DOSWELL, Va. (WRIC) — A Virginia amusement park says it will open the world's tallest and longest launched wing coaster next year as it marks its 50th anniversary.
Kings Dominion, located in Doswell, announced Wednesday that construction is underway for the 3,086-foot-long coaster, called "Rapterra."
It will feature several thrills including three inversions, and a launch that will take riders from zero to 65 miles per hour in just four seconds. Designers say it will reach a height of 145 feet, and touts an S-turn, wing slide and airtime hill.
"It has one of the largest flyovers," Ken Parks, the director of creative development for Six Flags, told Nexstar's WRIC. "It will go into an Immelmann loop, and then it goes into a kind of a twist as well. It's really a great sensation with your feet dangling, and you're kind of very free on this one."
Riders will find the 89-second coaster at the site of the former Volcano roller coaster that towered over Kings Dominion for decades. The ride was taken down in 2019.
"We could never bring back Volcano, and that wasn't the intention," Parks said. "We were creating a new experience, but we certainly want to pay homage to what has come before and what we loved. So, we worked that into our story."
Designers say the location of the former Volcano coaster played a huge role in Rapterra's design and story. Riders will follow a team of archaeologists who unearth the remains of a temple that once honored the "Jungle Hawk."
"There was this temple that celebrated this bird of prey that was found within the jungles," Parks explained. "It just happened to be at the base of a volcano that collapsed in on itself, and it became a caldera. That is now giving the opportunity for guests to go and explore with this group that we have in Jungle X called 'the Whey Foundation' and seek new adventures."
Parks says the project has been in the works for two years, and adds the process began by listening to guests, working with park partners, and then starting research.
Parkgoers will be able to spot progress on the ride's construction if they walk through the Jungle X area of the park.
"We really want to get this right for the guests and we know that this is a beloved area of the park," Parks explained. "The pressure always at the forefront of anything we do is getting things absolutely right for our guests so that it becomes this great experience that they can, you know, enjoy for many years to come and create new memories for our guests."
The new coaster will mark the 14th roller coaster operating on Kings Dominion's 400-acre property.
Rapterra is expected to open in 2025 with construction expected to wrap up this fall.
Details on Kings Dominion's 50th-anniversary celebrations are expected to be released at a later date.
