That's what I said; landing arresting gear; not catapult.
Multiplying the velocity of the mass using pulleys and the cable is the same thing in reverse of this. You would have a shorter cylinder stroke and slower cylinder speed, while multiplying the velocity of your load.
Another thought...
All are great answers. But I would also add; An engineer should look to avoid the need for metering oil in a circuit, by properly sizing all equipment. If you have flow controls, where does the excess oil go? In a fixed displacement pump circuit, it goes over the relief valve.
I cringe when I...
Hydromech is right in if this were something you were doing on a production design and to be used repeatedly. I suspect however, this might be something like a "Pumpkin Chuckin" machine?
Good old "F=M*A" is where you start. Figure out the required force to accelerate your mass. And not just the...