originally posted on 3/19/2021
Photo: Courtesy Intamin. View full-sized image.
While enthusiasts in the United States eagerly anticipate a large crop of new coaster installations in 2021 — all waiting for the start of the season and/or the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions — a new roller coaster has already made its debut in China.
Legendary Twin Dragon is Intamin’s latest impulse coaster — and it’s big. Most Americans know of Cedar Point’s Wicked Twister in Sandusky, Ohio. That ride set records when it opened in 2002 (as most things do at Cedar Point).
But just when it all looks familiar — right down to the color scheme — Legendary Twin Dragon does boast some distinctions. For one, it’s taller. While Wicked Twister stands at 215 feet, this newest variation reaches almost 230 feet. Its top speed of 73.9 mph is also slightly faster than that of its Ohio cousin. But the differences don’t stop at statistics. Chongqing Sunac Land operates its impulse coaster by providing a longer ride. Wicked Twister riders enjoy forward and backward launches thanks to linear synchronous motors, ascending the forward twisted spike three times and the backward one twice. In China, riders get four forward and four backward journeys, with the highest climb (213 feet) taking place on the fourth pass.
It would be an oversight not to mention the trains, as sculpted thematic details feature a dragon’s head at each end of the train. It seats 32 passengers.
Even with an ongoing pandemic, the park opened last summer. Legendary Twin Dragon joins a Golden Horse mine train called Osprey Mine Train, which opened with the park. The Intamin coaster opened on February 3, 2021. While its addition is doubtful to prompt coaster fans to plan international travel, the new park does look very well themed and could be on its way to adding more exciting attractions.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
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