Intimidator 305

Roller coaster in the United States
Watch the on-ride POV
Intimidator 305
View of Intimidator 305
Kings Dominion
Location Doswell, Virginia, USA
Coordinates 37°50′15″N 77°26′23″W / 37.8373669°N 77.4398267°W / 37.8373669; -77.4398267
Status Operating since April 2, 2010
Cost $25,000,000
Statistics
Manufacturer Intamin
Product Giga Coaster
Type Steel - Giga
Riders per train 32
Hourly capacity 1,350
Propulsion Cable lift hill
Height 305 feet
Drop 300 feet
Top speed 90 mph
Length 5100 feet
Inversions 0
Drop angle 85°
Duration 3:00
G-Force 4.5
HELP

Intimidator 305, sometimes abbreviated I-305, is an Intamin giga roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, USA. Opened in April 2010, it is the third non-launched roller coaster over 300 feet tall, following Millennium Force at Cedar Point and Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land.

History

On August 20, 2009, Intimidator 305 was announced.[1] Kings Dominion broke ground on Intimidator 305 two months prior to the announcement on June 1, 2009. The first pieces of track arrived a few days later. On August 19, the first pieces of steel were put into place. The lift hill was topped off in November 2009.[2] Construction crews continued to construct the ride throughout the winter and the last piece of track was lifted into place on January 9, 2010. Intimidator 305's first test run was on Sunday, March 14, 2010.

Intimidator 305 opened to guests on April 2, 2010.[3]

Some riders experienced problems immediately on the turn following the first drop due to overwhelming g-forces produced in the turn's original design. Riders reported symptoms of greying or blacking out, which is a brief loss of vision, or even consciousness, depending on severity. Riders experienced over 5 highly sustained G's on the turn. To lower the number of occurrences, Kings Dominion reduced the coaster's maximum speed by temporarily installing trim brakes on the first drop.[4]

In July 2010, new over-the-shoulder-restraints with a strapped, padded design were added to keep riders more secured in their seats. This was because riders disliked Intamin's hard over-the-shoulder-restraints, along with head-banging and floating higher than what was comfortable.[5]

During the 2010-2011 off-season, the coaster's first turn was redesigned, resulting in a wider turn radius and fewer g-forces.[6] The major modification allowed them to remove the trim brakes on the first drop, returning the ride to its original maximum speed of 90 mph.[7]

On February 28, 2024, Kings Dominion announced that the ride would undergo a "transformation" with an evolved look and feel.[8] This coincided with Intimidator at Carowinds being renamed Thunder Striker.

Design

Elements

The lift hill structure for Intimidator 305 is unique in that the lift hill and crest only have three points of support. The balance of the ride's track consists of Intamin's newer double-spine track, which allows for longer spans with fewer supports, particularly on crest curves.

Ride experience

While the train is being loaded in the station, the catch car of the cable lift hill is latched onto the middle car of the train. Before the train leaves the station, a recording that states, "Gentlemen, start your engines!" is heard followed by a loud revving sound. Once the train is dispatched, the train ascends the 305 foot tall cable lift hill at a 45-degree angle. Once the train crests the top of the lift hill, the train descends down the 300 foot, 85-degree drop, reaching speeds up to 90 mph. The train turns right into the famous 270-degree "black-out" turn, where riders sustain high amounts of positive G's, before ascending a 150 foot tall airtime hill. The train then descends into a high-speed bunny hop before entering another high-speed turn. The train then maneuvers 3 sharp twists before entering the final high-speed turn. The train then climbs another hill with trim brakes, followed by another airtime hill before entering a final twist and then climbing a small, twisty bunny hop into the magnetic brakes. One cycle of the ride lasts about 3 minutes.

Color scheme

Intimidator 305 has a red track and yellow supports.

Trains

2 trains with 8 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 32 riders per train.

Images

References

  1. "Intimidator 305 Coming to Kings Dominion in 2010". Coaster Critic. 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  2. "Intimidator 305 reaches its peak".
  3. "Kings Dominion introduces tallest coaster in Virginia".
  4. Sim, Nick (2010-09-02). "The Big Debate: Was Kings Dominion right to slow down Intimidator 305 after blackout reports?". Theme Park Tourist. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  5. "New Restraints on Intimidator 305 make it 'a brand new ride'".
  6. Renovated Intimidator 305 and Fireworks Shows Announced at Kings Dominion
  7. "The "New" Intimidator 305 Opens". NewsPlusNotes.
  8. "One of the tallest and fastest coasters on the East Coast is undergoing a transformation. While the insane drops, twists and turns are the same, the look and feel of the coaster will evolve. Details are coming. In the meantime, brace yourself. #Project305 https://bit.ly/3UVrs4Y". Twitter. Kings Dominion. 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-02-28. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)

External links


Articles on Kings Dominion