Chapter 21. -OTHER AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT 



TOWING BRIDLE 

 HOOK 



POWER 

 PISTONS SHUTTLE CYLINDERS BRAKE 



L 



L 



Figure 21-12.— Major components of a steam catapiolt. 



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operation are forced at high speed through 

 the cylinders by steam pressure, are solidly 

 interconnected by means of a connector shaped 

 like an inverted T. The vertical leg of the 

 inverted T extends upward through a slot in 

 the flight deck, and serves as the hook to 

 which the aircraft towing bridle is connected. 

 The piston connector is attached to the shuttle. 

 The shuttle is a small roller -mounted car 



which moves, during the launch, on tracks in- 

 stalled just under the flight deck. (See fig. 21-13.) 

 Power to drive the shuttle and its airplane 

 load comes from expanding steam piped to the 

 catapult from the main boilers of the ship. This 

 steam is placed under pressure in large tanks- 

 called accumulators or receivers— located un- 

 der the launching engine on the hangar deck. 

 From the receivers, the steam is transferred 



Figure 21-13.— Shuttle-connector-piston assembly for steam catapult. 



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