Black Mamba (roller coaster)

Black Mamba
Phantasialand
Park section	Deep in Africa
Coordinates	50°47′55″N 6°52′49″E / 50.79861°N 6.88028°ECoordinates: 50°47′55″N 6°52′49″E / 50.79861°N 6.88028°E
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 24, 2006
General statistics
Type	Steel – Inverted
Manufacturer	Bolliger & Mabillard
Model	Inverted Coaster
Lift/launch system	Chain lift
Height	85.3 ft (26.0 m)
Drop	88.6 ft (27.0 m)
Speed	49.7 mph (80.0 km/h)
Inversions	4
Capacity	1500 riders per hour
G-force	4G
Height restriction	55 in (140 cm)
Black Mamba at RCDB Pictures of Black Mamba at RCDB

Black Mamba is an inverted roller coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard in the German theme park Phantasialand. The ride is situated in the "Deep in Africa" area of the park and is named after the black mamba snake. Theming in the area largely draws from the mud architecture of Western Africa, especially the cities of Timbuktu and Djenne.

Ride experience

The ride is an inverted roller coaster, whereby the trains travel underneath the rails. The ride travels through ravines and tunnels, similar to Nemesis at Alton Towers.

The track was built from 70 individual parts with 0.15 mm of manufacturing tolerance which prevents noticeable transitions between sections. Construction began at four separate parts of the ride which were joined together to complete the circuit. The hollow rails were filled with sand to dampen the noise created by passing trains.

Black Mamba's first drop.

During the ride, forces are created of up to 4.0G. In ten places the guests experience so-called "Near Misses", where the course passes near the walls giving the impression of an impending collision.

Also Black Mamba features a helix with the smallest radius ever built on a B&M rollercoaster.

On May 24, 2006 the park held a one-day "Pre-Opening" which invited guests and officials to ride. Proceeds benefitted the building of a school in Malawi in the context of the "RTL Spendenmarathon".