In 2019, Kentucky Kingdom added Kentucky Flyer, a Gravity Group coaster that was well received not only by thrill seekers, but entire families! With the park expanding at a rapid rate, fans started wondering.. when would the park receive their next coaster….?
The answer to that question appears to be 2021. Inside FAA documentation that was recently filed, was a request made in the last few weeks to build a 108 foot tall coaster in the corner of the park near Storm Chaser.
This is not some top secret sleuth work, as the park is already teasing with jokes referring to “discovered documents”. On twitter, Kentucky Kingdom published a fake FAA document implying the park was building a mirrored clone of T3-T4.
SPOILER 🚨 This morning our newest 2021 park addition was leaked! We are unsure at this time if our dream of a dueling Vekoma SLC (T4) will still be built, but we can hope. pic.twitter.com/sUjYWuYrXh
— Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay (@KentuckyKingdom) June 16, 2020
It soon came to fruition that the document was part of four files submitted to the FAA. Most of the info can be obtained from the filing for the 108 foot tall structure (which is hypothetically the top of the lift hill).
A few things to note in this document. It lists the coaster as a Raptor, a likely reference to the single rail coaster model produced by Rocky Mountain Construction (aka RMC) that has taken the industry by storm. Furthermore, the height of the ride was stated to be 108 feet.
Documentation provided for construction of the similar Railblazer coaster at California’s Great Adventures is nearly identical. Paperwork was filed for 3 other sections of the ride (likely consisting of the dive loop, iconic high speed s turn, and inverted stall). Using the provided heights and the location, we can obtain a good idea of what the ride would look like.
From that, we were able to generate a recreation of the ride proposed to the FAA. The ride would be squeezed in between the Eye of the Storm attraction and the turn around of Storm Chaser. It is interesting to note that this is the first raptor to placed into plot of land this tight.
The entrance of the ride would be situated by the Eye of the Storm, while the lift hill would be adjacent to Storm Chaser. The positioning of the layout may cause some guests paths to be rerouted. If so, the new paths will likely run underneath the ride, providing guests with unique views and photo opportunities. It is still unknown how many trains or cars will be on this new coaster.
Check out some off ride footage and take a font seat ride on our mock up below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bv2sA0A3W4
Although this is not an officially released video from the park, it’s based solely off the plans submitted to the FAA, so expect it to be extremely close to what you just watched. Are you excited for this RMC project? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
UPDATE 12/8/2020
With the current pandemic, many parks are altering future plans to deal with the financial aftermath of COVID-19. It seems that the RMC Raptor project at Kentucky Kingdom has been terminated and is not moving forward. All documents submitted to the FAA for the coaster have been removed, a move seen with other cancelled projects such as California’s Great America’s canceled hyper coaster.
It is curious though, that for the FAA documents to be filed, parks would have to be financially invested in an upcoming project. It is unknown what happened to the project, or whom it may have been sold to if it was started.
For tickets, season passes, and more information, visit the official Kentucky Kingdom website by clicking here.
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