Boomerang (roller coaster)

Boomerang
Boomerang at Wild Adventures
Status	In Production
First manufactured	1984
No. of installations	55
Manufacturer	Vekoma
Height	35.51 m (116.5 ft)
Length	285 m (935 ft)
Speed	47 mph (76 km/h)
G force	5.2
Capacity	760 riders per hour
Duration	About 1 min 48 sec
Restraint Style	Over-the-shoulder
Inversions	6 [3 on track, but each run traverses the track twice]
Boomerang at RCDB

Boomerang is a model of roller coaster manufactured and designed by Vekoma, a Dutch manufacturer. The roller coaster model name is from the hunting implement based on the traditions of the Indigenous Australians. As of August 2021 there are 55 Boomerangs operating.

The roller coaster model was created in the early 1980s and was first introduced at four different parks around the world in 1984.

Design and ride experience[]

Boomerang's layout design

The Boomerang consists of a single train with seven cars, capable of carrying 28 passengers. The ride begins when the train is pulled backwards from the station and up the first lift hill by a catchcar. After being released, the train passes through the station, enters a Cobra roll element (referred to as a boomerang by the designers) and then travels through a vertical loop. After being pulled up a second lift hill, the train is released to head backwards through each inversion once more, making the total number of inversions per ride six. The train slows down as it passes through the station backwards and then comes to a complete stop in the station. This coaster model is popular among many amusement parks in the United States, but it has appeared at amusement parks around the world.

Boomerang coasters have occasionally stalled, often in the Cobra Roll element. As a precaution, many Boomerang coasters are built with an access platform just under the Cobra Roll/Boomerang element.

During the reverse cycle, riders experience a g force of up to 5.2 when the train re-enters the vertical loop at 47 miles per hour. In back row of the train - the first to enter the loop - this represents one of the most forceful moments seen in steel rollercoaster design.

Variant designs[]

There are three main design variants based on the Boomerang layout, all of which are produced by Vekoma.

Stinger when it was known as Invertigo at California's Great America

Invertigo[]

The first variant of the Boomerang is the Invertigo. While retaining the same layout as the Boomerang, the Invertigo has inverted track, turning it into an inverted roller coaster. Each car has two rows of seats that are back-to-back, so the riders in the back row of each car would be facing those in the front of the trailing car. The first Invertigo, HangOver at Liseberg in Gothenburg, Sweden was supposed to open in 1996 with a new linear induction motor (LIM) or LSM lift. However, development problems delayed the ride's opening to 1997, and the design was remade to include a traditional chain lift like the original Boomerang. Only four Invertigo models were ever built.

Giant Inverted Boomerang[]

Stunt Fall at Parque Warner Madrid is one of five Giant Inverted Boomerangs built

The second design is known as both the Giant Inverted Boomerang and the Super Invertigo. While maintaining a similar layout to the Boomerang, the track is again inverted and the size of the ride is increased. The track is 270 feet (82 m) longer, the two lift hills are almost 80 feet (24 m) taller and both hills are vertical. The track also crosses over, with the station underneath the vertical loop. The train has 8 cars, with the four seats of each car arranged in a chevron. As of 2011, four Giant Inverted Boomerangs operate and one was under construction. The ones that operate currently are Goliath at Six Flags New England (Previously located at Six Flags Magic Mountain as Déjà Vu), Aftershock at Silverwood Theme Park (Previously located at Six Flags Great America as Déjà Vu) and Stunt Fall at Parque Warner Madrid. Sky Mountain at Mirabalandia (Previously located at Six Flags Over Georgia as Déjà Vu) is currently being reassembled for a 2019 opening. A fifth Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang opened in 2011, the first brand-new such coaster in a decade; called Mountain Peak, it is located at Jinjiang Action Park.

Family Boomerang[]

In late 2010, Vekoma announced that they would be manufacturing a Family Boomerang. The prototype opened in Drayton Manor Theme Park as Ben 10 - Ultimate Mission in April 2011 later renamed to Accelerator.^[1] Another layout was introduced on 17 May 2016 as Velociraptor in the Lost Kingdom area of Paultons Park. Unlike the other Boomerang roller coasters a Family Boomerang does not feature any inversions but it still has a similar shuttle design. The ride has two end spikes and generally a figure-8 design in the layout. Phantasialand added the world's largest family boomerang in 2016, in the new area Klugheim to complement the Intamin Blitz ride, Taron.

Layouts[]

Layouts of the different variations

Boomerang

Invertigo

Giant Inverted Boomerang

Ride locations[]

See also[]

• Invertigo (roller coaster)
• Giant Inverted Boomerang

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boomerang (roller coaster model).

• Listing of Boomerang roller coasters at RCDB
• Listing of Invertigo roller coasters at RCDB
• Listing of Giant Inverted Boomerang roller coasters at RCDB
• Detailed Technical Article about Boomerang Roller Coasters
• Boomerang official website
• Family Boomerang official website