[DonRotolo]

To "help" the cylinder's piston extend much faster, perhaps something like a spring or latex tubing can be used to 'pull' it out...

Gee, you don't even need to supply air to it, just release it somehow to extend (under spring power) and let the air out of the other end. Then pressurize the other end to retract it and stretch the spring agai for the next shot.