Record-Breaking Jet Sleds and Rooftops

From deputydog:

i had this bookmarked for over a year but it got buried at the bottom of my ever-increasing list of things to blog. there are a couple of interesting things about the photo. first off, these 5 enormous tracks are not parallel to each other. it just so happens that the angle at which the photo was taken resulted in an illusion of sorts, kinda like magic. check the area out on google maps here and then come back immediately. deceiving huh?

then there's the site's function.

in order for a plane to safely land on an aircraft carrier without racing off the end, its tailhook needs to be 'caught' by arresting cables attached to the carrier's deck (see here). these cables need to be extremely strong and durable but also flexible enough so as not to stop the plane too quickly. these 5 test tracks, located at navair in lakehurst, are dedicated to testing these very systems and the emergency barricades.

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