# What is this object on the deck of a carrier... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929 "2011-03-25T04:11:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929/1 "2011-03-25T04:11:24Z")
What is this [object](http://thebrigade.thechive.com/2010/09/22/daily-afternoon-randomness-23-photos-9/random-b-09_22_10-15/) on the flight deck in front of the large group of people? Plus, which is the best source/s for layman’s info on general design of carriers? I’ve seen some of the pages for each one in service, set up by the Navy. Thanks, Leo ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929/2 "2011-03-25T04:17:21Z")
I believe it is called the jet blast deflector. Planes go to full power on take off if anyone goes behind the plane at that time they take off. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929/3 "2011-03-25T04:19:12Z")
The large plate is to deflect the jet exhaust from planes being launched. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929/4 "2011-03-25T04:19:58Z")
It’s a blast deflector that is raised to keep the exhaust from frying whatever is behind the jets, blowing off people’s hats, overturning porta-potties, or anything else bad that can happen in the wake of a jet exhaust. ETA: there’s a few paragraphs on [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_blast_deflector#Aircraft_carriers). The coolest feature is that they can route the hot gas through the ship and out the sides. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@Mister\_Owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Owl)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929/5 "2011-03-25T04:45:37Z")
I think the OP is talking about the oddly shaped object just off the upper left hand corner of the blast plate. I could guess, but I would bet that I would be wrong. No doubt someone will be along shortly who really knows. ---
**Author:** ![Iridescent\_Orb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@Iridescent\_Orb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iridescent_Orb)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929/6 "2011-03-25T04:53:06Z")
It is the catapult control pod. The catapult officer who “shoots” the catapults that help launch the planes is stationed there. (Note that the actual pod goes several feet below the deck as well, so the officer is actually standing upright in the pod.) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929/7 "2011-03-25T04:54:46Z")
That bump on the deck between the dotted lines? There’s a duty station under it, arranged with heat-resistant windows so a deck supervisor can look in all directions. I don’t know the exact name, of course, but I’ve seen documentaries that show a flight deck officer and staff monitoring deck operations from that centralized, protected location. And on preview, what Orb said. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929/8 "2011-03-25T18:54:27Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > … > ETA: there’s a few paragraphs on [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_blast_deflector#Aircraft_carriers). The coolest feature is that they can route the hot gas through the ship and out the sides. Actually not. The reference on Wikipedia is for a patent for an alternate design JBD that would be hinged at the aft edge and deflect exhaust gases downward through ducting outboard the ship’s sides. It was never implemented. Part of the reason has to be that there is a deck (gallery deck) just below the flight deck and above the hangar deck overhead. The ducting would occupy the spaces for the catapult control rooms as well as the shuttle recovery machinery spaces, which are located just aft of the CATs and below the JBDs, more or less. The CAT officer’s control room is appropriately called “The Bubble.” There is another one-sided Bubble just aft the fresnel landing light system on the port side which is used to control the waist CATs. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object-on-the-deck-of-a-carrier/575929/9 "2015-10-06T23:32:21Z")
It took four years, but: POV vid! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4OcK3CuHMPk/maxresdefault.jpg "F-35C Ops "Bubble" POV") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OcK3CuHMPk) F-35 to boot.