Tailhook use and damage

[Ivan]

About this video
http://theaviationist.com/2012/02/17/ir ... UOwX4lgXIU

They simulate a no hydraulics situation, then land without deploying the airbrake and end up in the catch wire

Go to 2:45 for the landing sequence...

Does landing with the tailhook down damage the runway in any way?

[C]

Does landing with the tailhook down damage the runway in any way?

I suspect very little - the hook is sprung and probably still wears quicker than the runway surface. Land in the first few hundred feet and the impact will be in the grooved concrete anyway. Land in older facilities and the whole runway will be concrete. Any remnants could be swept up with a quick sweep of the runway - if they could be bothered.

[expat]

If you take a close up look at a tail hook you will see that although it is a hook, it has a special form. That being large radius curves on all surfaces. This ensures good capture and that due to said curves, the hook actually has minimal contact with the runway.

Matt

[Hawkeye07]

The point on a tail hook assembly actually does take quite a beating especially when impacting a concrete runway surface. The backside of the hook is relatively flat and sits parallel to the deck when it's in the down position and this causes a lot of wear and tear to the whole back side of the point. The tailhook also has a dampener, like a shock absorber, to prevent the hook from bouncing or what we call "hook skip". This contributes to the wear also because it holds the hook down against the concrete. US carrier aircraft tailhooks are replaced every 100 traps. The whole hook assembly isn't replaced, just the point. I don't recall if "bolters" are counted in that 100 traps.


Hawk

[Hawkeye07]

I hope I did this right! Here's an F35C tailhook point. You can see how it sits parallel to the runway or flight deck and how it would contact the surface.
Sorry for the size!
Hawk

[CHUCK79]

....it looks like a little leg with a little shoe

[Fozzer]

:lol: ....it looks like a little leg with a little shoe

Its a one-legged Star Wars Imperial Storm Trooper.

...trust me!... ...!

Paul..... ...!

[SG-19]

Did anyone else notice the missing fuselage panel that is supposed to be attached to the refueling probe just below the cockpit. Not to mention the fact that if that had been a hydraulics failure that fuel probe would not be extended after landing. How old are those F-14's anyway they were barley new when the revolution took place and with no official trade spare's must be hard to source, they must be held together with chewing gum and spit.