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Central Experimental and Proving Establishment
Motto: Experto Crede (Believe one who knows from experience)
Hercules in Combat with Hydra. Among the twelve tasks, or "labours", imposed on the Greek hero Hercules, one of the most difficult was to slay the monster Hydra which, when one of its numerous heads was severed, was able to grow two new heads unless the wound was cauterized. Like Hercules, C.E. & P.E. is called upon to solve many varied tasks for which great ingenuity, ability, and persistence are required.
From the earliest days of the Air Board and the Canadian Air Force, test and development work was car- ried on at Ottawa Air Station (at Rockcliffe and Shirley's Bay) where, eventually, a special flight was formed for this purpose. The outbreak of war greatly increased the demands for test flying for research and experiment, and, as a result, the flight was expanded into the Test and Development Establishment in November 1940. Six years later its name was changed to Experimental and Proving Estab- CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL & PROVING ESTABLISHMENT (February 1955) Hercules in Combat with Hydra. Experto Crede (Believe one who knows from experience) Among the twelve tasks, or "labours", imposed on the Greek hero Hercules, one of the most dif- ficult was to slay the monster Hydra which, when one of its numerous heads was severed, was able to grow two new heads unless the wound was cauterized. Like Hercules, C.E. & P.E. is called upon to solve many varied tasks for which great ingenuity, ability, and persistence are required. From the earliest days of the Air Board and the Canadian Air Force, test and development work was car- ried on at Ottawa Air Station (at Rockeliffe a n d Shirley's Bay) where, eventually, a special flight was formed for this purpose. The outbreak of war greatly increased the demands for test flying for re- search and experiment, and, as a result, the flight was expanded into the Test and Development Estab- lishment in November 1940. Six years later its name was changed to Experimental and Proving Establishment. On 1 September 1951 the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment was formed by the amalgamation of the E. & P.E. at Rockeliffe, the Winter Experimental Establishment at Edmonton, and the R.C.A.F. (National Research Council) Unit at Arnprior. Headquarters of C.E. & P.E. are at Rockcliffe, with detachments at several sites across Canada.