Werner Stengel
Encyclopedia
Werner Stengel is a German
roller coaster
designer and engineer
. Stengel is the founder of Stengel Engineering, also known as Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH (or Ingenieur Buero Stengel GmbH).
Born 22 August 1936, in Bochum
, Germany, Stengel first worked on amusement park
rides in collaboration with Anton Schwarzkopf
in 1963. He established his own company, Stengel Engineering, in 1965. His collaboration with Schwarzkopf was responsible for many innovations in roller coaster design, including in 1975 the first modern looping coaster - Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain
. His clothoid loop is now standard on many roller coasters as it produces less intense forces on the human body than a circular vertical loop. In 1976 Stengel and Schwarzkopf established the first horizontal launch "Shuttle Loop". He was also noted as being a pioneer in heartlining, the principle of having the track twist/rotate around the rider's heart line, rather than the track rotating around its own center.
Since Schwarzkopf's retirement, he has maintained his eminent position in the amusement park industry ever since; he has worked on most of the world's record-breaking roller coasters, including Son of Beast, Millennium Force
, Bizarro (Six Flags New England), Top Thrill Dragster
, Kingda Ka
, Dollywood
's Mystery Mine
, El Toro
, and many others. In the 2004 Amusement Today
Golden Ticket Awards list of the world's top 50 steel roller coasters, 72% have had direct involvement with Stengel Engineering.
He received an honorary doctorate from Gothenburg University
in 2005, for his "inexhaustible creativity in linking physics and design to the experience of the body in roller coasters and other rides." One of the most famous and highly regarded Stengel/Schwarzkopf rides is Lisebergbanan
at Liseberg
, a park situated in Gothenburg city.
He has also built the world's largest portable roller coaster, Olympia Looping
.
Today, he is currently semi-retired and working as a consultant in the amusement park ride industry.
Stengel celebrated his 500th roller coaster with the opening of Maverick
, located at Cedar Point
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
designer and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. Stengel is the founder of Stengel Engineering, also known as Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH (or Ingenieur Buero Stengel GmbH).
Born 22 August 1936, in Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
, Germany, Stengel first worked on amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
rides in collaboration with Anton Schwarzkopf
Anton Schwarzkopf
Anton Schwarzkopf was a German engineer of amusement rides, and founder of the Schwarzkopf Industries company, which built numerous rides and large roller coasters for both amusement parks and travelling funfairs....
in 1963. He established his own company, Stengel Engineering, in 1965. His collaboration with Schwarzkopf was responsible for many innovations in roller coaster design, including in 1975 the first modern looping coaster - Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
. His clothoid loop is now standard on many roller coasters as it produces less intense forces on the human body than a circular vertical loop. In 1976 Stengel and Schwarzkopf established the first horizontal launch "Shuttle Loop". He was also noted as being a pioneer in heartlining, the principle of having the track twist/rotate around the rider's heart line, rather than the track rotating around its own center.
Since Schwarzkopf's retirement, he has maintained his eminent position in the amusement park industry ever since; he has worked on most of the world's record-breaking roller coasters, including Son of Beast, Millennium Force
Millennium Force
Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster built by Intamin located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It is the fourteenth roller coaster built at the park since the Blue Streak opened in 1964. Standing 310 feet tall at its highest point, the coaster overlooks Lake Erie.On a clear...
, Bizarro (Six Flags New England), Top Thrill Dragster
Top Thrill Dragster
Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, Hydraulic-launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was the first "Strata Coaster", loosely defined as a complete circuit coaster that is over tall. It was built by Intamin and debuted to the public on May 4, 2003...
, Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka is a roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA. It is the world's tallest roller coaster, and was the world's fastest until Formula Rossa opened in November 2010. The train is launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism to in 3.5 seconds. At the end of...
, Dollywood
Dollywood
Dollywood is a theme park owned by entertainer Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dollywood has 3,000 people on its payroll, making it the largest employer in that community....
's Mystery Mine
Mystery Mine
Mystery Mine is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster at Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The ride is heavily themed as a haunted mining operation from the 19th century, with sections taking place outdoors and within a large building that features special effects...
, El Toro
El Toro (roller coaster)
El Toro, meaning The Bull in Spanish, is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. It opened to the public on June 11, 2006. It was designed by Intamin of Switzerland. It had the steepest drop of any wooden roller coaster in the world, at 76 degrees, until this record was broken by T...
, and many others. In the 2004 Amusement Today
Amusement Today
Amusement Today is a monthly periodical featuring articles, news, pictures, and reviews about all things relating to the amusement park industry, including parks, rides, and ride manufacturers. The magazine, which is based in Arlington, Texas, USA, was founded in 1997 by Gary Slade and Virgil...
Golden Ticket Awards list of the world's top 50 steel roller coasters, 72% have had direct involvement with Stengel Engineering.
He received an honorary doctorate from Gothenburg University
Gothenburg University
The University of Gothenburg is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg.- Character :The University of Gothenburg is the third-oldest Swedish university, and with 24,900 full-time students it is also among the largest universities in the Nordic countries...
in 2005, for his "inexhaustible creativity in linking physics and design to the experience of the body in roller coasters and other rides." One of the most famous and highly regarded Stengel/Schwarzkopf rides is Lisebergbanan
Lisebergbanan
Lisebergbanan is a steel roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 1987.When Anton Schwarzkopf's company went bankrupt, Schwarzkopf worked with the Zierer company to produce several roller coasters. Lisebergbanan was the first of these rides, and it has been...
at Liseberg
Liseberg
Liseberg is an amusement park located in Gothenburg, Sweden, the park opened in 1923. Liseberg is one of the most visited amusement parks in Scandinavia, attracting around 3 million visitors annually. Among the noteworthy attractions is the wooden roller coaster Balder, voted twice as the Best...
, a park situated in Gothenburg city.
He has also built the world's largest portable roller coaster, Olympia Looping
Olympia Looping
Olympia Looping is a portable steel roller coaster built by Anton Schwarzkopf. It is the largest portable roller coaster in the world, and the only one with 5 loops. It appears at many carnivals in Germany, most notably the Oktoberfest. Olympia Looping is named for its 5 vertical loops, which...
.
Today, he is currently semi-retired and working as a consultant in the amusement park ride industry.
Stengel celebrated his 500th roller coaster with the opening of Maverick
Maverick (roller coaster)
Maverick is a Intamin-made linear synchronous motor-launched blitz steel complete-circuit roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was manufactured by IntaRide LLC, the United States division of Intamin, and was the five-hundredth roller coaster designed by German engineer Werner Stengel...
, located at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
.