Virginia is home to more than two dozen roller coasters, and it’s about to add another that will be the tallest, longest and fastest of its kind — a new coaster Kings Dominion is calling the Rapterra.
Kings Dominion already has more than a dozen roller coasters with names like the Dominator, the Berserker and Twisted Timbers. Now, the park’s preparing to unveil a whole new design with the Rapterra. Spokesman Geoff Zindren says its seats are suspended alongside the track.
“Nothing above you and nothing below you and, really, kind of nothing to the side of you," Zindren explains. "It’s going to evoke the sensation of flying around, much like a bird does.”
The design by a Swiss company that specializes in theme park rides is known as a wing coaster, and Zindren says it’ll be the fastest of its kind in this country, the tallest and longest in the world.
“The launch takes you from zero to 65 miles per hour in under four seconds. You’re going to soar up to 145 feet over our midway. And it’s going to take about 89 seconds to complete.”
The multi-million dollar ride is being assembled now and will undergo months of safety testing before it opens in the spring of 2025 when Kings Dominion celebrates its 50th anniversary.
