28th March 2015 - Gardaland inaugurates
Oblivion - The Black Hole
the new vertical plunge rollercoaster
The first Dive Coaster in Italy and the longest one in Europe
- All the technical specifications -
The planning
The planning and the actual development of Oblivion - The Black Hole required over two years; the first step was market research to single out the needs of visitors. In May 2013 Italy’s first Dive Coaster was commissioned to the Swiss firm Bollinger & Mabillard Inc., the best and most qualified rollercoaster producer in the world, which designed the entire mechanic system (train, tracks, columns) using a particular technique to work steel, alongside the whole computerised control system. The redundancy in the Plc systems, with various associated control units, boards, sensors and other electronic components allows for maximum safety in the management of the attraction, transferring to the Plc the analysis in every condition, both in terms of functioning and of faulty potential. B&M is ranked as one of the most prestigious firms among rollercoaster constructors and it has produced an extraordinary number of coasters worldwide. The attractions it plans and produces are considered the best on the global market: there are no two identical B&M rollercoasters in the world; each one can boast an exclusive project because the firm never produces series of models. All B&M coasters are unique as they are all prototypes that need their own structural design.
Oblivion is the 94th rollercoaster produced by the Swiss firm, the 8th Dive Coaster in the world!
The assembling of the attraction then began in the late spring of 2014 when specialised and qualified workforce, hailing from 6 different nations, began setting up the first Dive Coaster in Italy, the longest one in Europe. The track was completed on the 15th of December 2014 and, in January 2015, works began on the themed area.
With an investment of over 20 million Euro, one of the biggest ones carried out so far, Gardaland is about to inaugurate season 2015 – which incidentally also marks its 40th anniversary – with an incredible adrenaline charge!
The track
566 metres of pure adrenaline, after a run-up reaching a height of 42.5 metres – like a 15 storey building, 3 seconds of “wait” on the drop before a nosedive descent, with a 4g acceleration for 47.5 metres, on an 87 degrees inclination, at a mad speed approaching 100km/h towards the tunnel of oblivion... Four are the inversions, head over heels upturns grazing the ground, pillars and numerous obstacles. After the first vertical drop, with the feeling of falling into nothingness, the train enters the themed tunnel: upon coming out it first does an immelmann, a backwards tailspin with a 180° rotation, followed by a camelback at high speed with a “vacuum sense” feeling, a great spiral (tailspin of the track with vertical movement) and finally an In-line-roll, or in other words a complete longitudinal 360° rotation of the train on its axis).
One hundred seconds of pure adrenaline, incredible emotions from boarding to arrival!
The trains
Three convoys take turns carrying 8,000 people every day; each vehicle is equipped with 3 rows of 6 seats each and it can contain up to 18 passengers in total. The trains – weighing an impressive 3200 kilos each (when empty) – are made of steel with wheels in aluminium dressed in plastic material suitable to face the heat generated by the strong acceleration.
An engine, with 250 KW of power, takes the trains to the desired height and also takes them down the descent. Once it has arrived on the drop the convoy remains suspended for approximately 3 seconds, only to suddenly get launched at a speed that reaches its maximum level when exiting the tunnel. Along the path we can find over 100 sensors constantly checking on the convoy. The main braking device is of a magnetic kind (eddy current). The slowing-down force of the convoy intervenes generating so-called “parasite”
currents. The slowing-down force intervenes through the transformation in heat of the induced currents: the magnetic brake is therefore, for this reason, free from wear and tear. Compared to traditional friction brakes, it has the advantage of being gentler and gradual its process, to be free from wear and tear and in the reliability given by functioning without being powered by energy. The magnets are located under the vehicle with a conductive bar fixed on the track. Alongside the aforementioned brakes there are several pairs of mechanic brakes: every brake comes with two opposing clamps that exert frictions on the central beam of the vehicles. The tightening force is given by two springs placed inside the two pneumatic jacks. The air pressure is used to open the brake. In the event of electricity shortage the brakes will remain closed, so safety during braking will always be guaranteed
The area and the theming
With the white of the structure and of the Oblivion tracks - The Black Hole stands tall in a new area of the Park dedicated to space.
The development of the theming began over a year ago with the first creative/developing phase, which was then followed by the laying out of the idea and finally the out and out construction. The idea was laid out by Gardaland’s Theming Department, aided by specific professional figures: engineers, architects, designers, sculptors, audio/video technicians, carpenters, painters, experienced blacksmiths. Construction began in January and it saw the deployment of air platforms at heights of up to 50 metres, of scaffolds, traditional and mobile, used for refining and painting works.
Absolutely innovative is the interactive queue line, a waiting line that becomes in itself an adrenaline-filled part of the attraction. Once they will have crossed the entry that leads to the new rollercoaster, Guests will feel like they are being scanned: a monitor will display a modified image of the passenger of the Oblivion shuttle. LED lights games – possible thanks to special software that enrich sensorial perception – will make guests experience the sensation of a metal detector… Even to get inside the NASA Oblivion station you need to be well prepared! The out and out training will begin at the starting station: from this moment on “test” will begin to assess if a person is “suitable” to climb aboard the attraction the attraction while a voice will indicate to Guests everything they will need to carry out starting from that moment.
A first step sees the passage inside a 50-metre long tunnel hosting over 20,000 LED; a game of lights and smoke will convey the idea of a wormhole, only a first un “taste” of what will happen later on the attraction. Will everyone truly be ready to face this launch into space?
Straight after, “touch screens” will propose a first unusual, extraordinary experience: with a mere hand touch of the screen any image projected on the screen will be dragged… and thrown inside the wormhole that will modify them and deform them to create bizarre alterations. The trials however won’t be finished yet… Guests will tread on a vibrating stage that will severely test their balance. Inside the “destination room” a LED-wall will pull of a 360° spin presenting dinosaur clips and a look of Planet earth in 3025; daredevils will hence be able to imagine their possible destination once outside the tunnel.
The last passage will prepare passengers for entry inside the attraction; music will accompany the Guests at their starting blocks and a voice will communicate to them the beginning of the adventure. The daredevils, at this point, finally ready to climb aboard Oblivion - The Black Hole. The personnel will give you all the necessary information and it will begin the countdown. The stages will disappear and… on we go, towards the vertical plunge and then into the tunnel!
The figures of the building site
The new Dive Coaster extends on a massive area of 13,000 square metres, like the wing surface of as many as 25 Boeing 747 Jumbo! The weight of the whole structure is of 549,000 Kg of steel, the equivalent of the weight of 44 Super Jet F35, held together by over 8,000 bolts. An astounding 1,000 cubic metres of concrete were employed to produce over 200 foundation posts to anchor the ground, laid at a deepness ranging between 12 and 14 metres. 4,000 cubic metres of land were moved to make way for the 50 columns supporting the imposing structure. The tunnel – a selling point of the attraction – was excavated 7.5 metres underground.
