Researchers at the Museum of London Archeology (MOLA) found a catapult prototype developed to launch planes duringSecond World War. Such a discovery was made in Oxfordshire, a county in southeast England.
The catapult, called Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Mark III, was built between 1938 and 1940, with the aim of reducing the size of runways for aircraft.
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This aimed to both speed up flights and save fuel. Although this particular structure was not used, it served as a prototype for several machines that were crucial on World War II aircraft carriers.
3D Reconstruction of the Catapult. (Image: Museum of London Archeology/Reproduction)
The catapult consisted of a circular structure that directed aircraft onto one of two concrete runways. You planes they were connected to it through a hook that, by means of a pneumatic ram, provided the necessary thrust for takeoff.
With this catapult, vehicles needed just 82 meters of runway to take off, compared to the almost 2 km needed without it.
Moving the structure involved the use of 12 Rolls-Royce Kestrel aircraft engines, which compressed the air and catapulted the aircraft into the sky.
However, the catapult in question was never used due to engine problems and a design error that resulted in incompatibility between the planes and the launch pad.
Despite this, the idea was perfected and applied to aircraft carriers, playing a fundamental role in the course of the war.
During World War II, the Germans had a considerable advantage in terms of flight range over the British Air Force.
To overcome this disadvantage, the British resorted to launching planes from different points.
This allowed them to win at least 13 aerial combats against German forces. Catapults became common in this type of operation and were improved over time.
Susan Porter, project officer at MOLA, highlighted that this invention and its discovery are a reminder of how technology had to evolve quickly during the conflict.
Experimentation has reached a new level due to necessity, and such innovations are now recorded for future generations.
After the excavations, the team carried out a digital reconstruction of the way the catapult was supposed to operate. In the same region, archaeologists also discovered a second landing and take-off runway, along with several weapons installation areas, used to protect the structure.