A tower based flat ride where the rider is hoisted to the top of a tower and released, to freefall down. Certain drop towers have devices built in the launch the train downwards slightly faster than gravity, providing for more airtime.
In Physics and Materials Science, a drop tower or drop tube is a structure used to produce a controlled period of weightlessness for an object under study. Air bags, polystyrene pellets, and magnetic or mechanical brakes are sometimes used to arrest the fall of the the experimental payload. In other cases, high-speed impact with a substrate at the bottom of the tower is an intentional part of the experimental protocol.
A drop tower is a type of amusement ride, based around a central structure or tower. With most drop towers, the gondala is lifted to the top of a large vertical structure, before being released and falling towards the ground. Brakes activate to slow the ride prior to reaching the ground.