Patriot (Worlds of Fun)

Infobox roller coaster
name=Patriot


caption=Patriot final loop
location=Worlds of Fun
section=Americana
type=Steel
type2=Inverted
opened=April 8, 2006
status=Open
manufacturer=Bolliger & Mabillard
model=Custom
designer=
track=
lift=Chain lift
cost=$14 million USD
capacity=1160
length=3081
height=149
drop=123
inversions=4
speed=60
duration=2 min 18 sec
angle=
acceleration=
rcdb_number=3244

Patriot is an inverted steel roller coaster at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri. It opened on April 8, 2006; making it the newest roller coaster at Worlds of Fun.

Details

Patriot was made by Bolliger & Mabillard at a cost of 14 million USD. The Patriot is located in the Americana section of Worlds of Fun, it is painted in a patriotic scheme with red, white, blue, and stars and stripes.

The lift hill is 149 feet tall and the first drop is 123 feet tall. It travels at a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour. There are four inversions throughout the ride: an 89-foot-tall vertical loop, a zero−g roll (Heartline Spin), an Immelmann loop, and an extremely quickly executed corkscrew (Wing Over). It is characterized by its swift direction changes and its fast pacing. The total length is 3,081 feet and has a duration of 2 minutes, 18 seconds.

There are two trains, each with seven cars; riders are seated four per car for a total of 28 riders per train. Riders must be 54 inches or taller in height to ride. Larger seats are available for guests who are unable to fit in other seats. A test seat is located alongside the ride's entrance. The ride has a capacity of 1,160 riders per hour.

Contrary to popular belief, Patriot does not take up any of the space previously occupied by Orient Express, which was deconstructed after the 2003 season. A smaller roller coaster, Spinning Dragons, was added in a nearby area, but Orient Express's old lot is still vacant as of August 2007.

Patriot is located on the western edge of the park near the RipCord.

Press Release

Title: New Roller Coaster at Worlds of Fun to be Largest Capital Investment in Park History

Date: 9/7/2005

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The American Dream becomes the American Scream at Worlds of Fun for thrill seekers grasped in the clutches of the new PATRIOT roller coaster. In spring 2006, guests at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, challenge PATRIOT, the longest, tallest and fastest full-circuit inverted roller coaster in the region, and the largest capital expenditure on a single attraction in the park's history.

The new PATRIOT roller coaster is a $14 million investment for Worlds of Fun and is sure to be an anchor attraction at the park. The ride boasts the red, white, and blue colors of the American flag, and there is no other single ride or attraction in the park's 33-year history that meets this level of extreme thrill or financial commitment.

The inverted PATRIOT delivers two minutes and 18 seconds of the ultimate amusement park adventure by exposing riders to height, speed and a seamless transition of gravity-defying elements. Hanging beneath the track, thrill-seekers climb a 149-foot lift hill, then plunge down a 123-foot curved drop reaching a speed of nearly 60-MPH. Riders are disoriented as they fly through seven gravity-defying elements, including an 89-foot vertical loop, a zero-gravity roll, an Immelmann loop, an inclined banked curve, an s-curve, a corkscrew, and a high-speed spiral.

With 3,081 feet of seemingly out-of-control tubular steel track, PATRIOT is the perfect addition to Worlds of Fun's already impressive line-up of world-class thrill rides. Known as an inverted coaster because of its unique trains that hang below the track, PATRIOT grips riders in bucket seats with shoulder harnesses and safety belts. The ski-lift style chairs leave legs dangling as the floor drops out, providing passengers with an unobscured view of the terrain below.

"We are excited to unveil the highly-anticipated PATRIOT roller coaster to our guests this spring," said Phil Bender, Vice President and General Manager at Worlds of Fun. "Adding this monster ride to our vast collection of attractions reinforces the Park's dedication to being the region's leading thrill park and family entertainment destination."

PATRIOT is custom designed for the topography of Worlds of Fun by famed coaster designers Bolliger & Mabillard (B & M) of Monthey, Switzerland. Riders sit four abreast in seven rows on two 28-passenger trains that accommodate 1,160 riders per hour.

PATRIOT is the sixth roller coaster at Worlds of Fun and is scheduled to open April 2006.

Rankings

*10th longest inverted roller coaster in the world
*10th highest drop of all inverted roller coasters in the world
*8th fastest inverted roller coaster in North America (tied with Montu and Dueling Dragons)

External links

* [http://www.worldsoffun.com/public/inside_park/rides/thrill_rides/patriot.cfm Patriot] at Worlds of Fun's website
* [http://www.rcdb.com/id3244.htm Patriot] at the Roller Coaster DataBase
* [http://www.rcdb.com/m/ig3244.htm Photos of Patriot] at the Roller Coaster DataBase