Versatile. Over the past few years Gerstlauer proved it is a company that can design and install many different kinds of exciting rides. One of the firm’s most unique roller coasters is the Euro-Fighter, which debuted at Denmark’s BonBon Land in 2003. The following year the ride opened at Bobbejaanland in Belgium and currently the company is negotiating with parks for several additional installations. Known for its exhilarating first drop, the Euro-Fighter has been the talk of the amusement industry since it debuted.
In order to accommodate park owners’ requests for rides of all sizes the Gerstlauer staff has come up with a Euro-Fighter for every size park. Siegfried Gerstlauer, the company’s head designer, said that versatility was the driving force behind the expanded options of the exciting coaster. “Talking to different park owners we noticed that people liked the Euro-Fighter, but some parks don’t have the crowds that necessitate a gigantic coaster,” he noted. “What we have done is take the excitement of the Euro-Fighter’s first drop and incorporated that element into designs of all sizes.”
Each ride begins with the trademark vertical lift and beyond-vertical drop. After that the coasters speed through a vertical loop and many different elements. Supervisor Franz Maier said, “We have the top hat, heart line roll and helix elements at our disposal. However, we use each one in different ways on the layouts. The great thing about the Euro-Fighter is that we can create a ride that fits the budget of any park owner. We understand that each facility has its own capacity needs and designed the Euro-Fighter family to be accommodating to parks of all sizes.” Every Euro-Fighter comes with the famous Gerstlauer control system, magnetic brakes, and eight-passenger vehicles. The custom rolling stock can realistically achieve around 1000 people per-hour on most of the Euro-Fighter layouts.
One of the ride’s best features is that the smaller Euro-Fighters are available on a base frame. This makes installation a nominal cost and allows for the ride to be easily moved in the off-season. As Siegfried Gerstlauer said, “We worked with parks of many sizes to create a family of roller coasters that appeals to every park owner. The Euro-Fighter will continue to be an exciting and affordable investment for parks across the globe.”
Some samples of the Compact Euro-Fighter are below.
| Model | 320 | 360 | 470 |
| Footprint | 164 X 69 ft. | 138 X 72 ft. | 180 X 92 ft. |
| Height | 72 ft. | 72 ft. | 72 ft. |
| Track Length | 1050 ft. | 1181 ft. | 1542 ft. |