| Radio Detection and Ranging, first
known by the acronym RDF, later became known by the acronym RADAR. It was the secret
weapon that many argue won World War II. It was a weapon that both the British and the
Germans possessed during World War II. But it was the perfection of the technology by the
British, with further design, development and production support from Canada and the
United States, that helped Britain successfully defend itself from the marauding sorties
of Hitler’s Luftwaffe. |
RAMP: The first major deployment of a solid
state transmitter design for ATC primary radar (Edwin
K.Y. Cheng) |
Canada became strategically involved in the
development of radar when the Tizard Mission brought technology to the National Research
Council for further research, design and development. Despite its wartime beginnings, though, radar has continued to shape the lives of
Canadians, and indeed the world, through its many peaceful present-day applications,
including civilian air traffic control, geographic mapping, and the microwave oven that
likely sits in your own kitchen.
Radar Development in Canada
-- A Technical Overview
Crosshairs on History -- Fred
Heath and the Invention that Changed the World (PDF file by Alex Mair)
Other sites for Radar:
Radarsat
-- The next generation of radar |
