Black Mamba is an
inverted roller coaster
An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the t ...
built by
Bolliger & Mabillard in the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
theme park
Phantasialand
Phantasialand is a theme park in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany that attracts approximately 2 million visitors annually. The park was opened in 1967 by Gottlieb Löffelhardt and Richard Schmidt. Although starting as a family-oriented p ...
. The ride is situated in the "Deep in Africa" area of the park and is named after the
black mamba snake. Theming in the area largely draws from the mud architecture of Western Africa, especially the cities of Timbuktu and Djenne.
Ride experience
The ride is an inverted roller coaster, whereby the trains travel underneath the rails. The ride travels through ravines and tunnels, similar to
Nemesis at
Alton Towers.
The track was built from 70 individual parts with 0.15mm of manufacturing tolerance which prevents noticeable transitions between sections. Construction began at four separate parts of the ride which were joined together to complete the circuit. The hollow rails were filled with sand to dampen the noise created by passing trains.
During the ride, forces are created of up to 4.0G. In ten places the guests experience so-called "Near Misses", where the course passes near the walls giving the impression of an impending collision.
Black Mamba features a helix with the smallest radius ever built on a B&M roller coaster.
On May 24, 2006 the park held a one-day "Pre-Opening" which invited guests and officials to ride. Proceeds benefitted the building of a school in
Malawi
Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeas ...
in the context of the "RTL Spendenmarathon".
Reception
References
{{Authority control
Roller coasters in Germany
Roller coasters introduced in 2006
Inverted roller coasters manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard