thumb|right|200px|A reverse bungee launch with the passenger car nearing the top of the launch.
thumb|right|Passenger car immediately after launch.
thumb|Video of [[SlingShot (Cedar Point)|SlingShot at Cedar Point]]
The reverse bungee (also known as catapult bungee, slingshot, or ejection seat) is a modern type of fairground ride.
The ride consists of two telescopic gantry towers mounted on a platform, feeding two elastic ropes down to a two-person passenger car constructed from an open sphere of tubular steel. The passenger car is secured to the platform with an electro-magnetic latch as the elastic ropes are stretched. When the electromagnet is turned off, the passenger car is catapulted vertically with a g-force of 3–5, reaching an altitude of between and .
Installations
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Name
!Park
!Country
!Manufacturer
!Opened
!Closed
!Details
|-
|SlingShot
|Canada's Wonderland
| Canada
|Funtime
|2015|2015
|
|Reaches heights of nearly .
|-
|Slingshot
|Carowinds
| United States
|Funtime
|2015
|
|Reaches heights of up to .
|-
|SlingShot
|Cedar Point
| United States
|Funtime
|2014
|
|Reaches heights of . Located in Gemini Midway section of park.
|-
|Slingshot
|Daytona Beach
| United States
|Funtime
|
|
|Located on top of Boardwalk arcade. Removed after larger Sling Shot was added nearby.
|-
|Slingshot
|Daytona Beach Screamer's Park
| United States
|Funtime
|2017
|
|Replaced smaller Sling Shot located on nearby rooftop. Uploads all on-ride videos to the park's YouTube channel.
|-
|Slingshot
|Jolly Roger Amusement Park
| United States
|Funtime
|
|
|Monolithic structure towers.
|-
|Slingshot
|Kings Island
| United States
|Funtime
|2002
|
|Reaches heights of .
|-
|Catapult
|Lagoon
| United States
|Funtime
|2002
|
|Reaches heights over
|-
|Slingshot
|Luna Park
| United States
|Zamperla
|2011
|
|Reaches heights of . Located in the Scream Zone addition to Luna Park.
|-
|Orlando Slingshot
|ICON Park
| United States
|Funtime
|
|
|Allegedly reaches heights over . The ride was closed for about six months for testing and additional employee training after the 2022 fall-related death of a teenager on the Orlando FreeFall ride operated at the same park.
|-
|Slingshot
|Old Town
| United States
|Funtime
|2001
|
|
|-
|Slingshot
|Six Flags Darien Lake
| United States
|Funtime
|
|
|Reaches heights of .
|-
|Texas Gunslinger
|Six Flags Fiesta Texas
| United States
|Funtime
|
|
|Monolithic structure towers. Also referred to as Slingshot.
|-
|Slingshot
|Six Flags Great Adventure
| United States
|Funtime
|
|
|Reaches heights of .
|-
|Nightwing
|Six Flags New England
| United States
|Funtime
|
|
|-
|Sling Shot
|Magical Midway
| United States
|Funtime
|
|
|Reaches heights of .
|}
Beside this, there exist also transportable reverse bungee installations, which are sometimes installed on funfairs.
Safety issues
In August 1998, Jérôme Charron died in a reverse bungee ride accident at the Ottawa Exhibition in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada when he was hurled 40 m into the air before plummeting to his death as his harness had detached. In February 2000, the firm responsible for the ride, Anderson Ventures, was fined $145,000 for this incident.
References
External links
- Amusement Ride Extravaganza