Flamingo Land to open Zamperla Air Force rollercoaster in 2011

Flamingo Land in Yorkshire, England, will open a new Zamperla Air Force rollercoaster in 2011, the first of its kind in the UK.

The park's plans were revealed by Deputy Park Executive Nick Buckley in an interview with G-Force Magazine. Due to open in summer 2011, the new ride will be a "wild mouse"-style coaster featuring aeroplane-themed cars that are suspended from the track.

The coaster will be the first Zamperla Air Force coaster in the world to feature a custom layout, and will be considerably larger than existing Air Force coasters such as Turbulenica at Spain's Parque de Atracciones de Madrid. The ride vehicles, themed as Douglas Dakota aeroplanes, will swing outwards as they traverse the many tight corners included in its circuit.

Zamperla Air Force coasters feature a single train of five themed cars, which "fly" through a series of 180 degree switchbacks. The standard version of the ride features a compact layout and length of just 100 metres, but Flamingo Land's looks set to extend beyond this. It is not yet known whether the park's version of the ride will feature a higher capacity than the standard 400 guests per hour, which is constrained by the single-train operation.

The family-friendly Air Force model features similar themed gondolas to Zamperla's Flying Tigers children's ride, although the vehicles are slightly larger and able to accommodate four children or two children and one adult.

The new addition at Flamingo Land is the first new ride at the park since the opening of the "world's steepest rollercoaster", Mumbo Jumbo, in 2009. Theme Park Tourist will feature a full review of the Air Force coaster later this year.

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