Canadian Vickers Limited
Encyclopedia
Canadian Vickers Limited was an aircraft and shipbuilding company that operated in Canada
during the early part of the 20th century until 1944. A subsidiary of the UK parent
, it built its own aircraft designs as well as others under licence. Canadair
absorbed the Canadian Vickers Ltd. operations in November 11, 1944.
was invited by the Government of Canada in 1911 to establish a Canadian division to manufacture vessels for the nascent Royal Canadian Navy
. Vickers Sons & Maxim established Canadian Vickers Ltd. and constructed a shipyard in the east end of Montreal
.
During World War I the yard built the Holland 602 type submarine for the British and the Italian Navy. They were known as the British H class submarine
in the Royal Navy.
This shipyard would go on to produce many civilian and military ships in Canada, including:
Canadian Vickers also manufactured luxury yachts and vessels.
Canadian Vickers was sold in 1926 and reacquired by Vickers in 1956. Renamed Vickers Canada Limited in 1978 after being sold to Canadian interest and renamed several times again by the last owners Marine Industries (as Versatile Vickers Inc
in 1981 and MIL Vickers in 1987). Shipbuiding operations ceased by 1988.
flying boat
s to the recently formed Canadian Air Force (Royal Canadian Air Force from 1924). Between 1923 and 1944, Canadian Vickers produced over 400 aircraft, some of which were original Vickers' designs while the remainder were other manufacturers' designs built under license.
In July 1941, the Canadian government awarded Canadian Vickers a contract to produce PBV-1 "Canso" amphibians (a version of the Consolidated PBY Catalina
flying boat) for the Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF). Many of the aircraft were delivered to the United States Navy (USN) as the PBV-1; also to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as the OA-10A for rescue work.
To speed Canso production, the government authorized construction of a new manufacturing facility at Cartierville Airport
in Ville Saint Laurent, on the north-western outskirts of Montreal, and appointed Canadian Vickers to manage the plant's operation on the government's behalf. Independently Boeing also produced Catalinas in Canada.
In 1944, business pressure compelled Canadian Vickers to ask the government to relieve it of its management responsibilities regarding the Cartierville plant. Ottawa agreed and entered into a management contract with Canadair
Limited, a new company founded by a small group of former senior Canadian Vickers personnel headed by Benjamin W. Franklin (no relation to his famous namesake). On 4 November 1944, Canadair Limited took over operation of the plant. In September 1946, Canadair Limited and the plant were acquired by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut.
In 1952, Electric Boat bought Consolidated Vultee and combined it, Canadair, and several smaller companies to form General Dynamics
Corporation. General Dynamics later became one of the largest U.S. aerospace corporations. Canadair remained a General Dynamics subsidiary until January 1976 when it was re-acquired by the Canadian government.
In December 1986, the government again sold Canadair, this time to Bombardier Inc., a Quebec-based international conglomerate. Today, Canadair itself no longer exists as a separate entity having been absorbed into Bombardier Aerospace
.
For aircraft built after 1944, those aircraft were built under the Canadair
name.
used the former Canadian Vickers plant briefly to build rail car
s in the 1960s and 1970s during the period of turmoil at the shipyard in Montreal. The rail car products were mostly built on contract from other rail car builders or as joint production effort.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the early part of the 20th century until 1944. A subsidiary of the UK parent
Vickers Limited
Vickers Limited was a famous British engineering conglomerate that merged into Vickers-Armstrongs in 1927.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
, it built its own aircraft designs as well as others under licence. Canadair
Canadair
Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. It was a subsidiary of other aircraft manufacturers, then a nationalized corporation until privatized in 1986, and became the core of Bombardier Aerospace....
absorbed the Canadian Vickers Ltd. operations in November 11, 1944.
Shipbuilding
British ship building and weapons manufacturing conglomerate Vickers Sons & MaximVickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
was invited by the Government of Canada in 1911 to establish a Canadian division to manufacture vessels for the nascent Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
. Vickers Sons & Maxim established Canadian Vickers Ltd. and constructed a shipyard in the east end of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
British H class submarine
The British H class submarines were Holland 602 type submarines used by the Royal Navy. The submarines constructed for the British Royal Navy between 1915 and 1919 were designed and built in response to German boats which mined British waters and sank coastal shipping with ease due to their small...
in the Royal Navy.
