Bridle Runner

Cat 3 can be used for both bridle and Nose Gear launch operations. The Mk1 NGL gear just had to be installed for nose towed aircraft. That photo shows probably the last launch of the cycle. They removed the NGL equipment from Cat 3 and placed the protective cover in preparation for the recovery about to take place. That's why they implemented the improved flush deck Mk2 NGL system on the new carriers and retrofitted the older ones to eliminate this labor instensive operartion. If you notice in the photo the deck ramp is on a cart and had to be moved and stored in a safe location. I believe the DCS implementation is correct as far as launching aircraft is concerned, they just failed to model the deck ramp ( the equipment on the cart). Now during landing operations all this equipment should be removed from Cat 3 and the protective cover installed.

The Forrestal is modeled exceptionally well with exception to the aft area of each catapult. There are several inaccuracies in catapult launching area. The Mk1 Nose Gear Launch (NGL) system was introduced on December 19, 1962 when an E-2 Hawkeye and an A-6 Intruder were the first planes launched from the U.S.S. Enterprise using the new nose tow gear. This system was in place on the Forrestal until the ‘89-90 time period when it was replaced by the Mk2 NGL system. The Mk1 NGL system was mounted above deck and had to be removed when bridle launch planes were launched and prior to recovery operations on catapult 3. The Mk2 NGL system was a flush deck system which eliminated the need to remove the above deck equipment, with the only catapult shuttle spreader requiring to be changed for bridle launch operations. The Nimitz class carrier were all built with the Mk2 NGL system with the older carriers being retrofitted during yard overhaul periods. ED modeled the MK2 NGL correctly on the new carriers in DCS. Heatblur only modeled half of the Mk1 NGL sytem. The Approach Ramp was modeled but not the Deck Ramp. Picture on left shows Mk1 NGL with both the Approach Ramp and Deck Ramp, but the shuttle has not yet been retracted into it. The picture from the game shows shuttle in battery position but the Deck Ramp is missing.F-14 on Forrestal Cat 4 with launch bar in the retracted shuttle, in tension and ready for launch. The 4 green shirts are standing near Mk1 NGL Approach Ramp and Deck Ramp which have been removed from Cat 3 in readiness for recovery operations. The green shirt to the far right is standing near the cover which is placed over the Cat 3 shuttle to protected aircraft tires from injury during recovery operations. The catapult slot was also modeled going too far aft. It should stop just aft of the shuttle whin its at the battery position near the nose gear launch location. Another slot starts aft of the NGL location and goes to about where Heatblur ended it in their model. This slot housed the holdback cleat which was used to attach the holdback unit specific to each type of aircraft, used during bridle launch operations. Heatblur did correctly model the Bridle arresting guides that run parallel to the catapult slot down the entire cat length. I’d love to see Heatblur fixed these issues in future updates. And maybe Heatblur or ED could model the Bridle launch system to include hook up men attaching A-4’s along with future planes like F-8 Crusaders and RA-5 Vigilantes. The following link is for the Aviation Boatswain Mates manual that describes the NGL system (pdf pages 119 thru 127). See Fig. 4-33 for the holdback cleat and Fig. 5-13 for the deck ramp and Fig. 5-15 for NGL general arrangement. Bridle Arrestment system descriptions starts at pdf page 110. Link: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED109344.pdf