A drop tower or big drop is a type of amusement ride incorporating a central structure or tower. Drop towers vary in height, passenger capacity, lift type, and brake type. Many are custom-made, although there are some mass-produced designs. The most widely sold drop towers have been manufactured by Intamin and S&S Sansei, however Larson International and Funtime have their own drop tower models available as well. Riders initially experience free fall, followed by rapid heavy deceleration.
With most drop towers, a gondola carrying riders is lifted to the top of a large vertical structure, then released to free-fall down the tower. Brakes slow the gondola as it approaches the bottom of the ride. Some designs expand on this concept with features such as rotating gondolas, or several bounces before coming to rest.Most drop towers require child riders to exceed a minimum height; limits vary widely depending upon the nature of the tower, with a 9-metre (30 ft) tower for smaller children from 95 centimetres (37 in) tall, and a 35-metre (115 ft) tower having a 130-centimetre (51 in) restriction.
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