster would be built at three different parks for the 2008 season; Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Great America, and Six Flags New England. The ride would be themed after the film The Dark Knight, which would be released that summer. Because Batman: The Dark Knight's name would be too similar to the new roller coaster, it was temporarily renamed Batman: The Ride to avoid confusion with the upcoming attraction. However, as construction on the new roller coaster progressed, the city of Agawam forced Six Flags to stop construction after it was discovered the park had not received the appropriate construction permits. In April 2008, Six Flags cancelled the project altogether due to the delays and legal issues, and so the name was reverted back to Batman: The Dark Knight.
Experience[]
Queue[]
Riders enter a plaza with an arched entrance, where they see the Batman logo covering the ground with Gotham theming. Riders then wind through either the Flash Pass queue directly to the station or the regular standby queue. When attendance is high, an extra switchback section is used. The Elliot Goldenthal Batman theme used in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin can be heard playing through speakers.
An elevator is used in the station for disabled guests.
Ride experience[]
Once the train is ready to dispatched, part of the station's floor is lowered. The train then departs and immediately begins to climb the 118-foot lift hill. Once at the top, the train goes through a pre-drop before making a sharp downward left turn back to the ground. When the train reaches the bottom, it then enters a 95-foot vertical loop. Upon exiting the loop, the train then rises back up and goes through an 85-foot dive loop. The train then makes a 180 degree left turn through the loop before going through a set of trim brakes. Next, the train enters a zero-gravity roll followed by a right turn leading into interlocking corkscrews. After exiting the first corkscrew, the train makes a left turn before going through the second corkscrew. The train then makes another left turn into the final brake run which leads back to the station. One cycle of the ride lasts about 2 minutes and 20 seconds.
Characteristics[]
Track[]
The steel box track of Batman: The Dark Knight is approximately 2,600 feet (790 m) long and the lift is 118 feet (35.9 m) tall. It was manufactured by Clermont Steel Fabricators located in Batavia, Ohio who manufactures Bolliger & Mabillard's roller coasters. The track is colored purple (with blue rails) while the supports are black.
Trains[]
Batman: The Dark Knight operates with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train has seven cars that can seat four riders in one row for a total of 28 riders per train. The train structure uses similar colors as the track, the seats are purple, and uses over-the-shoulder restraints that are black. The black restraints replaced the yellow shoulder harnesses that were in place when the ride opened.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Photos[]
References[]
See also[]
- South End
- Gotham City (Six Flags New England)
External links[]
- Batman: The Dark Knight | Six Flags New England
Batman: The Dark Knight (roller coaster) at Wikipedia- Batman - The Dark Knight at the Roller Coaster DataBase
