The Bat (Kings Island; opened 1981)
| The Bat | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Kings Island | |
| Park section | Coney Mall |
| Coordinates | 39°20′27″N 84°15′53″W / 39.340757°N 84.26459°WCoordinates: 39°20′27″N 84°15′53″W / 39.340757°N 84.26459°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | April 26, 1981 |
| Closing date | 1983 |
| Cost | US$3,800,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Suspended |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Development |
| Lift/launch system | 2 |
| Length | 2,456 ft (749 m) |
| Speed | 35 mph (56 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:00 |
| Capacity | 1700 riders per hour |
| Trains | 3 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train. |
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The Bat at RCDB Pictures of The Bat at RCDB |
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The Bat was a suspended roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed by Arrow Development, the ride was billed as the first and only suspended roller coaster in the world when it opened to the public on April 26, 1981. The model took several years to develop and was considered a prototype by Arrow. Though the ride was very popular, it was plagued with mechanical problems and frequent closures that led to a short lifespan. The ride was permanently closed after just three seasons in 1983 and removed from the park the following year.
Plans for a new roller coaster, called The Bat, were announced in a press conference at Kings Island on October 29, 1980. Arrow Development spent 18 months designing the new coaster and two years building it. Construction began in 1979, and its first test was performed on April 4, 1981. The Bat officially opened to the public on April 26, 1981. It was billed by the park as the first suspended roller coaster in the world, although two suspended coasters were known to exist in the early 20th century.
Early on, The Bat experienced mechanical difficulties. Engineers discovered premature wear on each train's shock absorbers as well as excessive steel stress on both the track and trains. Inspections attributed the flaws to the ride's lateral movement design and brake configuration. As a result, the ride was closed frequently while attempts were made to reconfigure support beams and patch cracks. The efforts proved costly and ineffective, and after assessing the cost of a complete overhaul, the park decided to permanently close the ride following the 1983 season.
Though The Bat had a relatively short lifespan, Arrow would continue to improve the suspended roller coaster design in future releases. Shortly before The Bat opened, Huss Trading Corporation purchased Arrow Development and became known as Arrow Huss. The new company forged ahead releasing XLR-8 at Six Flags AstroWorld and Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 1984. Both roller coasters successfully operated for more than two decades. Arrow Huss designed and built several other suspended models over the years, some of which remain in operation, notably Top Gun at Kings Island which opened in 1993 and was later renamed The Bat in honor of the original.
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