What is the purpose of a carrier's catapult?

• A. To arrest aircraft on landing
• B. To launch aircraft from the flight deck
• C. To refuel aircraft mid-flight
• D. To guide aircraft to the catapult

Answer: (B)

The catapult’s job is to launch aircraft from the flight deck. On a carrier, the deck isn’t long enough for a plane to reach takeoff speed on its own, so the catapult provides a controlled, rapid forward push to accelerate the aircraft to takeoff velocity within the limited distance. It works by attaching to the aircraft (often via a shuttle connected to the nose gear) and using stored energy—steam in traditional systems or electricity in newer ones—to push the aircraft forward until it leaves the deck and becomes airborne. This is why the catapult is crucial for launching heavier aircraft and those carrying significant payloads.

It isn’t used to arrest aircraft on landing—the arresting gear does that by catching a tailhook or hooks. It isn’t for mid-flight refueling, which happens in the air with fuel-delivery systems, and it isn’t a guidance device—deck personnel and flight control coordinate taxiing and positioning, while the catapult focuses on providing the launch impulse.