This shipyard would go on to produce many civilian and military ships in Canada, including:
- Canadian Coast GuardCanadian Coast GuardThe Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
icebreakers- CCGS Louis S. St-LaurentCCGS Louis S. St-LaurentCCGS Louis S. St-Laurent is a Canadian Coast Guard Heavy Arctic Icebreaker.Named after the twelfth Prime Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable Louis St. Laurent, PC CC QC LLD DCL LLL BA. The vessel is classed a "Heavy Arctic Icebreaker" and is the largest icebreaker and flagship of the CCG. It...
- CCGS SimcoeCCGS SimcoeThe CCGS Simcoe, built in 1962, was one of the longest serving vessels in the Canadian Coast Guard Fleet at 45 years. It was the last ship of the original official Coast Guard fleet, created in 1962 to be decommissioned....
- CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent
Canadian Vickers also manufactured luxury yachts and vessels.
Canadian Vickers was sold in 1926 and reacquired by Vickers in 1956. Renamed Vickers Canada Limited in 1978 after being sold to Canadian interest and renamed several times again by the last owners Marine Industries (as Versatile Vickers Inc
Versatile
Versatile is a Canadian brand of agricultural equipment that has produced augers, swathers and combine harvester.In the 1970s, it was an independent operation, founded by Peter Pakosh and Roy Robinson, that had 70% of the 4WD tractor market and then was later owned by Ford and Fiat's New Holland,...
in 1981 and MIL Vickers in 1987). Shipbuiding operations ceased by 1988.
Aerospace
Canadian Vickers ventured into aircraft manufacturing in 1923 when it won a contract to supply Vickers VikingVickers Viking
-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.* London, Peter. British Flying Boats. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7509-2695-3....
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s to the recently formed Canadian Air Force (Royal Canadian Air Force from 1924). Between 1923 and 1944, Canadian Vickers produced over 400 aircraft, some of which were original Vickers' designs while the remainder were other manufacturers' designs built under license.
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
flying boat) for the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF). Many of the aircraft were delivered to the United States Navy (USN) as the PBV-1; also to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as the OA-10A for rescue work.
To speed Canso production, the government authorized construction of a new manufacturing facility at Cartierville Airport
Cartierville Airport
Cartierville Airport was an airport in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, now a borough of Montreal. The airport was decommissioned and turned into the Bois-Franc neighbourhood. It was located next to Route 117, and the terminal buildings were accessed via Boul...
in Ville Saint Laurent, on the north-western outskirts of Montreal, and appointed Canadian Vickers to manage the plant's operation on the government's behalf. Independently Boeing also produced Catalinas in Canada.
In 1944, business pressure compelled Canadian Vickers to ask the government to relieve it of its management responsibilities regarding the Cartierville plant. Ottawa agreed and entered into a management contract with Canadair
Canadair
Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. It was a subsidiary of other aircraft manufacturers, then a nationalized corporation until privatized in 1986, and became the core of Bombardier Aerospace....
Limited, a new company founded by a small group of former senior Canadian Vickers personnel headed by Benjamin W. Franklin (no relation to his famous namesake). On 4 November 1944, Canadair Limited took over operation of the plant. In September 1946, Canadair Limited and the plant were acquired by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut.
In 1952, Electric Boat bought Consolidated Vultee and combined it, Canadair, and several smaller companies to form General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
Corporation. General Dynamics later became one of the largest U.S. aerospace corporations. Canadair remained a General Dynamics subsidiary until January 1976 when it was re-acquired by the Canadian government.
In December 1986, the government again sold Canadair, this time to Bombardier Inc., a Quebec-based international conglomerate. Today, Canadair itself no longer exists as a separate entity having been absorbed into Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
.
Canadian Vickers aircraft designs
- Canadian Vickers Vancouver (six built)
- Canadian Vickers VanessaCanadian Vickers Vanessa|-References:NotesBibliography* Molson, Ken M. and Harold A. Taylor. Canadian Aircraft Since 1909. Stittsville, Ontario: Canada's Wings, Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-920002-11-0.-External links:*...
(one built) - Canadian Vickers VarunaCanadian Vickers Varuna|-See also:...
(eight built) - Canadian Vickers VedetteCanadian Vickers Vedette-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Milberry, Larry. Aviation in Canada. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-07-082778-8.* Molsen, Kenneth M. "The Canadian Vickers Vedette." Canadian Aeronautics and Space Journal, October 1964....
(60 built) - Canadian Vickers Velos (one built)
- Canadian Vickers VigilCanadian Vickers Vigil|-References:* *...
(one built) - Canadian Vickers VistaCanadian Vickers Vista-References:**...
(one built)
License Production
- Vickers Viking IVVickers Viking-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.* London, Peter. British Flying Boats. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7509-2695-3....
