Apollo's Chariot

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Apollo's Chariot

The lift hill and first drop

Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Location	Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
Coordinates	37°14′07″N 76°38′32″W / 37.235288°N 76.642351°W / 37.235288; -76.642351
Status	Operating since March 27, 1999
Cost	$20,000,000
Rider height	52 inch minimum

Statistics

Manufacturer

Bolliger & Mabillard

Product

Hyper Coaster

Designer / calculations

Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH

Type

Steel - Hyper

Riders per train

36

Hourly capacity

1750

Propulsion

Chain lift hill

Height

170 feet

Drop

210 feet

Top speed

73 mph

Length

4882 feet

Inversions

0

Drop angle

65°

Duration

2:15

G-Force

4.1

Apollo's Chariot is a steel hyper roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. Opened on March 27, 1999, it is the first Hyper Coaster installation from Bolliger & Mabillard. The roller coaster uses an out and back design with a large helix. Apollo's Chariot opened in 1999 in the "Festa Italia" section of the park.

History

Apollo's Chariot was announced on September 4, 1998.^[1] On March 27, 1999, the ride opened to guests. While attending the media event on March 30, model Fabio was struck by a goose while the train was descending the first drop. He was then taken to a nearby hospital and subsequently released, suffering minor cuts to his face.^[2]

For the ride's 20th anniversary in 2019, the ride was repainted.^[3]

Design

Elements
170 foot tall chain lift hill with a 210 foot drop Hill with a 131 foot drop Tunnel Hill with a 144 foot drop Hill with a 102 foot drop Hill with a 48 foot drop Hill with a 87 foot drop Hill with a 38 foot drop Hill with a 16 foot drop Hill with a 49 foot drop

Apollo's Chariot is the first hyper roller coaster ever built by Bolliger & Mabillard. While it is only 170 feet high, its first drop leads into a depression and stretches 210 feet down. The ride features a pre-drop and series of large airtime hills stretching to and from a large helix at the end of the ride.

Like many hyper coasters, most of the coaster's vibrant purple track is hidden from the park itself. The best view of the whole ride is from the parking lot, which borders the land occupied by the ride.

Color scheme

Apollo's Chariot has a purple track and yellow supports.

Trains

3 trains with 9 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 4 across in a single row, for a total of 36 riders per train.

Images

The entrance to Apollo's Chariot
The interior of the station
Apollo's Chariot in 2002
View from the Rhine River

References

↑ New Ride Not For Mere Mortals - Daily Press
↑ Fabio Hit By Flying Bird on Apollo's Chariot - Ultimaterollercoaster.com
↑ Stilwell, Andrew (March 28, 2019). "19 For 99: Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg". Coaster101. Retrieved May 29, 2022.

External links

[1] New Ride Not For Mere Mortals - Daily Press

[2] Fabio Hit By Flying Bird on Apollo's Chariot - Ultimaterollercoaster.com

[Coaster101-3] Stilwell, Andrew (March 28, 2019). "19 For 99: Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg". Coaster101. Retrieved May 29, 2022.

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