Silver Bullet (Frontier City)

Silver Bullet is a steel Looping Star roller coaster currently operating at Frontier City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[1] Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf as the first transportable looping roller coaster, the ride was named Looping Star and first owned by German showmen Oscar Bruch and Fritz Kinzler. After its debut at the Cranger Kirmes in 1978, it operated on several fairs in Germany until it was sold to the State Fair of Texas in 1980.[2] After the 1983 season it was relocated to Jolly Roger Amusement Park where it operated for the 1984 and 1985 seasons[3] before being relocated again in 1986. At Frontier City the ride was renamed Silver Bullet and is currently the tallest roller coaster at the park and the one that has been operating there for the longest time.[4]

Silver Bullet
Frontier City
Coordinates	35.582958°N 97.441077°W
Status	Operating
Opening date	1986
Jolly Roger Amusement Park
Coordinates	38.360°N 75.077°W
Status	Relocated to Frontier City
Opening date	1984
Closing date	1985
State Fair of Texas
Coordinates	32.782°N 96.766°W
Status	Relocated to Jolly Roger Amusement Park
Opening date	1980
Closing date	1983
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Anton Schwarzkopf
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Looping Star
Track layout	Custom
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	80 ft (24 m)
Drop	75 ft (23 m)
Length	1,942 ft (592 m)
Speed	47.8 mph (76.9 km/h)
Inversions	1
Capacity	1700 riders per hour
Height restriction	42 in (107 cm)
Silver Bullet at RCDB Pictures of Silver Bullet at RCDB

Ride experience

After leaving the station, riders instantly start climbing the lift hill. The first drop curves towards the right before going through the loop, which is the only inversion on the ride. After the loop, riders go through a right over-banked turn before going down a small drop followed by a smaller left over-banked turn. After going through another small drop, the ride does a banked turn to the left before dropping once more and going through a right banked turn through a tunnel. After the tunnel, riders are stopped on the brake run and are then let back into the station.

The train on Silver Bullet uses a single lap bar to hold riders in the seat. This design works because the forces from the loop and helices press riders in their seats, and are a common feature with Schwarzkopf looping coasters. In 2017 seat belts were installed in addition to the lap bars.

References

1. "Silver Bullet". Frontier City. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
2. "Looping Star - State Fair of Texas (Dallas, Texas, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
3. "Looping Star - Jolly Roger Amusement Park (Ocean City, Maryland, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
4. "Frontier City (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-18.