Archaeologists in England have excavated an experimental catapult designed to launch World War II bomber planes into the air.

The catapult, called the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Mark III Catapult and located in Oxfordshire in southeastern England, was engineered to save warplane fuel and create shorter runways than typical airfields, according to the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA).

But the prototype, built between 1938 and 1940, was never used. The device was later buried, and a regular runway was built over it in 1941. However, its design helped pave the way for other catapult systems, including the 1941 catapult aircraft merchant (CAM) ship that could launch warplanes from ships, according to an Oct. 9 statement released by MOLA.

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