Bullet (Selva Mágica)

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Bullet

Bullet at Flamingo Land in 1992

Selva Mágica
Location	Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Coordinates	20°43′27″N 103°18′36″W / 20.72412°N 103.309881°W / 20.72412; -103.309881
Status	Operating since 20 December 2013
Rider height	140 cm minimum

Flamingo Land
Name	Bullet
Location	Malton, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Coordinates	54°12′42″N 0°48′25″W / 54.211603°N 0.806842°W / 54.211603; -0.806842
Operated	1991 to 25 September 2005
Replaced by	Kumali

Goetzke (Germany)
Name	Shuttle Loop
Location	Travelling, Germany
Operated	1988 to 1989

Circus World
Name	Wiener Looping
Location	Haines City, Florida, USA
Operated	1985 to 1985-86

Prater
Name	Wiener Looping
Location	Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Park section	1
Operated	During 1982

Statistics

Manufacturer

Schwarzkopf

Product

Shuttle Loop Portable

Designer / calculations

Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH

Type

Steel - Shuttle - Launched

Track layout

Figure-8

Riders per train

24

Hourly capacity

1,400

Propulsion

Tire propelled launch (multi-pass)

Area

78.7 metres × 137.8 metres

Height

39.9 metres

Top speed

80.5 km/h

Track inversions

1

Rider inversions

2

Bullet is a unique steel launched shuttle roller coaster built by Schwarzkopf. It is currently located at Selva Mágica in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico where it opened on December 20, 2013. Previously, it has operated at Prater in Austria and Circus World in Florida, traveled the fair circuit in Germany and operated at Flamingo Land in the United Kingdom.

History

Bullet was erected at Prater in Vienna, Vienna, Austria, during 1982, where it was named Wiener Looping. It was located in the area "Nr. 1". Due to its very high noise level during testing, it never opened to the public and was taken down. It was then relocated to Circus World in Florida, United States where it opened in 1985.^[1] The ride was closed by 1986 and the park sued the coaster's broker, claiming he lied about potentially unsafe conditions.^[2]

In 1988, German showman company Goetzke bought the ride and had it refurbished by BHS. BHS added a second drive motor to the ride, reducing the initial launch speed. As a result, less power and maintenance is necessary to operate the ride. Goetzke operated it for two years as the Shuttle Loop. It was then sold to Flamingo Land, who reopened it as the Bullet in 1991^[3] on the spot where Kumali stands now. On September 25, 2005, after being for sale since 2004, Bullet was closed. It was then believed to have been sold to either Wieland Schwarzkopf or Vekoma.^[4]

The ride was offered for sale by Wieland Schwarzkopf for €1,350,000 in a 2008 advert.^[5] It is possible that Wieland Schwarzkopf sold the ride to Vekoma.

The Bullet was sold by Vekoma to Selva Mágica, where it lay in storage until August 2013, when vertical construction began. A video of the ride in operation was posted on the park's Facebook page in early December.^[6] It reopened on December 20, 2013. For 2019, Bullet was repainted. The track was painted red with a yellow spine, whereas previously it was painted entirely red.^[7]

Design

Elements
Tire propelled launch (multi-pass) Vertical rollback Vertical loop Tire propelled boost Vertical rollback

The train is launched backwards out the station and up the first spike. Gravity then pulls it down through the station. It then travels into the vertical loop and up the second spike. The course is then completed again backwards. The station passes through the centre of the vertical loop.

Colour scheme

Yellow spined track with red ties and white supports. It used to feature red track with white supports.

Trains

Single train with 6 cars. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 24 riders per train. When built, the train had lap-bars only.^[8] At some point adjustable "accordion" restraints were added. These keep the rider seated upright, without featuring a full over-the-shoulder restraint.