References

A supersonic scientist, CBC, May 11, 1958

Dr. Gerald Bull: Scientist, Weapons Maker, Dreamer at CBC.ca

Glanz, James (2010-02-15). "Shades of Supergun Evoke Hussein’s Thirst for Arms". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/10/world/middleeast/10supergun.html?pagewanted=print. Retrieved 28 January 2011.

Lapidos, Juliet (2009-07-14). "Are Assassinations Ever Legal? - slate.com". Slate Magazine. http://www.slate.com/id/2222843/. Retrieved 28 January 2011.

Redford, J. (1992, April). Gerald bull, gunsmith. Retrieved from http://world.std.com/~jlr/doom/bull.htm

Toolis, Kevin (August 26, 1990). "The Man Behind Iraq's Supergun". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/26/magazine/the-man-behind-iraq-s-supergun.html?pagewanted=1. Retrieved 3 February 2011.

Deals with Devils & Death

-While still running the Space Research Corporation the company sold 30,000 artillery shells, gun barrels, and plans for GC-45 howitzer, the deal brought the company some $30 million dollars’, to Armscor of Pretoria, South Africa. These deals were originally backed by the CIA and sent to South Africa as ‘rough steel forgings’ through Spain. When the government changed suites in 1977 the rules on arms dealings became tightly enforced and Gerald found himself in hot water over these deals with the US government – these deals were in violation of the UN’s arms embargo which made it illegal to sell arms to South Africa. He was arrested and sentenced to six months in a US prison for the deals. On return to Canada following his time served he was fined $55,000 for arms dealing by the Canadian government. Feeling rejected by his home country and stabbed in the back by his adoptive country, along with his lifelong dislike for North Americas bureaucratic ways, Gerald decided to go into exile in the Carribean.

This exile did not last long, Gerald soon found himself in Brussels, Belgium, which at the time was known as a hot spot for arms dealing. Soon after his arrival in Brussels Gerald found work selling his GC-45 howitzers to China and Iraq. He then starting working exclusively for the Iraqis, designing new weaponry and convincing them that to be a real world power they would need to be able to achieve space launches. Saddam Hussein was interested in what Gerald had to say and work began on his next super gun ‘Project Babylon’. These deals would prove, in the end, to be his demise. Gerald would be assassinated in March of 1990. There are differing accounts of what exactly took place, how many shots were fired, and how many assassins were involved, but all resources state that it was the Mossad – the Israel National Intelligence Agency - that were responsible. Also said to be possibly involved in the assassination were the CIA, the MI6, Chilean, Iraqi, Iranian, or South African governments. Soon after the assassination Gerald’s projects fell apart, the gun barrels were seized by British customs, his company closed down, and all that remains of his work are some massive rusted steel guns in the woods of Quebec.

Rough time frame of events: 1981-d. March 1990

Career

-Gerald Bull had an immense career filled with ups and downs, due to time restraints I will only give a rough outline of some of his more ‘important’ work (also I don’t quite understand a lot of what he did…)

After finishing his PhD Gerald went to work for CARDE full time. At the time they were doing research with supersonic flight – which is a rate of travel of an object that is greater than the speed of sound (at least 1,236 km/h). Gerald offered up ideas to help with their projects, mainly building a wind tunnel to help with their data collecting and samples, he’s project was rejected as it would ‘cost too much money’ – a phrase Gerald would become all too familiar with during his career. While Gerald was still working at CARDE, in 1953, he met his future wife Noemi. They married in 1954, and had two sons between 1955 and 1956. Deciding his wind tunnel was too important to let go by the wayside Gerald recruited some workers from Laval University and build one similar to the one he had produced during his time at the University of Toronto. This tunnel was capable of speeds up to Mach 4 (4,944 km/h) and only cost him $6,000 to produce, as the tunnel was made from mostly scrap metal. Around this time (1956) Gerald started to receive some media attention for his work, unfortunately this coincided with CARDE losing a major piece of its funding. Gerald was very vocal about these events saying the Liberal government was a bunch of "second-rate lawyers and jumped-up real-estate salesmen". Soon after Gerald set to working on the Avro Arrow – a famous Canadian interceptor aircraft capable of Mach 2 (2,472 km/h) – but this projected was also cancelled. The rest of his time at CARDE Gerald worked on infrared detection and anti-ballistic missile systems. After a run in with his direct supervisor Gerald got up and left CARDE handing in his resignation letter that same day.

He re-joined the academic life and went to teaching at McGill University in Montreal and bought a 4,000 acre property on the Quebec/Vermont border called Highwater Station, donated it to McGill and set up a ballistics testing lab there and set to building his super gun – it is just as it sounds a very large gun. While working at McGill he also started work on a project called High Altitude Research Program, or HARP.  He began testing with HARP in the Barbados, as Highwater Station was too small for his firing needs, creating 300 jobs for locals in the Barbados. His original tests there were a stepping stone to what Geralds dream was for his super gun, a gun-launched rocket that could reach outer space. His projects were funded under the guise that it would be a low cost way for Canada to enter the space-lunch business; he secured three years’ worth of funding for him and his team. Two years into the project they successfully fired a projectile 180 km – which still stands as a record to this day. When it was clear to the government that they would not reach their target within the three years the funding was cut after only two years.

With all of these funding cuts Gerald moved back to Highwater and set up his own company, the Space Research Corporation and became an international artillery consultant. He started on jobs for both the US and Canadian militaries. He turned his attentions from his super guns and firing satellites into space to the more lucrative trade of weapons manufacturing and innovation. His first success was the GC-45 howitzer that could fire accurately within 10 m over 30 km, these distances was far greater than those around at the time.

Rough time line of events: 1951-1980

Early Life & Education

-Dr. Gerald Bull was born into a well to do family in North Bay, Ontario in 1928. The family ran into hard times during the Great Depression and had to relocate to Toronto, Ontario. Shortly after arriving in Toronto Gerald’s mother passed away, his father remarried, and Gerald along with all his brothers and sisters were given to different relatives. Gerald ended up with his aunt Bernice, and later with another set of relatives, the LaBrosses – who had won the sweepstakes years before and were quite well off financially. Gerald was sent to an all-boys school – even though much too young he was aloud admittance from a large donation from his wealthy relatives – at this school is where he picked up the hobby of designing balsa wood airplanes, which would later shape his professional career aspirations, and start him on the road to becoming the world's greatest artillery expert. At the age of 16 he was allowed into the brand new aeuronautical engineering course at the University of Toronto. Recollections from classmates and professors note that Gerald was not a brilliant student and received strictly average marks. Later that year the institute of Aerodynamics was opened on campus, it would allow in three students per year, Gerald was selected not for his academic achievements but for his tremendous energy towards the subject matter. For Gerald’s master thesis he set to building a supersonic wind tunnel – at that time a relatively rare device. He also used the device for his PhD thesis. This device also led him to a period of work with the Canadian Armament and Research Development Establishment, or CARDE, now known as the Defence Research and Development Canada, or DRDC Valcartier, which is a major Canadian military research station in Quebec. 
Rough time frame of events: 1928-1950