From a friend, who watched the nice film posted here. Images aren't included because, with the demise of Photobucket, I don't know how to include them:
Those aircraft used a bridle system for launching. Two hooks inside the land gear doors would have a steel rope looped around them and to the shuttle in the flight deck. The hold back was a piece of steel that would shear at a given stress. We called them dog bones due to their shape. It would fail when steam hit the bridle. We would take the failed piece and throw them overboard. This is a dog bone.
[Picture of dog bone}
The aircraft today use a launch bar that connects to the nose wheel and the hold back is a repeatable release hold back bar RRHB. It uses hydraulic pressure to release. The launch shuttle in on the right and the RRHB (hold back) is the red device on the left.
[Picture of man looking at nose wheel area]
This is not a ballet or other BS description invented by some puke [bad word omitted] public affairs office.
It is a very dangerous, hot, filthy, ear shattering, jet fuel soaked, bastard of a job. Imagine working on 25 ton Indy cars carrying tons of high explosives, rockets, and tons of fuel. All jammed full of megawatt radars and lasers and don’t forget the pure oxygen.
I am glad I served. It paid for my college education and changed my life. But there are certain aspects seared into your mind and working flight decks is one of those.
- oldman
