Canadian Applied Research

From The Space Library

Canadian Applied Research was one of the forerunners of the company which built the Canadarm robotic manipulator for the Space Shuttle.

The letters patent were filed to create the company on March 30th 1951 under the name PSC Applied Research Limited. The name was changed to Canadian Applied Research on May 8 1957. It's official business office was at 1500 O'Connor Drive in Toronto and there were five directors. They were:

• A.A. Bailie
• J.M. Bridgman
• F.M. Haines
• E.B. Moss
• F.T. Smye

The principal shareholder was A.V. Roe Canada. Smye was the company chairman, Bridgman was VP and General Manager, W.D. Russell was secretary, E.D. Rushbrook treasurer and J.T. Flint office manager.

The company was created "for the following purposes and objects, that is (a) to carry on business of research in connection with and to develop, manufacture and sell electronic, optical and mechanical instruments and (b) To produce, adapt, repair, acquire and dispose of by any means, import, export, deal in, operate or otherwise use such instruments and equipment to establish laboratories, engineering shops, machine shops and factories."

Amongst many other accomplishments the CAR designed a unique ice detecting mechanism in 1958, created for the AVRO CF-100 and the CF-105 fighters, and sold it to the USAF for their fleet of T-38 aircraft which later became the astronaut trainer of choice.

Canadian Applied Research would go on to be merged with the Special Projects Division of the de Havilland company in 1960 to create Special Projects Applied Research.