More Looping Wooden Coasters on the Way From Gravity Group

Martin & Vleminckx Rides and the Gravity Group announced a continued partnership to create a handful (up to six now I think) of a new coasters a couple years ago, the only bad part of the announcement was that all the rides were for new parks in China.

Around the time of the announcement was the news that the Gravity Group would be installing an inversion on Hades at Mt. Olympus, opening the possibility of inversions being added to the new rides.

It turns out that's exactly what is planned, with at least two of the new rides that will open in China in 2015.  Both will feature a large barrel roll in the middle of the course, marking the first wooden coaster inversion in China.

© Funworld Magazine

This is news to me, however it was published back in August in IAAPA's Funworld Magazine.  Above is a snippet of the story which features some renderings of one of the inverting wooden coasters.

Just like the inversion on Hades 360, the trains will enter a low to the ground, highly banked curve and then rise up into the barrel roll.  The rest of the layout looks to be somewhat low to the ground as well, with what appears like a double-down and plenty of other air-time spots.

While both M&V Rides and Gravity Group are building up a storm in China, one has to wonder when they'll get a contract for a large ride again in the U.S.  Not that I'm ignoring Switchback, though, that ride looks plenty of fun!