Scorpion (roller coaster)

Infobox roller coaster
name = Scorpion

---

caption = Scorpion on its Vertical Loop element.
location = Busch Gardens Africa
type = Steel
designer = Anton Schwarzkopf
model = Silverarrow
track = steel
lift = Chain lift hill
status = Open
opened = May 16, 1980
height = 60
drop = 45
length = 1817
speed = 50
duration = 2:15
angle = 39
inversions = 1
capacity = 1800
cost =
acceleration =
gforce = 3.5
restriction = 42
rcdb_number= 95

Scorpion is a steel looping roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Florida, United States. It opened in 1980 as a part of the newly added Timbuktu section that gave the park a complete circuit, linking the Congo section to the Nairobi section of the park. Scorpion, to this day, remains to be one of the most popular rides in the Timbuktu section. In 2004, as a part of the park's Timbuktu renovation, Scorpion was repainted from Orange/Black to Orange/Blue.

The ride was designed by Anton Schwarzkopf as one of his Silverarrow model looping coasters. Only three of these exist today, this coaster, Twist N' Shout at Loudoun Castle in Scotland, and the other said to be in a traveling carnival overseas.

Layout

Scorpion has a fairly simple and twisted layout involving a single Vertical Loop as the signature element. After the train is carried 60 feet into the air, riders twist down a drop and pass through the single Vertical Loop element. Following the loop, the train goes through a pretzel turnaround and threads the vertical loop. The train circles around a 900° helix and enters the brake run.

External links

* [http://www.rcdb.com/id95.htm Scorpion at RCDB.com]