| Watch the on-ride POV |
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| View of Project 305 | |||||||||||||
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| 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 | ||||||||||||
Pantherian (originally known as Intimidator 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. The coaster was renamed Project 305.[8][9] This coincided with Intimidator at Carowinds being renamed Thunder Striker. In October 2024, it was announced that the ride would become Pantherian for the 2025 season.[10]
Design
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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
Project 305 has 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
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The layout -
The passage to the ride -
The entrance sign -
View from the Flight of Fear pavilion -
Project 305's transfer track -
The ride's queue line -
The station -
The second hill -
Project 305 with the old restraints -
Project 305 on the final brake run in 2010 -
The newer restraints
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_2013_03.jpg)
_2010_01.jpg)
_2013_01.jpg)
_2013_02.jpg)
_2013_05.jpg)
_2013_04.jpg)
_2013_06.jpg)
References
- ↑ "Intimidator 305 Coming to Kings Dominion in 2010". Coaster Critic. 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
- ↑ "Intimidator 305 reaches its peak".
- ↑ "Kings Dominion introduces tallest coaster in Virginia".
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "New Restraints on Intimidator 305 make it 'a brand new ride'".
- ↑ Renovated Intimidator 305 and Fireworks Shows Announced at Kings Dominion
- ↑ "The "New" Intimidator 305 Opens". NewsPlusNotes.
- ↑ "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= - ↑ Sim, Natalie (2024-02-29). "Intimidator 305 Gets A New Name At Kings Dominion And A Transformation Is On Its Way!". Theme Park Tourist. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
- ↑ "Kings Dominion announces new name for Virginia theme park's tallest roller coaster".
External links
- Project 305 on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