(six built) - Avro 504Avro 504The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
N (13 built) - Avro 552Avro 504The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
(14 built) - Curtiss HS-3L (three built)
- Fairchild FC-2Fairchild FC-2The Fairchild FC-1 and its derivatives were a family of light, single engine, high wing utility monoplanes produced in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s...
(11 built) - Fokker Super UniversalFokker Super Universal|-References:NotesBibliography* Dierikx, Marc. Fokker: A Transatlantic Biography. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997. ISBN 1-56098-735-9....
(15 built) - Bellanca PacemakerBellanca PacemakerThe Pacemaker name was applied to a number of related Bellanca aircraft in the 1920s and 30s:* Bellanca CH-200 Pacemaker* Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker* Bellanca 31-40 and 31-42 Pacemaker Senior* Bellanca 300W Pacemaker* Bellanca E Pacemaker...
(six built) - Northrop DeltaNorthrop DeltaThe Northrop Delta was an American single-engined passenger transport aircraft of the 1930s. Closely related to Northrop's Gamma mail plane, 13 were produced by the Northrop Corporation, followed by 19 aircraft built under license by Canadian Vickers Limited....
(three Mk I and 17 Mk II built) (First all metal stressed skin aircraft built in Canada) - Supermarine StranraerSupermarine Stranraer|-Surviving aircraft:A single intact Stranraer, 920/CF-BXO, survives in the collection of the Royal Air Force Museum London. This aircraft was built in 1940, one of 40 built by Canadian Vickers. In service with the Royal Canadian Air Force, it flew with several squadrons, on anti-submarine patrols,...
(40 built) - Canadian Vickers PBV-1 CansoPBY CatalinaThe Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
(30 built at Vickers, 282 at Cartierville/Canadair plant)
Other Aircraft Work
- Fairey F-IIIC built for transatlantic attempt.
- Felixstowe F-III built for transatlantic attempt.
- Buhl AirsedanBuhl Airsedan-See also:* Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster...
engineering work for Ontario Provincial Air Service. - Handley Page HampdenHandley Page HampdenThe Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force serving in the Second World War. With the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane...
component manufacture. - R-100 airship repairs.
For aircraft built after 1944, those aircraft were built under the Canadair
Canadair
Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. It was a subsidiary of other aircraft manufacturers, then a nationalized corporation until privatized in 1986, and became the core of Bombardier Aerospace....
name.
Railcar
CanadairCanadair
Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. It was a subsidiary of other aircraft manufacturers, then a nationalized corporation until privatized in 1986, and became the core of Bombardier Aerospace....
used the former Canadian Vickers plant briefly to build rail car
Rail car
A rail car can be:* Railcar, a type of self-propelled passenger-carrying railway vehicle.* Railroad car, another type of railway vehicle, pulled by a locomotive....
s in the 1960s and 1970s during the period of turmoil at the shipyard in Montreal. The rail car products were mostly built on contract from other rail car builders or as joint production effort.
- M2 (railcar)M2 (railcar)The M2 is a series of 244 electric multiple unit cars produced for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Connecticut Department of Transportation for use on the New Haven Line...
1972-1977 - was built by Budd CompanyBudd CompanyThe Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
with participation from Canadian Vickers and General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
for Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
and Connecticut Department of TransportationConnecticut Department of TransportationThe Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The current Commissioner of ConnDOT is Jeffrey Parker... - Commuter Cab Car (Bi-level coaches and gallery cars) 1960s - was built for Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(Town Cars) and a variant of the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
Gallery coaches; re-classified as AMTAgence métropolitaine de transportThe Agence métropolitaine de transport is the umbrella organization that plans, integrates, and coordinates public transportation services across Canada's Greater Montreal Region, including the Island of Montreal, Laval , and communities along both the North Shore of the Rivière des Mille-Îles...
900 series cars - MR-63MR-63The MR-63 is the first and oldest EMU rapid transit train type operated on the Montreal Metro in the city of Montréal, Québec.Based on the Paris Métro's MP 59 rolling stock, the MR-63 were constructed by Canadian Vickers from 1965–1967 and was introduced on October 14, 1966 on the opening of the...
1963-1967 - were Metro cars built for the Montreal MetroMontreal MetroThe Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
which opened in 1966 and were based on GEC Alsthom's MP 59MP 59The MP 59 is a rubber tired variant of electric multiple units used on Paris's Métro system, and is the oldest type still in regular passenger service. Manufactured by GEC Alsthom, they were first introduced in 1963 when the busiest routes of Lines 1 and 4 were converted to rubber tired pneumatic...
for the Paris MetroParis MétroThe Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...