Silver Bullet is a Bolliger and Mabillard inverted roller coaster

Inverted roller coaster

An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the track, but "swings" via a pivoting bar attached to the...

 located at Knott's Berry Farm

Knott's Berry Farm

Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....

, an amusement park in Buena Park, California

Buena Park, California

Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa...

. Currently, it is the longest inverted coaster on the west coast with 3125 ft (952.5 m) of track. The ride lasts 2 minutes and 9 seconds. It features 6 inversions including a vertical loop, cobra roll, zero-g roll, and two wingovers just before the final helix. It is the first B&M inverted rollercoaster to feature an overbanked curve. Unlike many other B&M coasters, Silver Bullet's track and supports are filled with sand, making it very quiet; in contrast, other B&M coasters are known for their distinct loud roar. Silver Bullet was also the first Inverted roller coaster to implement magnetic braking. The ride also has a rare B&M maintenance orb car that allows for track inspection over Reflection Lake.

Ride Elements

The ride features "6 and 1/2 inversions" according to the ride operators, but truly only features 6 points in which riders are inverted.

They include:

• A vertical loop
• A cobra roll (made out of 2 inversions)
• A Zero-G Roll (better known as a barrel roll
  Barrel roll
  A barrel roll is an aerial maneuver in which an airplane makes a complete rotation on its longitudinal axis while following a helical path, approximately maintaining its original direction. It is sometimes described as "a combination of a loop and a roll"...
  
  )
• Two wingovers (better known as corkscrew
  Corkscrew
  A corkscrew is a kitchen tool for drawing stopping corks from wine bottles. Generally, a corkscrew consists of a pointed metallic helix attached to a handle. The user grips the handle and screws the metal point into the cork, until the helix is firmly embedded, then a vertical pull on the...
  
  s or flat spins)

Layout and Experience

The ride begins with a 90-degree right turn before the train climbs up to the 150 feet (45.7 m) peak of the lift hill. Following this is the signature Bolliger and Mabillard pre-drop and a 180-degree swooping drop to the right. Silver Bullet has a rare wider turn in the first drop for a B&M. Riders then enter the massive loop and twist through an overbanked turn to the left, which is considered the 1/2 inversion according to the ride operators. Riders quickly head into the cobra roll that towers over the entrance. The train then flips up into a Zero-G Roll and swoops into a helix to the left. The train drops down slightly, then enters the first corkscrew. The train then turns slightly before entering the second corkscrew, this time to the right. The finale of the ride is a double helix to the left that runs up into the brake run. The train makes a slightly banked U-turn to the right to enter the block brake and eventually the station.

In popular culture

• The ride is featured prominently along with other Knott's Berry Farm
  Knott's Berry Farm
  Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
  
   rides in the opening credits of Knocked Up
  Knocked Up
  Knocked Up is a 2007 American romantic comedy drama film co-produced, written, and directed by Judd Apatow. Starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann, the film follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between Rogen's slacker character and Heigl's just-promoted...
  
  , in which many of the central characters are seen riding it. Actor Jay Baruchel
  Jay Baruchel
  Jonathan Adam Saunders "Jay" Baruchel is a Canadian actor. He has had a successful career in comedy films, and has appeared in supporting roles in such box office successes as Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder, as well as starring in films like She's Out of My League, The Trotsky,...
  
   has an actual fear of roller coasters; his pleas to be let off Silver Bullet as the ride pulls into the loading area are real.
• The ride was the second level of the Cartoon Network
  Cartoon Network
  Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
  
   TV show BrainRush
  BrainRush
  BrainRush is a live-action game show on Cartoon Network, hosted by Lamorne Morris and, to a lesser extent, Sarah Karges. It first aired on June 20, 2009. The show was canceled due to low ratings.-Format:...
  
  
• The ride is featured on McGraw Hill's California Algebra Readiness Textbook
• The post-human fate of the ride is shown in the episode "Holiday Hell" of the History Channel's second season of Life After People: The Series
• The ride was featured on an episode of the hit-reality competition series America's Next Top Model
  America's Next Top Model
  America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
  
  , which features the models having to capture a good photo for a challenge while on the ride.

External links

• Silver Bullet Pictures on Ultimate Rollercoaster.com.