Thanks for the info..FYI..somewhat related..I sae a show on the Discovery Channel early this week about the USS Ronald Raeagan..her maiden cruise from shipyard to San Diego. It said that unlike all previous CVNs, the Reagan has only THREE arresting wires, but they are much stronger...greater capacity..so that now planes returning with unused ordance...missiles, smart bombs..don't have to jettison them..then can land because the wires can take the added weight..would this also apply to drop tanks..and what about the risk of landing with ordance in the event of a crash?
Well, since most stuff in the inventory doesn't have contact fuses or just contact fuses alone, planes land safely with warshots on 'em all the time.
Planes land on aircraft carriers now and have so for many years with unexpended ordinance and drop tanks all the time. The number one wire was dropped from the Reagans' arresting gear for a couple of reasons; the increased strength of the arresting wire sheaves and better arresting engines. Also, the number one wire, most aft, was rarely used on previous carriers, thus it could be eliminated.