Larson/ARM Super Shot Drop Towers

^^ They are the ones you have under "removed" in the first post of the thread (and maybe there are more?). Having ridden DelGrosso's, the only differences seem to be the extra height and the square seating formation.

They've made a few 140' towers with seats arranged in a square which are slightly better than the 120' towers IMO. While they aren't technically in the SuperShot model line, the key characteristics are the same: no view above, immediate release at zenith, true freefall, late/quick brake. Not sure if the 140-footers are still offered new from Larson/ARM.

Where are the installations of the 140' model?

Beech Bend's is 140 feet, and StratosFear is apparently 148 feet though I'm not sure if they're including the decoration at the top or not.

Where are the installations of the 140' model?

Morey's Piers and Knoebels. Stratosphere at Knoebels is actually 148 feet tall.

I'm thinking the "extra" 8' may be the decoration because the drawing on the Larson page shows the 120' model as 128.7' overall.

But StratosFear does look to be unique in it's combination of height/design details, so maybe it really is a 148' drop.

Just found out Butler Amusements is bringing a 90' model to the Evergreen State Fair- any Washingtonians want to go check it out on Monday? Also bringing a KMG Freak Out which I am totally looking forward to

edit: I think this is probably a typo or exaggeration, but Silverwood's site lists Panic Plunge as 140' high, but a 120' drop. If it's 140' tall it's obviously not the 128'-8 1/2" model on the Larson page, but it has the round seating arrangement. I wonder if they somehow got the taller tower but with the circular seating?

http://www.silverwoodthemepark.com/rides/panic-plunge.php

The Larson page lists the overall height as "up to 140 feet" under the specifications tab.

http://www.larsonintl.com/pages/super-shot/super-shot.html

Silverwood has a flag atop their ride. I'd guess they have a 120' model with a ~12' flag on top of an ~8' globe-like decoration, which they advertise as a 140'-tall ride with a 120' drop.

Similar: how the rankings of "tallest buildings in the world" lists is obfuscated by uninhabitable structures such as antennas or decorative needles on top of some of the contenders.

They've made a few 140' towers with seats arranged in a square which are slightly better than the 120' towers IMO. While they aren't technically in the SuperShot model line, the key characteristics are the same: no view above, immediate release at zenith, true freefall, late/quick brake. Not sure if the 140-footers are still offered new from Larson/ARM.

Where are the installations of the 140' model?

Beech Bend's is 140 feet, and StratosFear is apparently 148 feet though I'm not sure if they're including the decoration at the top or not.

So does beach bend now have two of these rides? Remember seeing pictures of another smaller model there called shock drop (probably a 90' portable model), as well as the taller version.

They've made a few 140' towers with seats arranged in a square which are slightly better than the 120' towers IMO. While they aren't technically in the SuperShot model line, the key characteristics are the same: no view above, immediate release at zenith, true freefall, late/quick brake. Not sure if the 140-footers are still offered new from Larson/ARM.

Where are the installations of the 140' model?

Beech Bend's is 140 feet, and StratosFear is apparently 148 feet though I'm not sure if they're including the decoration at the top or not.

So does beach bend now have two of these rides? Remember seeing pictures of another smaller model there called shock drop (probably a 90' portable model), as well as the taller version.

They got rid of Shock Drop to replace it with Zero-G.

There's a traveling carnival that comes through my town each year and yesterday I finally went on my first Super Shot, as well my first Larson (holy crap I thought I was going to die) Fireball. I haven't felt free fall like that since Freefall at SFMM. The only other drop towers I've been on are S&S Turbo Drops, and while fun the drop isn't a true free fall. Are the Intamin rides similar?

Oh and the Fireball, no thank you.

Yes, but the braking starts a lot earlier than the ARM towers.

It's really funny because I rode the one at Knoebels thinking it would not be that bad. Between the restraints, the fact you can't see the top, and the immediate drop without the pause, it is HORRIFYING. Other drop towers are scary as they are, StratosFear was downright terrifying.

Yes, but the braking starts a lot earlier than the ARM towers.

Yeah, that was the scariest part. I was thinking okay shouldn't we start braking now.

Why is it called a "Super Shot"? There's no shot involved.

Added Knoebels' StratosFear to my original post.

I finally had a chance to ride StratosFear at Knoebels, and it's even better than I remember the other ones being. Instant lift off the seat, but not "ejector" airtime where your shoulders bash into the restraints. After a second or two, just when think you should be back in your seat, you keep falling, and then finally you slam into the seat when it hits the brakes.

This is the most thrilling model of drop tower, bar none. IMO it's better than every Intamin tower (including 1st and 2nd gen) and definitely better than S&S towers. On this trip, I rode SFA's 2nd-gen Intamin tower the day before Knoebels, and Hersheypark's new S&S drop tower the day after. There's simply no comparison. Larson/ARM wins every time.