Catapult Launch - The Story Behind "The Bridle" and "Bridle Catchers"

[@jeffkrob4972]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU - I've always wonder how the bridle catapult system worked. I never know it was THAT complex ;-) The only thing left out was the associated 'hold-back' system.

[@x-planed]

Thank You. I’ve made a video about holdbacks. Check it out😉

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

​@@x-planed>>> I agree. This is the first thing I have seen that REALLY EXPLAINS how bridles worked.

[@petesheppard1709]

A bit of trivia: In WWII, the British called the devices built onto carriers, 'accelerators'. They used 'catapult' for launchers on battleships and cruisers. ALSO: The shuttle is the part that actually pulls the aircraft down the cat.

[@joehoeing6590]

Great explanation, thank you. The launch bar was a massive improvement; the bridles did unfortunately break. It was rare, but often fatal if the bridle snapped before the aircraft had sufficient air speed and/or the bridle hit the underside of the aircraft, kicking the nose up and inducing too high an angle-of-attack. Saw an F-4 go down off cat 1; the RIO ejected with a good chute, the pilot's chute didn't open. Very bad day.

[@x-planed]

Wow. Was it Your personal experience?

[@joehoeing6590]

@@x-planed Yes

[@Kenneth-jj8po]

Yeah I knew the extensions as bridle snap back protectors my first command USS Independence had mebbe 3 types out of the airwing that used nose launchbars. There was an adapter that fit over the cat shuttle to switch from bridles to launch bars. My first sight of a launch bar evo thot it might snatch the nose gear off😳. Heck the Indy had four 5' 54 caliber radar aimed gun turrets for BPDS. Had one of the last Nam era airwings. Traded F4s for F14s after SLEP

[@Kenneth-jj8po]

Well broken bridles or cold cats. You pays yo money and you takes yo chances, always amazed by A4 nose wheel STEERERS😮

[@Kenneth-jj8po]

And cross decked with the Ark Royal. 3 of their ac remain fixed in my memory the launch of their F4s and their Buccanner, the strange Gannet and the British sailor whot whot!!!

[@michaelmappin4425]

Here are some interesting tidbits for you. The first US carrier to be built without bridle arresters was USS Theodore Roosevelt. All previous Nimitz class carriers had them removed in the shipyard after the A-3D Skywarrior went out of service. It was the last bridle launch aircraft to leave active service in late 1991. USS Enterprise was scheduled to have her bridle arresters removed, but the commanding officer wouldn't allow it. He wanted them to remain to ensure that Enterprise would retain her status as longest aircraft carrier at 1122 feet.

[@x-planed]

Good to know. Thank You

[@michaelmappin4425]

Enterprise bow horns can be seen in Google Earth on 20 September 2024 at 36.9794996, -76.4403682

[@eyerollthereforeiam1709]

This is something I've wondered about. Thank you for this video, you explain it well.

[@x-planed]

Thanks Mate. Hope U subscribed😉

[@k1ross]

My congratulations! You've done it again, another top-shelf video. You produce some wonderful content, and your graphics and explanations are wonderfully clear. You're a credit to KZbin.

[@boggy8557]

Finally a clear explanation about the bridle system! Ive been wondering about this for ages. Thank you.

[@craiggoodyear352]

Thank you for the answers to questions I'd never thought of asking!

[@x-planed]

You’re welcome. Hope U subscribed😉

[@jaysonpida5379]

Thanks! Never precisely knew how the entire system worked....

[@MorDarek]

Great job! Great video! Thanks :)

[@barrysharp9792]

Thank you for this great explanation of such a intricate system. Your explanation made it very easy to understand and I've always wondered how this system worked. Excellent video.

[@larryjenkinson5525]

🇦🇺 Excellent video. Great to get an understanding of how things work.

[@x-planed]

Thank You. Hope U subscribed😉

[@pete1631]

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you.

[@x-planed]

Thanks. Your welcome. Hope U subscribed😉

[@jamesharris4695]

One million thanks for making this video!

[@9Apilot]

I witnessed the last bridle cat shot from a US Navy aircraft carrier. It was in 2005 or so aboard USS Truman off the east coast with the last CQ operations for the T-2C Buckeye. I remember the V2 guys all needed training and the shuttle had to be reconfigured in order to use the old system. The Truman was never equipped with a catcher to the bridles were all one-and- done

[@Darius-scifieart]

Having seeing these on the Intrepid every time I drive down the west side highway I've been wondering what these were since I was 8 years old. Thank you very much for explaining

[@4thforcon426]

I recently visited the USS Midway in San Diego and wondered what those "protrusions" were in the bow of the ship. Very nice. thank you

[@brealistic3542]

Great channel but just a minor but important correction. Early planes always relied on the aircraft carrier to speed at full power and head into the wind to get them into the air. I am pretty sure they still do this too as a added safety measure. They never relied on the aircraft alone lift to get into the air. Witness the Doolittle raid and the B25 as this.

[@x-planed]

I didn’t mention this as I thought it was too obvious😉

[@brealistic3542]

@@x-planed well for you and I it is of course. Most likely aviaton enthusiasts know this too. Espcially carrier pilots !

[@rocksnot952]

Nice to have these explained. Change in naval technology can be slow, but thank goodness for the modern steam/electromagnetic catatapults.

[@terryboehler5752]

I've waited forever for this. Absolutely great

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

Been waiting for this for decades!!!!! Thank you!

[@motorv8N]

Very interesting - thank you!

[@johnjones5354]

Nice, very detailed explanation.

[@x-planed]

🙏

[@adecarnally5501]

Superb as ever. Thank you.

[@x-planed]

Thanks Mate😉

[@dywanixproductions]

Szkoda że nie robisz filmów częściej bo są bardzo dobrej jakości😋Dzięki za ten!

