Supreme Scream
Supreme Scream is a Turbo Drop amusement ride located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA.
| Supreme Scream | |
|---|---|
 View of Supreme Scream in 2002 | |
| Knotts Berry Farm | |
| Area | The Boardwalk |
| Status | Operating |
| Cost | USD $30,000,000 |
| Soft opening date | July 1, 1998 |
| Opening date | July 3, 1998 |
| General statistics | |
| Manufacturer | S&S Worldwide |
| Designer | Stan Checketts |
| Model | Turbo Drop |
| Height | 325 ft (99 m) |
| Drop | 252 ft (77 m) |
| Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| G-force | 4 |
| Riders per vehicle | 12 |
| Duration | 45 seconds |
| Height restriction | 52 in (132 cm) |
| Acceleration | 0 − 50 mph (80 km/h) in 3 seconds |
| Launch System | Pneumatic |
 Fast Lane available | |
The ride consists of three individual Turbo Drop model towers arranged in a triangular footprint; the three towers joined at their peaks by a 60-foot-tall (18 m) pyramidal crown and marquee.
The entire structure is 325 feet (99 m) tall from the base to the top of the structure (325 feet (99 m), including topping flagpole) and is the tallest free-standing structure in Orange County. The flag pole is integrated 312 feet at the top of the structure. Supreme Scream carries 12 riders per tower in octagonal carriages upward at a speed of 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) before pausing for a brief moment at a height of 252 feet (77 m). Utilizing pneumatics paired with a pulley system, the ride carriages are then accelerated downward faster than a true free-fall to attain a top speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h)—exposing riders to a maximum G-force of 4 and negative G-force of -1a.
Tagline: "30 Stories Up. 3 Seconds Down."
History
Supreme Scream opened to the general public on July 3, 1998 as the tallest turbo drop–type amusement ride in the world. A soft opening for the attraction was held two days prior.[1]
During its opening year, nearby local residents were complaining about the ride's noise. This was due to the screeching, scratching and rumbling sounds of punctuated blasts of air. To address the issue, S&S Worldwide and Knott's Berry Farm engineers would install 14-inch sound buffers in the ride's mechanics to muffle the screaming.[2]
Records
| Preceded by Power Tower |
World's Tallest Vertical Drop Ride July 1998–December 1998 |
Succeeded by The Giant Drop |
References
- "KNOTT'S OPENS SUPREME SCREAM TO THE MEDIA". Ultimate Rollercoaster.
- Canalis, John (July 30, 1998). "Piping Down at Knott's". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.