Harwell RAE Mark III catapult

3D Model

This detailed 3D model was created by archaeologists during their excavation of the remains of the catapult. The Mark III catapult was originally developed to literally catapult bomber planes into the air. There are several reasons why you’d need a ‘plane catapult’, including being able to launch planes loaded with more fuel. More fuel would let planes fly longer and reach targets further away. This prototype was built 1938-1940 at Harwell, Oxfordshire and consisted of a large rotating turntable which directed aircraft towards one of the two concrete track runways. To launch, the aircraft would be attached to an underground pneumatic ram using a towing hook. 12 Rolls-Royce Kestrel aero engines, sitting underneath the turntable, compressed air to 2,000 psi to drive the ram. This high-pressured air was then forced into the pneumatic ram, which rapidly expanded to the length of the guided track - literally catapulting the large bomber planes into the sky.