[@x-planed]

Dzięki, choć ostatnio staram się częściej😉

[@Trindal]

I actually never heard or saw this. I thought it was always a launch bar. It’s crazy how long it took to be replaced! Thanks for the information. And also for my now deep curiosity in the British system and its unusual position(unusual to me) of the nose gear off the ground for its launch. Best of luck.

[@whyjnot420]

I've always found it interesting that the use of catapults for launching planes goes back to the beginning. Those old counterweight systems were nifty.

[@CraigCholar]

Until today, I was among the unwashed heathens who are unaware this channel exists. Lo, the KZbin video suggestions gods made this video appear before my astonished eyes. I am now among the joyful annointed ones who have subscribed. I feel blessed.

[@x-planed]

🙏

[@williamgalbraith3621]

Thanx! I'm finally educated!

[@garyt4800]

We only had one aircraft that required bridles on the Chucky V. The WHALE!

[@pat36a]

Pops flew in a SB2c Helldiver during the war . His last assignment was on the FDR . On its shake down cruise . The Catapult broke , sending pops and his pilot off the bow. Seen in the Maiden Voyage of the FDR on UT.

[@ekuche8335]

Nice

[@SolomonSamson747]

Nice OA-4M model at 5:22! Rare bird

[@TimMeinschein-j4s]

Sorry, but the last time I served on a "bird farm" was 1982... If I recall correctly for the various RN (and variations like RCN & RAN) what the US Navy calls Bridles they call Strops (like what a barber used to sharpen his straight edge razor on)....

[@ethanmckinney203]

Now you just have to cover the British launch trolleys!

[@fooman2108]

The vast majority of catapault launches on USN carriers was of LAND-BASED Army (air corps) ferrying aircraft to forward bases.

[@flyboy126]

My dad flew Phantoms and for the F-4 there is this little red metal dubmbell looking thing that would sanp on each launch, Would love to know how that was incorporated into the bridle system.

[@x-planed]

It was called a „dogbone”. I’m elaborating about it in my video about holdback. Check it out😉

[@flyboy126]

@@x-planed Will do thank you!! I have a complete one and one that launched my dad, I'll be so happy to finally learn where that fits in!

[@x-planed]

I think You should like it😉

[@flyboy126]

@@x-planed definitely subbed, worked in aviation for over 30 years and warbirds for over 20 years, and a few of your videos already covered some cool stuff. Thank you!!

[@x-planed]

Thanks Mate. What do You specifically do in aviation?

[@envitech02]

Thanks to movies like Final Countdown and Flight of the Intruder, as a kid I am always intrigued by the "buck teeth" jutting out from the bow of carriers. No idea what it's for, till the advent of Internet and KZbin.

[@josephnason8770]

There must be millions of bridles at the bottom of the sea.

[@x-planed]

No doubt about it😉

[@Chris_at_Home]

Right next to all the sonobouys dropped from patrol aircraft.

[@michaelmappin4425]

Not near as many as there are arresting gear cross deck pendants. They are good for 100 traps, which means about 1000 of them get sunk every 6 months per deployed or actively training carrier. I always wondered how many fish got nailed by them as they sunk.

[@nikolay9584]

I always thought launch bar as the only option because of every movie showing take off from carrier closely shows Tomcats or Hornets only.

[@TimMeinschein-j4s]

Actually, a major factor for ( WW2) takeoffs and landings was Wind Speed Over The Deck! This is why most successful WW2 carriers could make 30 knots! So, if you're "making turns" for 30 knots, into a 25 knot wind, you've already given the airplane 55 knots with of take off speed!!

[@johnknapp952]

The concept still applies today. But you need the catapult to get the extra speed for the now heavier planes.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

At about 02:54 in this video... *BIG OOPS...😱*

[@Tank50us]

"I think I lost something...."

[@keenanrice2612]

Turning the carrier into the wind.

[@envitech02]

1:23 This is the most dangerous job in the world, working mere feet from a spinning propeller (and later, spinning turbines) that can turn a human being into fine minced meat in an instant. At least as an infantryman who get killed by bullets, you do get a body to bury but not when you're minced meat.

[@peterforden5917]

Interesting, but this only really applies to U.S. style carriers. The British ( who invented the modern style of carrier back in the 20's) as they did pretty much everything on a modern carrier from, angled flight decks , optical landing signals,radar(modern micrometer radar not the pre war stuff used by the U.S. Germany and Japan, they were first to land a jet aircraft on a carrier (an early mark DH Vampire) etc etc

[@chrissearle6176]

Another misinformation video. Everything in this video was first used & developed by the British, even the catchers are British, though they were deemed impractical for the Royal Navy due to aircraft type & catapult size as catchers slightly reduce the end performance & it wasn't till over powered future proof launchers were installed that it became practical. The Royal Navys future proofing was out of date allmost immediately as the Navy took the massive leap from relatively light aircraft to the heavyweights of the F4 by which time they moved to launch bars rather than bridals as the bars enabled heavier aircraft to launch from lower pressure to reduce stress on the airframes. Launch bars could not be captured.

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

2:54 corsair loses its tank

[@envitech02]

Luckily did not explode and kill sailors.

[@DaveGIS123]

Somebody must have got yelled at for not attaching the tank right.

[@ethanmckinney203]

Yeah, you can see the guy with the fire hose running from the right, then he stops when he realizes there's no fire. I think there wasn't even a fuel leak.

[@318sseijz-1]

Causally left the tank on the deck

[@CAG5205]

Nice video 👌🏽 Very interesting well made 👍🏼🫡

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

Did they retro fit F 4's? They were relatively new at the time.

[@x-planed]

Yes, Phantoms were not equipped with launch bars