Firebird in 2012 when it was known as Apocalypse.
Six Flags America
Location Upper Marlboro, Maryland, USA
Coordinates 38°54′30″N 76°46′28″W / 38.908215°N 76.774539°W / 38.908215; -76.774539
Park section Chesapeake
Minimum: 54 inch
Maximum: 76 inch
Replaced Skull Mountain
Six Flags Great America
Name Iron Wolf
Location Gurnee, Illinois, USA
Operated April 28, 1990 to September 5, 2011
Replaced by Goliath
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
Product Stand-Up Coaster
Designer / calculations Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Type Steel - Floorless
Hourly capacity 1220
Height 100 feet
Drop 90 feet
Length 2900 feet
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (Replaced 2020)
Riders per train 28
Firebird is a Bolliger & Mabillard floorless roller coaster located at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, USA. The roller coaster first opened as Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America in 1990 where it operated until 2011. It reopened at its current location in 2012 as a stand-up coaster named Apocalypse. It is the first ever roller coaster B&M ever made.
Six Flags Great America (1990-2011)
One of Iron Wolf's trains passing through the vertical loop.
Iron Wolf in 2004.
In late 1989, Six Flags Great America announced that Iron Wolf would be added to the park.[1] On April 28, 1990, Iron Wolf opened on the former site of Z-Force, the only Intamin Space Diver model ever manufactured. Upon its debut, it was the tallest and fastest stand-up roller coaster in the world and the first roller coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard.
In 1994, Iron Wolf appeared in the movie Ri¢hie Ri¢h as the main character Richie's backyard roller coaster.
On August 5, 2011, Six Flags Great America announced on their official Facebook page that the Iron Wolf would be closed on September 5, 2011: "After a long 21 year history at the park, we will be removing Iron Wolf. Make sure to get your last rides in – Iron Wolf's Last Stand is September 5". "The Last Stand" is also a reference for the slogan for Apocalypse.[2] In 2014, Iron Wolf was replaced by Goliath, a wooden topper track roller coaster built by Rocky Mountain Construction.[3]
Six Flags America (2012-)
One of Apocalypse's trains.
On August 22, 2011, Six Flags America announced on their official Facebook page that they would be adding a new attraction in 2012. From this time, they began to slowly remove burnt pieces from an envelope to reveal the ride with an official announcement on September 1, 2011. On that day, Six Flags announced that Iron Wolf would be relocated to Six Flags America, where it would open as Apocalypse, following its closure on September 5, 2011.[4] The ride was expected to open on May 25, 2012, and be located in Skull Island section of the park where the former Skull Mountain used to be.
Apocalypse was Six Flags America's first roller coaster in a decade, since Batwing opened in 2001. However, Six Flags America has not gotten a coaster from the ground up since Batwing.
In December 2011, construction sped up with footers being dug, and the track and trains began arriving. On February 28, 2012, vertical construction started with the installation of a track piece for the station.[5] On April 2, 2012, Apocalypse's track was completed. The dismantling and reassembling of the roller coaster was handled by Ride Entertainment.[6] Apocalypse's queue line featured detailed theming, such as dead grass, rocks, a plane crashed into a rock, an abandoned truck with graffiti on it, shipping containers that riders would walk through, and numerous other abandoned-looking objects.[7] The ride opened on June 7, 2012.
On August 16, 2018, the park announced that Apocalypse would be "closing forever", with its last day of operation being September 8.[8] On August 30, Six Flags announced that Apocalypse would become Firebird for the 2019 season. As part of the refurbishment the stand-up trains were replaced with new floorless trains and the ride was repainted.[9] The front car from one of the stand-up trains was donated to the National Roller Coaster Museum.[10] Firebird opened to the public on May 17, 2019 and is Maryland's only floorless coaster.[11]
Pre-drop
Vertical loop
Twisted hill
Firebird has two inversions: a vertical loop and a corkscrew. The ride does not feature any mid-course brake run, but instead has a miniscule section of straight track. The track is painted orange and the rails painted red. The supports are painted black.
