The F4 was launched by a bridle which was attached to the fuselage somewhere near the wing roots, not to the nosewheel. I stand to be corrected, but I believe all USN & RN Phantoms (F4B/N, J & K) had the extendable nosewheel oleo which was incorporated to give the aircraft an appropriate angle of attack during the catapult launch.
Last edited by NutherA2; 13th Nov 2013 at 09:23.
Reason: Minor typo