On the scene with Manta at SeaWorld Orlando

From orlandosentinel.com:

Behold, the Manta trains on the rail inside the maintenance building. (That’s Brian Morrow, director of design and engineering, on the right. You can tell he’s important because his name is pre-printed on his hard hat.) (Photo by Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel).

It’s hard to see here, but the “lead car” is a 12 foot manta stretching across the front. There’s still “detailing” to be done to the train, and keep in mind that they’re designed to be photographed in “flying” position.

“Sitting” in the trains are the water dummies — you might call them test crash dummies, though that’s not really positive thinking, is it?

After passengers are seated, the bottom straps will secure lower legs before swinging into the prone/flying position. “It’s like a Transformer,” Morrow says.

Waiting passengers will only see this happen a couple of times before boarding.

Manta’s official opening date is May 22. More information from the Orlando Sentinel here.