Bobcat

[Petrus]

Here you've got a drawing (dated 1955) of an 'initial concept' of the Bobcat. It resembles what is known as the XA-20, but its engine is located in the middle and the troop compartment in the rear.

Piotr

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi Petrus

Thanks for that.

I recently bought this small (9cm x 6cm) photo loose in a large pile of wholy un-related photos at a gun show.

Note that there is a registration number (76-735) painted on the side and perhaps weights on the roof.

regards
Darrell

[rob love]

Odd that it would be using the old DND numbering system as opposed to the CAR (later CFR) system which cam out around 1950. That DND number would seem to be around the numbers for the armoured snowmobiles.

[Ed Storey]

The photograph does illustrate an Armoured Snowmobile.

Armoured Snowmobile.jpg

This is a Bobcat.

Bobcat.jpg

[Darrell Zinck]

Rob

It is indeed an armoured snowmobile. I didn't claim otherewise but see that I neglected to put it in my post.

Thanks, Ed. Probably not weights then.

regards
Darrell

[Bob Phillips]

So while this post has been revived and there are so many well informed members contributing let me ask a question..following the success of Canadian industries in WW2 in successfully building all manner of vehicles there seems to have been a mindset in our 1950s military that we could/should be developing a new generation of vehicles.
The armored snowmobile/penguin led to the Mudcat, the Beaver and the Wapiti. At least the Mudcat & Beaver were deemed useful vehicles, but tghey apppear to have quickly died in infancy. In my research it seems there was a hope to develop export markets for some of these vehicles as well as use them in our northlands. Was this just a deluded dream? The monies expended were huge ( though apparently much less than comparable US developed vehicles)
the Wapiti program beginning 1949 and cancelled 1954 after 3 prototypes built cost ( as previously reported ) $1.25 million 1952 dollars. The engines alone were $8000 each!! The Wapiti was reportedly cancelled as it was too big to be air transported- which seems odd since the later Bobcat was to be airportable in a 105mm gun version.
This was also the era of the Avro Arrow etc etc Anyone like to speculate on why there was so much money available for R&D when so much of that technology went right down the drain??

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Bob Phillips

The Wapiti was reportedly cancelled as it was too big to be air transported- which seems odd since the later Bobcat was to be airportable in a 105mm gun version.

Perhaps the answer is one word: Hercules. US production started in 1956 and introduced to the RCAF in 1960.

I mentioned early in this thread that I talked with the EME Col Commandant about the Bobcat. He was part of the project towards the end, and pulled the plug on the project. Apparently they were rife with problems. Personally, I'm glad we ended up with the M113 family of vehicles, some of which are still serving today after 50 years of service. I think a limited production of the Bobcat, had it been brought to fruition, would have just left us with an orphan as the US vehicle would have dominated the market in the free world.

We can take some satisfaction in the LAV series of vehicles, although the lineage goes back to Europe. I think that series have now become the standard in the free world.