Big Shot (The STRAT SkyPod)

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Big Shot
The STRAT SkyPod
Location Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Coordinates 36°08′52″N 115°09′20″W / 36.1478200°N 115.1555137°W / 36.1478200; -115.1555137
Park section Top of SkyPod - 921 ft. above ground
Status Operating since 1996
Statistics
Manufacturer S&S Worldwide
Product Space Shot
Designer / calculations Stan Checketts
Type
Capacity 4 riders on each side for a total of 16 riders
Hourly capacity 360
Propulsion Pneumatic air launch
Area 10 feet × 10 feet
Power consumption 480V / 3 phase / 60 Hz (230 kW)
Height 160 feet
Speed 45 mph
HELP
A night shot of the STRAT SkyPod tower with Big Shot lit up in red on top of the large observation deck tower.
The STRAT SkyPod tower at Night. Big Shot is the large spire on top

Big Shot is a S&S Worldwide Space Shot drop tower ride located on top of the 1,000 foot tall STRAT SkyPod tower of The STRAT Hotel, Casino and SkyPod in Las Vegas, Nevada. Big Shot opened in 1996 to much fanfare.[1][2][3]

Design

A diagram of the drop sequence of Space Shot Drop Tower rides built by S&S-Sansei Technologies, also known as S&S Worldwide. The sequence of the Space Shot variant is: Load, Weigh, Shot, Bounce, Catch & Lift, Final Lift & Enter Breaks, Let Down, Home. For Turbo Drop Rides, the sequence is: Load, Weigh, Shot, Bounce, Catch & Lift, Final Lift & Enter Breaks, Turbo Drop & Bounce, Let Down, and Home.
Drop Sequence for Space Shot Drop Towers by S&S - Sansei Technologies (S&S Worldwide)

Big Shot sits at the top of a large observation tower. At the top of the tower are 13 stories of entertainment space including restaurants, bars, meeting spaces, and wedding chapels. At the very top of the tower sits Big Shot. The drop tower is made of steel and features a singular square shaped ride vehicle that rides up and down the large steel tower with riders located in a single row of four on each side for a total of 16 riders per cycle. The seats feature over the shoulder type restraints.

Powering the ride is a large pneumatic system that provides a high powered launch sending riders to the top of the steel mast at 45 miles per hour. At the time of opening, Big Shot was dubbed the tallest thrill ride in the world.[1]

Total G Force values are 4-G Launch and negative 1-G drop.[1][2][3][4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hook, Patrick (2019). Ticket to Ride. New York, New York, USA: Greene Media, Ltd. p. 134. ISBN 9780785835776.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Big Shot". The STRAT SkyPod. 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Stearns, John (May 5, 1996). "New Attractions: Sin City's Challenge for Tourism Supremacy Part 2". Newspapers.com. Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  4. ↑ S&S - Sansei Technologies Tower Rides Brochure. S&S-Sansei Technologies. 2022.
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