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Old 2nd Jan 2004, 04:46
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Archimedes
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Swindonshire
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The Americans came up with the cunning idea of putting F-100s and F-104s (and presumably other types) on top of a giant firework and firing the thing at an odd angle of attack. ZELL (or Zero-Length Launch) never really caught on, though. I'll see if I can't find one of the piccies of the tests.

Not strictly a catapult, of course.

As for runway arrestor gear, there is the emergency (RHAG?) system isn't/ wasn't there? Or is that not a wire/hook arrangement?

I dimly recall reading a suggestion in some journal that the first Phantoms operating out of the Falklands routinely used arresting gear to overcome the problem of a worryingly short runway, but have no idea whether or not that's correct. I would be totally and utterly astonished if someone here didn't have the answer by dint of having done it...
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