Griffon (roller coaster)
| Griffon | |
|---|---|
Griffon's lift hill and vertical drop
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| Busch Gardens Williamsburg | |
| Park section | Aquitaine (France) |
| Coordinates | 37°14′4″N 76°38′51″W / 37.23444°N 76.64750°WCoordinates: 37°14′4″N 76°38′51″W / 37.23444°N 76.64750°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 18, 2007 |
| Cost | $15,600,000 USD |
| Replaced | LeMans Raceway |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Dive Coaster |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Dive Coaster |
| Track layout | Twister |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift |
| Height | 205 ft (62 m) |
| Drop | 205 ft (62 m) |
| Length | 3,108 ft (947 m) |
| Speed | 71 mph (114 km/h) |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Duration | 3:00 |
| Max vertical angle | 90° |
| Capacity | 1,400 riders per hour |
| G-force | 4 |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 10 across in a single row for a total of 30 riders per train. |
 Quick Queue available |
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 Single rider line not available |
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Griffon at RCDB Pictures of Griffon at RCDB |
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Griffon is a steel Dive Coaster roller coaster located at the Busch Gardens Williamsburg amusement park in James City County, Virginia, United States. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, it is 205 feet (62 m) high, and is the second-fastest (71 miles per hour (114 km/h)) Dive Coaster built. The roller coaster features two Immelmann loops, a splashdown, two vertical drops and was the first of its kind to use floorless trains. Griffon was announced to the public on August 23, 2006 and opened on May 18, 2007 to positive reviews by both newspapers and enthusiasts. In 2007, Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards voted it the third-best new steel roller coaster of that year and the 27th-best steel roller coaster. It was voted the 33rd-best steel roller coaster in 2013.
On June 30, 2006, Busch Gardens Wiliamsburg announced that LeMans Raceway would be closing to the public on July 5, 2006 in order to make room for the next year's new attraction. Construction for Griffon began the next day with the demolishing of the raceway. A trademark for the name "Griffon" was filed by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment on July 12, 2006. The roller coaster was announced to the public on August 23, 2006. On December 11, 2006, two cranes installed the highest piece of Griffon with an evergreen tree. The vertical drop and immelmann loop were completed in January 2007 and the final piece of track was installed in late February. After testing was complete, the roller coaster opened on May 18, 2007; one week earlier than its original scheduled opening date.
When Griffon opened it 2007, it held the records for the tallest, and fastest Dive Coaster in the world; both which were previously held by SheiKra at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Griffon was also the first Dive Coaster to feature floorless trains and is one of only two roller coasters of its kind to have more than one inversion, the other being Valravn at Cedar Point. In 2009, Diving Coaster opened Happy Valley Shanghai, it took the drop length record at 213.3 feet (65.0 m).
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