Smaller mobile version of Euro Fighter Picture: Gerstlauer

ABC Engineering B&M Funtime Gerstlauer Huss Intamin KMG Mack Maurer Söhne Pax SBF-Visa Vekoma Zamperla

For Gerstlauer, the company from Southern Germany which started building roller coasters in 1997 with the Bobsled Coaster for Tripsdrill, 2004 is the most successful year in their personal history - Not less than six roller coasters have left the company site in Bavarian Münsterhausen this year. Two of them are further versions of the Bobsled Coaster - a mixture of a Wild Mouse and parts with extremely banked curves -, others are completely new developed spinning coasters and finally there is another version of the Euro Fighter.

The last-mentioned attraction, the looping coaster Typhoon for Belgian Bobbejaanland, is featured in our exclusive series of articles since October last year. It gives an overview on the development and the production of this coaster, from the first idea to the grand opening.

Very impressive was the detailed model of this looping coaster which was presented to the public for the first time during the Euro Amusement Show. Typhoon will open to the visitors in April, further projects with the initial drop of 97 degrees are being prepared for 2005.

Spinning Coaster layout for Cedar Fair Picture: Gerstlauer

Among other feasibility studies Siegfried Gerstlauer presented a transportable design, and with a footprint of 55 x 28 meters this version of Euro Fighter is significantly smaller than Typhoon. The 470 meters of track will feature two inversions: A heartline roll will pass through the vertical loop and at the same time acts as a shift in direction between two extremely banked curves. Standing almost 26 meters tall, the layout reaches the same height as the one for Belgium. Five cars can negotiate the twisted track at the same time.

With two identical versions of the spinning coaster Gerstlauer enters the middle segment with another concept that is very popular right now. The well-known Cedar Fair Group ordered this duo for their destinations Worlds of Fun and Camp Snoopy, both located in the US.

The basic concept of a spinning coaster has already been implemented by Gerstlauer at the end of the 90s. Instead of a train there are now single cars with four seats, arranged in rows two by two facing each other.

Picture: Gerstlauer Picture: Gerstlauer

This is supposed to increase interaction among the passengers. Timberland Twister, being 16.5 meters high and 410 meters long, has been especially designed for the indoor park Camp Snoopy at the famous Mall of America in Minnesota and interacts with an existing chair swing ride and a family coaster by German company Zierer.

3D-Layout Klotten Picture: Gerstlauer

Another impressive coaster heads to wildlife and amusement park Klotten near Cochem, Germany. The customized Bobsled Coaster is the initial phase of construction there, in the next two years a log flume by Mack and a huge volcano to complete the theming will follow.

The top of the lift hill in a height of 17.5 meters will be hidden in the volcano, while the 530 meters of track are integrated into the natural park. The ride leads through artificial tunnels made from natural stone, and the four camelbacks are integrated into a six meters deep canyon.

. Typhoon - How a roller coaster emerges Typhoon's test rides at Gerstlauer factory Vilda Musen - Gröna Lund's dynamic duo .

Further projects for 2004 are a kiddy coaster for Legoland California in the US, which is identical to the version at Legoland Günzburg in Germany, and a very compact Bobsled Coaster for Lagun Asia at Gamagori, Japan. In addition, Gerstlauer will provide two trains and electrical components for Falken at Danish Farup Sommerland. The responsible prime contractor for this wooden coaster is S&S Power Inc. from the US.