Rapterra

Rapterra is a steel launched wing roller coaster at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia.^{[1] [2]} It is the world's tallest and longest-launched wing roller coaster.^[3]

Rapterra
Kings Dominion
Location	Kings Dominion
Park section	Jungle X-Pedition
Coordinates	37.839133°N 77.439747°W
Status	Operating
Opening date	March 29, 2025
Cost	$30 Million
Replaced	Volcano: The Blast Coaster
General statistics
Type	Steel – Wing Coaster – Launched
Manufacturer	Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer	Bolliger & Mabillard
Model	Wing Coaster
Track layout	3,086 ft
Lift/launch system	LSM
Height	145 ft (44 m)
Drop	145 ft (44 m)
Length	3,086 ft (941 m)
Speed	65 mph (105 km/h)
Inversions	3
Duration	1:29
Capacity	20 riders per hour
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 20 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Rapterra at RCDB

History

Removal of Volcano

See also: Volcano: The Blast Coaster

Volcano: The Blast Coaster was an inverted launched coaster that operated at the park from 1998 to early 2018, situated inside of the preceding Smurf Mountain structure. In February 2019, Kings Dominion announced that Volcano had been decommissioned, citing issues with reliability, rider capacity, and overall customer satisfaction.^[4][5] By May of the same year, the entire attraction had been fully demolished.^[6]

The removal of Volcano left a sizable empty site in the park, sparking discussions for a replacement as early as 2019; it was then that Bolliger & Mabillard first drafted a wing coaster layout for the land.^[7] However, the park's closure during 2020 per the COVID-19 pandemic and retirement of The Crypt after the 2019 season contributed to Tumbili taking priority as a replacement for the latter. The coaster opened in March 2022, bringing with it the reimagining of Safari Village as Jungle X-Pedition and thematic foundation for future attractions.^[8]

Preparation & Construction

Plans were submitted to Hanover County, Virginia in December 2023 for the construction of Amendment 47, a new roller coaster project to be located where Volcano: The Blast Coaster previously stood.^[9] Construction had already commenced when the park opened for the season in March 2023, with groundwork in full swing and the first concrete foundations being poured.^[10]

Roller coaster steel – including track and supports – began arriving at the end of May, with the first piece of brake run being placed on June 18, 2024.^{[11] [12]} The tallest point of the ride was topped off at 8:22am on July 28 and the final track piece set in place on September 6, eighty days after installation began.^[13][14]

Announcement

Kings Dominion began promoting their mystery attraction during construction, with various teasers and clues gradually appearing around its work fences.^[10] On July 31, 2024, Kings Dominion officially announced Rapterra for the 2025 season.^[1][2]

Ride Experience

After leaving the station and a small right hand turn, the train rolls into the launch track. The trains are then launched to 65 mph in 4 seconds, and they enter a 145ft "wingover turn". Following is a 119ft dive loop alongside the station. After a 90ft s-turn over the launch track, the train turns back around going through a "wing slide" over the pathway. Heading into the back of the layout, it goes through a corkscrew and airtime hill, before finshing the ride with a 360° "raptor roll" and right turn into the brakes.^[15]

Characteristics

Rapterra is 145 feet (44 m) tall, 3,086 feet (941 m) long, and reaches a top speed of 65 mph (105 km/h) throughout the ride. The coaster runs two 20-passenger trains, arranging riders in 5 rows with a pair on each side.