Elenco Catapult - Manual (Page 12)

10
Catapults In Later Use
World War I
The last large scale military use of catapults was during the trench warfare. During
the early stages of the war, catapults were used to throw hand grenades into enemy
trenches. Grenades were eventually replaced by small mortars.
Aircraft Catapult
Aircraft catapults are used to launch planes from land bases and sea carriers when the
takeoff runway is too short for a powered takeoff. Catapult devices are often used to
launch airplanes from aircraft carriers. This form of assisted take off consists of a track
built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached
through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft.