Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter

The Euro-Fighter is a type of steel roller coaster developed by Gerstlauer. First launched in 2003, the trademark feature of the roller coaster is its beyond-vertical drop, which reaches an angle greater than 90 degrees. Although the majority of Euro-Fighters are custom designed for each installation, every design so far has included the trademark drop. A number of different track elements are possible, including vertical loops, diving loops and barrel rolls. Almost all Euro-Fighter models have a vertical chain-driven lift hill, although LSM launch systems are also available.

The vertical lift and 'beyond vertical' drop on a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter.

Riders are transported in individual cars around the track, which feature two rows of four seats. Two exceptions are Huracan at the Belantis amusement park in Germany and Dare Devil Dive at Six Flags Over Georgia, which both feature cars similar to those used on Gerstlauer's launched roller coasters. The cars have over-the-shoulder restraints and may be themed (to an extent) according to the customer's requirements. Dare Devil Dive's cars were the first to use a new lap-bar only restraint system in 2011 and were used on several following models. Over-the-shoulder restraints continued to be offered on Euro-Fighters and an updated design eventually appeared on Defiance in 2022.

Flucht von Novgorod, located at Hansa Park in Germany, was the first Euro-Fighter to incorporate both a vertical lift and an LSM launch in the same circuit.[1]

Installations

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Name Model Park Country Opened Status
Vild-Svinet Model 500/8 BonBon-Land   Denmark 2003 Operating [2]
Typhoon Model 670/8 Bobbejaanland   Belgium 2004 Operating [3]
Speed: No Limits Model 600 Oakwood Theme Park   United Kingdom 2006 Operating [4]
Rage Model 320+ Adventure Island   United Kingdom 2007 Operating [5]
Mystery Mine Custom Dollywood   United States 2007 Operating [6]
SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge Custom Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America   United States 2008 Operating [7]
SAW: The Ride Custom Thorpe Park   United Kingdom 2009 Operating [8]
Falcon Model 320+ Duinrell   Netherlands 2009 Operating [9]
Flucht von Novgorod Custom Hansa Park   Germany 2009 Operating [10]
Huracan Custom Belantis   Germany 2010 Operating [11]
Dare Devil Dive Custom Six Flags Over Georgia   United States 2011 Operating [12]
Untamed Model 320+ Canobie Lake Park   United States 2011 Operating [13]
Takabisha Model 1000 Fuji-Q Highland   Japan 2011 Operating [14]
Eurofighter Custom Zoosafari Fasanolandia   Italy 2011 Operating [15]
Iron Shark Model 380 Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier   United States 2012 Operating [16]
Abyss Custom Adventure World   Australia 2013 Operating [17][18]
Krater Model 380 Colombian National Coffee Park   Colombia 2014 Operating [19]
Serpent Model 320+ Parc Sindibad   Morocco 2015 Operating [20]
Predator Model 320+ IMG Worlds of Adventure   United Arab Emirates 2016 Operating [21]
Hydrus Model 320 Casino Pier   United States 2017 Operating [22][23]
Adrenaline Peak Model 320 Oaks Amusement Park   United States 2018 Operating [24][25]
Tantrum Model 380 Six Flags Darien Lake   United States 2018 Operating [26]
TMNT Shellraiser Model 1000 Nickelodeon Universe American Dream   United States 2019 Operating

[27]

Vertika Custom La Récré Des 3 Curés   France 2020 Operating [28]
Defiance Custom Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park   United States 2022 Operating [29]
Vindfald Custom Tivoli Friheden   Denmark 2024 Operating

[30]

References

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  1. ^ "Gerstlauer's page for Fluch von Novgorod under 'New Projects'". Archived from the original on 2009-02-25. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  2. ^ Marden, Duane. "Vild-Svinet  (BonBon-Land)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  3. ^ Marden, Duane. "Typhoon  (Bobbejaanland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  4. ^ Marden, Duane. "Speed: No Limits  (Oakwood Theme Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  5. ^ Marden, Duane. "Rage  (Adventure Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  6. ^ Marden, Duane. "Mystery Mine  (Dollywood)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  7. ^ Marden, Duane. "SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge  (Nickelodeon Universe)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  8. ^ Marden, Duane. "Saw - The Ride  (Thorpe Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  9. ^ Marden, Duane. "Falcon  (Duinrell)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  10. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flucht von Novgorod  (Hansa Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  11. ^ Marden, Duane. "Huracan  (Belantis)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  12. ^ Marden, Duane. "Dare Devil Dive  (Six Flags Over Georgia)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  13. ^ Marden, Duane. "Untamed  (Canobie Lake Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  14. ^ Marden, Duane. "Takabisha  (Fuji-Q Highland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  15. ^ Marden, Duane. "Eurofigther  (Zoosafari Fasanolandia)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  16. ^ Marden, Duane. "Iron Shark  (Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  17. ^ Marden, Duane. "Abyss  (Adventure World)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  18. ^ Wilson, Richard (12 September 2013). "Adventure World coaster named Abyss". Parkz. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  19. ^ Marden, Duane. "Krater  (Parque del Café)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  20. ^ Marden, Duane. "Serpent  (Sindibad)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  21. ^ Marden, Duane. "Predator  (IMG Worlds of Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  22. ^ Marden, Duane. "Hydrus  (Casino Pier)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  23. ^ Read, Charles (June 30, 2017). "Ride Entertainment celebrates opening of iconic Hydrus roller coaster at Casino Pier". Blooloop. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  24. ^ "Portland's Oaks Park opens new Adrenaline Peak roller coaster". Attractions Magazine. April 9, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  25. ^ Marden, Duane. "Ardenaline Peak  (Oaks Amusement Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  26. ^ "Darien Throws a Tantrum". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  27. ^ Marden, Duane. "TMNT Shellraiser  (Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  28. ^ "VIDEO. Brest. La Récré des 3 curés rouvre, Vertika fait tourner les têtes". 5 June 2020.
  29. ^ Levine, Arthur (August 5, 2021). "Exclusive: This Colorado theme park is putting its newest roller coaster on a mountaintop". USA Today. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  30. ^ Marden, Duane. "Vindfald  (Tivoli Friheden)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
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