Thanks for that! And I didn't know they had a Facebook page, in case anyone is interested.
https://www.facebook.com/thewarzonewire NC
The bridle arrester booms included extended tracks for the bridle cleats that traveled inside the tracks. The cleats were use to tie the rope lanyards from points on a bridle or pendant to the cleats. The exact arrangement depended on the type of plane. The Van Zelm consisted of a long steel "tape" inside the track (one track on each side of the cat track), the cleats rigged to it. The tape slid with the cleats, allowing a method for braking the assembly.
When the cat pistons started to enter the water brakes, a snubber system of brake pucks started to apply tension to the bridle system so that it stopped in a short distance, slamming down on the boom. The Van Zelm system had its own retracting engine, separate from the cat shuttle. If the retraction engine failed, an ABE on the bow would loop the bridle onto the cat shuttle for retraction, but it could cause real problems with the cleats if not done properly and carefully. Though rarely needed, a tow tractor could actually be used to retract a cat assembly if the cat retract system failed.
As nose gear launch became in wider spread use, the last planes needing bridles were the T-2, TA-4 and C-1. Carriers were starting to get rid of their Van Zelms and booms (manpower, maintenance, weight reduction), and if one was called on to host a TRACOM CQ det, they used throw away bridles until the transition to the Hawk was completed. The C-1 was typically deck launched from Carriers anyway, so no big deal.
