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SPACE FANTASY
New coaster at Universal Studios Japan
Guests at Universal Studios Japan are invited on a mission to save the sun. Replacing ET Adventure, and housed inside the same building, Space Fantasy – The Ride is a spinning coaster in the dark with an interstellar storyline. Passengers are seated in four-seater solar shuttles, two shuttles per launch. They speed over a 585-metre course at up to 40 km/h, encountering three lifts during the ride. The ride features both controlled and free spinning sections, the latter varied according to the gravitational pull and the weight distribution of the riders. The ride system is provided by Mack Rides.
The preshow/queue area
The storyline begins on planet Earth, which is shrouded in darkness. Realising that the power of humans is required to restore life into the sun, the Solar Princess Cosmia calls on guests for participation. En-route, travellers encounter frozen voids and dusty nebulae, navigating around stars, comets and the planet Saturn with its giant rings.
Ride vehicles by Mack
The solar shuttles eventually drift into a cluster of gigantic tumbling asteroids before being sucked into a cloud of billowing stardust. Riders are transported through the stardust to the orbit of Mercury where just beyond the first view of the dying sun is apparent. The solar shuttles then rocketing toward the sun as passengers fulfil their mission from Princess Cosmia and become heroes.
SBF TOWER RIDES
One of the biggest success stories in recent years for the Italian SBF/Visa Group has been the company's range of tower rides. That success is attributed to the number of different options available, including a variety of sizes, seating configurations and motions. “From a small area inside an entertainment centre to an outdoor amusement park or travelling showmen, all needs can be catered for,” says SBF sales manager Augusto di Santi. Towers can be supplied in anything form 8 to 40 metres in height, with either a static or trailer-mounted base. Originally supplied as drop towers, now up to 10 different ride patterns are available including a full freefall from top to bottom, half freefall, bounce, jump, and now a turning motion too.
The latter is available on SBF/Visa's new Drop 'n' Twist Tower unveiled over the winter and offering both a clockwise and anticlockwise turn as the gondola travels up and down the tower. Additionally, a special “observation” tower mode allows operators to offer a slower, panoramic ride.
All the above options and more feature on a new 28-metre tower delivered to Flambards in England, an exclusive report on which will follow next issue.
LEFT: The Drop ‘n’ Twist Tower, a larger version of which is about to open at Flambards, UK
10
APRIL 2010
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