Archaeologists have excavated an experimental World War Two catapult that was designed to launch bomber planes into the sky.
A team from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) unearthed the proto-type Royal Aircraft Establishment Mark III Catapult at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus near Didcot.
The concrete remains have been recorded in detail and a 3D digital replica has been created.
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Susan Porter, MOLA project officer, said: “This fascinating structure reminds us of the rapid experimentation and innovation of the interwar years and World War Two.
“Crucially, recording the location and appearance of every inch means that the catapult is preserved by record for future generations.”
This prototype was built between 1938 and 1940 at the former RAF base with the intention to launch planes using shorter runways and loaded with more fuel.
While the catapult never launched an aircraft, three years of design work went into the project.
The catapult was made up of a large rotating turntable which directed aircraft towards one of the two concrete track runways that were just 82 metres long.
To launch, the aircraft would be attached to an underground pneumatic ram using a towing hook.
Twelve Rolls-Royce Kestrel aero engines, sitting underneath the turntable, compressed air to 2,000 psi to drive the ram.
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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.
Unfortunately, the prototype had several problems, including the engines wearing out and the design not fitting the bomber planes it was meant for.
The project was quickly abandoned, with the mechanism taken out and the structure filled in. By 1941 a normal runway was built across the end of the southern arm.
However, it paved the way for other launching designs such as the CAM system used in the early part of World War Two to protect merchant ships.
The archaeologists, working on behalf of Carter Jonas and Bidwells, have put together hundreds of photos and thousands of data points to create a digital replica of the Mark III Catapult.
The catapult has now been dismantled to allow construction works to continue on a new technology centre which will be used by Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna.
There has been opposition to the development with a campaign group calling for the “unique” catapult to be preserved.
But Harwell Campus has insisted it will honour the legacy of the site with heritage trails, artwork and memorials.
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