Tailhook
A tailhook, arresting hook, or arrester hook is a device attached to the
The tailhook was first demonstrated at sea on 18 January 1911 by the aviator
History
On 18 January 1911, the aviator
While the system initially drew only limited attention, there was greater recognition of its merits following the outbreak of the
During early 1930, the US Navy began development of an adjustable
The US Navy developed and operated a test rig throughout the 1950s, consisting of a car, guided by a concrete I-beam and propelled by a pair of jet engines. At the end of a one-mile run, the tailhook under test would engage an arresting wire, while the I-beam guide gradually widened to slow down the test car after it passed the arresting wire, acting as a safeguard in the event of arrestor failure. The test rig was capable of simulating different aircraft weights and speeds, the former being adjusted by adding or subtracting steel plates that were loaded onto the modified car.[4] During 1958, further testing took place using an arrangement of four Allison J33 turbojet engines.[5] These trials supported efforts to develop increasingly effective arrestor gear that was suited for the larger and more powerful jets entering naval aviation at that time.[5]
While the tailhook is predominantly operated in a naval context, numerous land-based aircraft have also been fitted with them to assist with slowing down landings during emergencies. One highly unorthodox incident, known as "Pardo's Push", occurred during the Vietnam War in March 1967, involving a United States Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II piloted by Bob Pardo assisting a second heavily damaged Phantom II in exiting the combat zone by pushing his aircraft against the other's deployed tailhook, reportedly halving its rate of descent temporarily.[6]
In the twenty-first century, the tailhook has remained a part of the principal means of landing aircraft at sea for several navies, including the US Navy. During the 2000s, the Dassault Rafale, a French multirole fighter, became the only non-US fighter type cleared to operate from the decks of US carriers, using catapults and their arresting gear, as demonstrated in 2008 when six Rafales from Flottille 12F integrated into the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Air Wing interoperability exercise.[7] During the 2010s, new software trialled with the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter reportedly showed promise in simplifying carrier landings.[8]
During flight testing of the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, one of the serious deficiencies that necessitated redesigns and delays was the failure of the navy's F-35C variant to catch the arresting wire in all eight landing tests; the tail hook had to be redesigned over a two-year period.[9][10] Deficiencies have also been identified with the land-based F-35A's emergency tailhook.[11] On 3 November 2014, the first successfully arrested landing of the F-35C was performed.[12]
Description and operation
The tailhook is a strong metal bar, with its free end flattened out, thickened somewhat, and fashioned into a claw-like hook. The hook is mounted on a swivel on the keel of the aircraft, and is normally mechanically and hydraulically held in the stowed/up position. Upon actuation by the pilot,
A large number of land-based fighters are also outfitted with tailhooks, which are intended for use in case of a brake/tire malfunctions, aborted takeoffs, or other emergencies. Land-based aircraft landing gear and tailhooks are typically not strong enough to absorb the impact of a carrier landing,[13] and some land-based tailhooks are held down with nitrogen pressure systems that must be recharged by ground personnel after actuation.[13]
Arresting gear
Both carrier- and land-based arresting gear consists of one or more cables (aka “arresting wires” or “cross deck pendants”) stretched across the landing area and attached on either end to arresting gear engines through “purchase cables”.[14] In a typical carrier deck configuration, a total of four arrestor wires are present. The tailhook's function is to snag one of these cables, preferably the third of the four available, in order that the resistance provided by the arrestor gear can be conveyed to the aircraft, enabling it to decelerate more rapidly.[14]
Method
Prior to making an "arrested landing", the pilot lowers the hook so that it will contact the ground as the aircraft wheels touch down. The hook then drags along the surface until an arresting cable, stretched across the landing area, is engaged. The cable lets out, transferring the energy of the aircraft to the arresting gear through the cable. A "trap" is often-used slang for an arrested landing. An aircraft which lands beyond the arresting cables is said to have "
In the case of an aborted land-based takeoff, the hook can be lowered at some point (typically about 1000 feet) prior to the cable. Should a tailhook of an aircraft become inoperative or damaged, naval aviators have limited options: they can divert to shore-based runways if any are within range, or they can be "barricaded" on the carrier deck by a net that can be erected.[3]
See also
- Arresting gear
- Carrier-based aircraft
- List of active United States naval aircraft
- List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962)
- Brodie landing system
- Military aviation
- Modern United States Navy carrier air operations
- NATOPS
- Naval aviation
- Naval aviator (United States)
- United States Marine Corps Aviation
References
Citations
- ISBN 9780850451634.
- ^ a b c d "Carrier Arresting Gear: It all Began With Sandbags". navalaviationnews.navylive.dodlive.mil. 19 November 2013.
- ^ "Twin Jet Monorail Test Airplane Arresting Gear". Popular Science. June 1955. p. 97.
- ^ a b Dempewolff, Richard F. (June 1958). Jet "Donkeys" for the Jets. Popular Mechanics. pp. 72–75. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- ^ Lerner, Preston (April 2017). "Bob Pardo Once Pushed a Crippled F-4 Home With His F-4. In Flight...while in combat over Vietnam". Air & Space Magazine.
- ^ "French Rafale lands on US aircraft carrier, Theodore Roosevelt". SAFRAN. 2 September 2008. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
- ^ Adams, Eric (8 February 2016). "New Navy Tech Makes It Easy to Land on a Carrier. Yes, Easy". Wired.
- ^ Majumdar, Dave. "F-35C Tailhook Design Blamed for Landing Issues". Defense News, 17 January 2012.
- ^ Majumdar, Dave (12 December 2013). "Lockheed: New Carrier Hook for F-35". usni.org. U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ Grazier, Dan (19 March 2019). "F-35 Far from Ready to Face Current or Future Threats, Testing Data Shows". POGO.
- ^ "Navy's Joint Strike Fighter first tailhook landing on carrier". Chicago Tribune. 7 September 2016.
- ^ a b Yoon, Joe (25 February 2007). "Ask Us - Air Force Fighters & Tailhooks". www.aerospaceweb.org. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ a b Harris, Tom (29 August 2002). "How Aircraft Carriers Work". science.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- ^ "COMNAVAIRFOR INSTRUCTION 3740.1: CARRIER QUALIFICATION (CQ) OPERATIONS" (PDF). wings-of-gold.com. 16 September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
Bibliography
- United States Air Force. Guide To Mobile Aircraft Arresting System Installation. Retrieved on 3 November 2007.