Cedar Point plans a record-setting winged coaster in 2013

Cedar Point theme park in Ohio plans to add a $25-million record-setting winged roller coaster in 2013, according to local media reports.

Photos: Winged roller coaster at Cedar Point

The Swiss-based Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider, dubbed “CP Alt.Winged,” would be the world’s fastest and longest winged coaster with a taller initial drop than any similar ride, according to a memo obtained by the Sandusky Register newspaper.

“We’ve made no public announcement yet about a new ride or attraction for 2013,” said Cedar Point spokesman Bryan Edwards. “We do plan to make an announcement later this summer.”

On a winged coaster, riders sit on either side of the track in a winged formation as the train navigates multiple inversions.

To date, B&M has built four winged coasters: Raptor at Italy’s Gardaland, Swarm at England’s Thorpe Park, Wild Eagle at Tennessee’s Dollywood and X-Flight at Six Flags Great America outside Chicago.

Cedar Point’s Alt.Winged coaster appears designed to top Dollywood’s record-setting Wild Eagle, a 3,127-foot-long B&M Wing Rider that debuted in March with a top speed of 61 mph and an initial drop of 135 feet.

The new coaster would fly over Cedar Point’s front entrance making a highly visible “statement” to visitors, according to the Feb. 15 memo from Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet to the theme park company’s board of directors.

Screamscape has been reporting since July that a B&M wing coaster was a strong possibility for Cedar Point.

The addition of the new ride would require Cedar Point to remove the Space Spiral observation tower and Disaster Transport indoor bobsled coaster, according to the report.

The removal of the 1985 Disaster Transport would mean Cedar Point’s coaster count would remain at 16 after the park tore down the 1979 Wildcat at the beginning of this summer season.

Arch-rival Six Flags Magic Mountain’s coaster count will rise to 18 in 2013 with the addition of the Full Throttle launched coaster, keeping the California amusement park ahead of Cedar Point in the battle for the coveted title of Roller Coaster Capital of the World.