The Bat (Defunct)

*This article is about the now defunct coaster that formerly stood in the Coney Mall area. For the suspended coaster in Action Zone that was later given this name as a tribute to this one, see* The Bat*.*

**The Bat** was a suspended coaster formerly located in the Coney Mall section of Kings Island. Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, it was the first coaster of its kind, in which the coaster cars were located underneath the track and swung from side to side based on the coaster's motion. The ride opened on April 26, 1981, and although it was popular with guests, the ride was also notorious for multiple design flaws that led to frequent closures. After an initially temporary closure in 1983 to assess the future of the coaster, the closure was made permanent, and the coaster was removed. Its replacement ride, *Vortex*, would later open in 1987 using the same queue and loading station as its predecessor. It too, permanently closed in 2019, with its replacement yet to be determined.

In 2013, thirty years after the original coaster known as *The Bat* had permanently closed, it was announced that the second suspended coaster of the park, then known as *Flight Deck*, would be repainted with a new color scheme and renamed *The Bat*, in honor of the previous coaster at the park to use the same model.

## History

*The Bat* opened on April 26, 1981 with park officials hoping it would be the next noteworthy coaster offered at Kings Island, as had been the case with *The Racer* and *The Beast*. A suspended coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, it was the first of its kind, featuring cars hanging from an overhead track, with the ability to swing from side to side based on the ride's motion. Initially, the coaster was a success, but as the 1981 season passed, several technical problems began to plague the new coaster. Despite the ambitious design, some of its features intended to make the coaster unique were also causing its downfall. Some of the technical issues included the swinging of the coaster cars being too intense, and as a result creating stress on the ride structure. Shock absorbers, specialized spring devices intended to weaken physical force, were constantly needed to be replaced on the ride cars to keep the swinging motions under control.

The ride was closed in August of 1983. At first, this closure was intended to be temporary, and it was announced that the ride would remain closed for the 1984 season for refurbishment to fix the issues that had plagued it. However, the closure was made permanent when it was decided that fixing the ride would be too expensive, and a major risk if further complications were to develop from the refurbished ride.

In 1984, two new Arrow Dynamics Suspended coasters opened, defunct XLR-8 at the now defunct AstroWorld, and the defunct Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. ￼ These two were considered to be the first successful models.

Despite the difficulties encountered with the ride, Kings Island still wished to work with Arrow Dynamics. The park partnered with Arrow once again shortly after *The Bat*'s closure to manufacture *Vortex*as a replacement ride. Vortex proved to be a far more successful attraction, and closed in 2019. Interestingly, *Vortex* reused the same queue building and loading station as *The Bat.*

Arrow Dynamics would later collaborate with Kings Island once again to make another suspended coaster in 1993. The ride was in development for several years prior, possibly right after The Bat had been demolished. Paramount acquired the park in 1992, and decided the new coaster would be themed to and named after the 1986 film *Top Gun*. The coaster opened in the Action Zone area of the park, and would remain there for the rest of Paramount's ownership until 2008, when current owners Cedar Fair acquired the park. The ride was then renamed to *Flight Deck*, and the military aircraft theme was kept, but all likenesses of the film, including music and scenery of the queue line, were removed.

Later in 2013, over thirty years after *The Bat* had closed, it was announced that *Flight Deck* would be renamed to *The Bat*, for the 2014 season, in conjunction with the opening of *Banshee* in honor of the previous coaster that used the same model. *Flight Deck*'s color scheme of red track and gray support structures was changed to an orange track with darker gray support structures, and the cars took on a similar color scheme. Like the previous incarnations of the ride, the logo can be found on the front of each ride car.

## Gallery

The Bat (Kings Island) - April, 1981 full-circuit POV - TV advertCommercial and On Ride Video
## Trivia

* As of today, only six Arrow Suspended coasters still exist, including the new Bat.