The Swarm is a steel roller coaster located at Thorpe Park in the United Kingdom. The Swarm was the world's second Wing Coaster model designed by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and the first one located in the United Kingdom.[3] Construction commenced in May 2011, and the coaster opened on 15 March 2012.[4]
Between 2013 and 2015, the rear two rows of each train were reconfigured to face backwards, while the first five rows continued to face forwards. This modification was accompanied by the promotional slogan “Brave It Backwards.” All rows on the trains were returned to their original forward-facing configuration in 2016.
The 2543 ft ride stands 127 ft tall and features four inversions along with a heavily-banked left turn. Riders experience speeds of up to 59 mph and 4.5 times the force of gravity. A marketing campaign for the ride dubbed LC12 - The End is Coming began eleven months before The Swarm opened to the public. It has generally been well-received, ranking highly amongst other winged roller coaster designs.
History
In 2010, planning for The Swarm began behind closed doors. The ride was codenamed Project LC12 in the early process of its planning and construction.