Thunder Dolphin

Thunder Dolphin

Thunder Dolphin's Lift Hill
Tokyo Dome City Attractions
Park section LaQua
Coordinates 35°42′23″N 139°45′12″E / 35.706336°N 139.753277°ECoordinates: 35°42′23″N 139°45′12″E / 35.706336°N 139.753277°E
Status Operating
Opening date May 1, 2003
Cost $37,000,000
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer Intamin
Designer Werner Stengel
Model Mega Coaster
Lift/launch system Cable lift hill
Height 80 m (260 ft)
Drop 66 m (217 ft)
Length 1,066 m (3,497 ft)
Speed 130 km/h (81 mph)
Inversions 0
Duration 1:30
Max vertical angle 80°
Capacity 1,660 riders per hour
G-force 4.4
Height restriction 130 cm (4 ft 3 in)
Thunder Dolphin at RCDB
Pictures of Thunder Dolphin at RCDB

Thunder Dolphin (サンダードルフィン) is a steel roller coaster at the Tokyo Dome City Attractions amusement park, which is part of Tokyo Dome City in Tokyo, Japan. The ride was designed and constructed by Intamin. At 80 metres (260 ft) tall, Thunder Dolphin is currently the 8th tallest continuous circuit roller coaster in the world, behind Kingda Ka, Top Thrill Dragster, Fury 325, Steel Dragon 2000, Millennium Force, Leviathan, and Intimidator 305. Following an incident in which a 25 cm long bolt fell from the ride while in motion on 5 December 2010, injuring a 9-year-old visitor,[1][2] operation of the ride was suspended until 1 August 2013, when the ride reopened.[3][4][5]

Thunder Dolphin's 1,066.8 metres (3,500 ft) long course passes through both a hole in the LaQua building, and through the Big-O, the world's first centerless Ferris wheel. The Thunder Dolphin has a maximum speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph).

An ascending train at Thunder Dolphin

References

  1. 遊園地でボルト落下、小学生軽傷 東京ドーム [Elementary school child injured by falling bolt at Tokyo Dome amusement park]. 47 News (in Japanese). Japan: Press Net Japan Co., Ltd. 5 December 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  2. コースター部品、落下は設計ミス 東京ドームで女児軽傷 [Tokyo Dome rollercoaster accident due to design error]. Nikkei Shimbun (in Japanese). Japan: Nikkei Inc. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  3. サンダードルフィン [Thunder Dolphin]. Tokyo Dome City Attractions official website (in Japanese). Japan: Tokyo Dome. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  4. "Thunder Dolphin at LaQua reopens after 2 and a half years!". 12 August 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  5. "Thunder Dolphin". RCDB.com. Retrieved 16 August 2013.

External links