Sky Screamer (Six Flags AstroWorld)

Sky Screamer, a first-generation Intamin Freefall ride, was constructed in the Plaza de Fiesta section and opened in 1983. Consisting of a tower reaching 131 feet (40 m) in height and a horizontal braking runout, Sky Screamer had an L-shaped appearance. It featured eight uniquely designed gondolas, each holding four riders. The gondolas used one set of wheels to go up the lift and down the drop (4 large wheels at each back corner), but used a different set in the transfer and loading and unloading area of the ride (smaller rollers located on the bottom of the gondola). Gondolas were lifted upward through a shaft in the tower's center by a lift chain. Once at the top, the gondola was disengaged from the lift chain and pushed forward into the drop position. The gondola was released into freefall following the sounding of a loud klaxon (which was audible throughout sections of the park and often lured visitors to the ride). A pair of guide rails ran downward along the outside of the tower before curving into the horizontal braking runout. The freefall drop into the horizontal curve applied a g-force of 4.5 on the riders. In late 1983, 50% more anti-rollback devices were installed. The additional anti-rollbacks were staggered on each side of the lift. These modifications were intended to improve stopping ability in wet conditions and were a response to a non-fatal accident on a similar ride at another park. In 1986, the ride's "G-Block" was moved farther down the horizontal braking runout. The end of "H-Block" was extended to the beginning of the station conveyors in 1994. Sky Screamer was dismantled during the 1990s.[1]