So how does one park a 20,000 - pound aircraft travelling 130 knots on the roil pack of cards of the USS Ronald Reagan ? Very careful aim , and the incredible aid of Mark 7 Mod 3 arrest appurtenance .
Simply , arrest gear is the mechanical organisation designed to promptly halt an aircraft as it bring . The US Navy ’s current system — the Mark 7 Mod 3 — can stop up to a 50,000 - pound plane moving at 130 knots in just 340 feet , and in just two seconds . It can absorb up to 47,500,000 foot - pounds of energy ( 64.4 MJ ) .
The arresting geartrain comprises two parts : the cross deck dependent ( also known as the arresting telegram ) that lay across the deck , and the arresting cables and gear which are located below deck of cards . There are typically four arresting wires laid across the deck , space out about 50 feet asunder . Pilots broadly seek to aim for the third wire , as it ’s the secure ; the first conducting wire sits dangerously cheeseparing to the fundament of the common carrier , though the second and 4th wire are acceptable . no matter of which conducting wire the pilot snag on his 8 - foot long tailhook , the arresting wire system of rules is designed to systematically stop planes at the same spot .
The nail wire themselves are up to 35 mm thick , consist of telegram strands twisted around an oiled hemp center core ( which keeps them lubricated ) . Each of these line can be interchange in about 2 proceedings if necessary and are swapped out every 100 captures for maintenance .
connect to the arresting transmission line are two 1100 - foot wires that run from the pack of cards , down to each get train locomotive ( one engine per catch conducting wire , so generally four engine per carrier ) . As the plane lands , it snags onto the stop cable . Once the conducting wire is yanked , it pull on a metal rod that presses a plunger into a cylinder filled with hydraulic fluid . This forces the fluid through a valve that meter the current depending on the weight of the landing place aircraft .
Once past the valve , the smooth collect in another piston chamber know as the storage battery . This cylinder is also fit with a plunger and , as the cylinder fills with fluid , it compresses the melody to 650 psi . At that point , the liquid valve will automatically close , prevent the accumulation sleeping accommodation from fill further and cop the cable .
[ Navy – collar Gear Wiki – Tailhook Wiki – Global Security – How Stuff Works ]
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