2 trains with 7 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 4 across in a single row, for a total of 28 riders per train.
The restraint system on Apocalypse.
↑ "Iron Wolf (Six Flags Great America) announcement from 1989". https://www.newspapers.com/clip/53867496/iron-wolf-six-flags-great-america/.
↑ "Iron Wolf leaving Six Flags Great America". Coaster101. August 6, 2011. https://www.coaster101.com/2011/08/06/iron-wolf-leaving-six-flags-great-america/. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
↑ "Goliath at Six Flags Great America Opens Today". Coaster101. June 19, 2014. https://www.coaster101.com/2014/06/19/goliath-six-flags-great-america-opens-today/. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
↑ "Six Flags America to launch 'Apocalypse' in 2012". https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-xpm-2011-09-01-bal-tr-six-flags-apocalypse-coaster-story.html.
↑ "Apocalypse Vertical Construction Begins". Coaster101. February 28, 2012. https://www.coaster101.com/2012/02/28/apocalypse-vertical-construction-begins/. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
↑ Projects Around The World - Ride Entertainment
↑ "Six Flags America Apocalypse Queue Walk Through". bubala. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo4GB_cpNLo.
↑ "Apocalypse: The Last Stand to Meet Its Demise on September 8th at Six Flags America". NewsPlusNotes. http://newsplusnotes.blogspot.com/2018/08/apocalypse-last-stand-to-meet-its.html.
↑ "Six Flags adds a 'floorless' roller coaster". https://wtop.com/business-finance/2018/08/six-flags-adds-a-floorless-roller-coaster/.
↑ "National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives Facebook post". https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2332108266835274&id=133474440032012.
↑ "New coaster opens Friday at Six Flags America". https://www.localdvm.com/news/maryland/new-coaster-opens-friday-at-six-flags-america/.
The categories Firebird and Iron Wolf contain additional media.
Firebird on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
Articles on Six Flags America
Great Chase
Joker's Jinx
Mind Eraser
Ragin' Cajun
Superman: Ride of Steel
The Great Alonzo's Cannonball Coaster
Two-Face: The Flip Side
Ultra Twister
Big Easy Speedway
Bourbon Street Fireball
Capital Railways
Elmer's Around the World in 80 Seconds
Flying Carousel
Foghorn Leghorn's Tinseltown Train
French Quarter Flyers
Great Race Antique Cars
Happy Junction
Harley Quinn Spinsanity
Penguin's Blizzard River
Pepe Le Pew's Tea Party
Pirate's Flight
Renegade Rapids
Shipwreck Falls
Sky Jumper
Sylvester's Pounce and Bounce
Taz's Film Works
Voodoo Drop
Whistlestop Bus Line
Whistlestop Train
Whistlestop Whirlybirds
Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth
Yosemite Sam's Hollywood Flight School
Zydeco Zinger
Dare Devil Dive
Krypton Comet
Skull Mountain
SkyEscaper
Articles on Six Flags Great America
Batman The Ride
Flash: Vertical Velocity
Little Dipper
Maxx Force
Superman Ultimate Flight
Gulf Coaster
Aquaman Splashdown
Big Easy Balloons
Buccaneer Battle
Chubasco
Columbia Carousel
Crazy Bus
DC Super Villains Swing
Fiddler's Fling
Giant Drop
Hometown Fun Machine
Justice League: Battle for Metropolis
Krazy Kars
Krazy Kups
Logger's Run
Mardi Gras Hangover
River Rocker
Roaring Rapids
Rue Le Dodge
Scenic Railway
Sky Trek Tower
Tot's Livery
Winner's Circle Go Karts
Yahoo River
ZoomJets
Cajun Cliffhanger
Great America Raceway
Jester's Wild Ride
King Chaos
Power Dive
Sky Whirl
Splashwater Falls
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1.1 Six Flags Great America (1990-2011)
1.2 Six Flags America (2012-)
Floorless roller coasters
Roller coasters manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard
Stand-Up Coaster (Bolliger & Mabillard)
Werner Stengel
Pages with coordinates