Much has been written about the demise of the CF-105 Avro Arrow – high cost, government incompetence, American interference. Or was it something more mundane? The introduction of the 1.5 kiloton Genie nuclear missile and surface-to-air missiles were the most likely culprits.
What happened to Avro on Arrow?
Avro’s end was fast and tragic following the Arrow’s termination. Gordon’s resignation as president was announced in the press on 2 July 1959. He died at age 52 on 26 January 1967 in New York City, likely from alcoholism.
Why did the Arrow fail?
Some think that the Arrow’s high costs contributed to its downfall. With a total cost of $1.1 billion, the Arrow program was very expensive for a country of Canada’s size. But its technology was another concern. The Army’s chief of the general staff, lieutenant-general Guy Simonds, was among those who thought that it was already outdated.
Where can I find an Avro Arrow?
Once found, they will be housed in the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa and the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario. See also Avro Arrow: "There Never Was an Arrow.
How fast can the Avro Arrow fly?
With the J75, the Arrow achieved supersonic flight speed on its third test flight. On its seventh flight, it achieved a speed over 1,000 miles per hour at 50,000 feet while climbing and accelerating. The public rollout of the Avro Arrow. (Image source: WikiCommons)
Why did Canada destroy the Avro Arrow?
So why was the Avro Arrow cancelled by the Canadian government in 1959? “The official reason given by the Diefenbaker government [at that time] was that the Arrow was too expensive, and it was no longer worth the money,” Cohen said. “Avro as a company was going through millions of taxpayer dollars.”
Did one Avro Arrow survive?
But there was always one piece of the Avro Arrow story that had been lost for decades: the 12 test models, fired into Lake Ontario between 1954 and 1957, that contributed to the final design of the finished fighter jet.
How many Avro Arrow's were built?
Avro Canada CF-105 ArrowCF-105 ArrowStatusCancelled (20 February 1959)Primary userRoyal Canadian Air ForceProduced1957–1959 (design work began in 1953)Number built56 more rows
What was found at the bottom of Lake Ontario?
Avro Arrow prototypeTORONTO – Search crews say they have found a test model of the Avro Arrow, an advanced Canadian fighter jet that was controversially scrapped in 1959, on the floor of Lake Ontario.
How long would it take to go around the world at Mach 20?
Mach 20. If a plane flew at Mach 20 without stopping to refuel, it would take 1 to 2 hours to circumnavigate the earth. Theoretically, if a plane flew on Mach 27 without stopping to refuel, it would only take it 1 hour and 10 minutes to circumnavigate the earth.
Why was the arrow scrapped?
Though the Arrow was widely praised for its power and beauty, the program was cancelled in February 1959 by the government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. This resulted in the loss of at least 25,000 direct and indirect jobs. Many believe that the Arrow's cancellation was a betrayal of Canada's aerospace industry.
How fast could the Avro Arrow Go?
1,307 mphAvro Canada CF-105 Arrow / Top speed
What was so unique about the Avro Arrow?
The Avro CF-105 Arrow was designed to defend Canada against bomber attacks from the Soviet Union. It represented remarkable achievements in aerodynamics, computer-assisted flight technology, fabrication, flight-control, engine design, and speed.
What happened to the Arrow project?
On 20 February 1959, before the Arrow could enter military duty, the Diefenbaker government cancelled the Arrow project. Overnight, more than 14,000 people, many of them highly skilled, lost their jobs. The day would come to be known as Black Friday in the Canadian aviation industry. By July 1959, all aircraft had been cut apart with blowtorches, while blueprints, models, designs and machines used to make the planes were destroyed. Scraps were sold to a Hamilton, Ontario, junk dealer for 6.5¢ per pound. Job losses grew to at least 25,000 at the time of Avro’s dissolution in 1962.
What was the impact of the Arrow?
In the short term, the Arrow’s cancellation had a devastating effect on Canada’s aerospace industry and its role as a world player. A number of Avro’s top engineers left for Great Britain to work on the Concorde civil airliner. Others left for the United States to work on various projects within NASA. Indeed, this influx of over 30 elite scientists and engineers to NASA, as historian Bill Zuk asserts, “helped put man on the moon.”
What is the arrow in the CF-105?
The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow (the Arrow) was a supersonic interceptor jet aircraft designed and built in the 1950s by A.V. Roe Canada (Avro). The Arrow was one of the most advanced aircraft of its era, helping to establish Canada as a world leader in scientific research and development.
Why was the Arrow program cancelled?
This resulted in the loss of at least 25,000 direct and indirect jobs. Many believe that the Arrow’s cancellation was a betrayal of Canada’s aerospace industry.
When was the first Avro CF-105?
Janusz Zurakowski after the first flight of the Avro CF-105, Arrow, 25 March 1958 , Malton, Ontario. (Courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-61731) The Arrow was the most advanced military aircraft of its time but it was cancelled, and Canada purchased American equipment instead.
When was the first arrow launched?
Two additional models were launched over the Atlantic Ocean. On 4 October 1957, the first Arrow was unveiled in front of 12,000 people at the Avro plant.
When was the arrow made?
May 27, 2019. The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow (the Arrow) was a supersonic interceptor jet aircraft designed and built in the 1950s by A.V. Roe Canada (Avro). The Arrow was one of the most advanced aircraft of its era, helping to establish Canada as a world leader in scientific research and development.
1. The prime minister killed the Arrow out of spite and dislike for Avro's president
It's well known that Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Avro President Crawford Gordon disliked one another intensely. Diefenbaker was a conservative who didn't smoke or drink; Gordon was rarely without a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
2. Americans had the Arrow killed to protect their aerospace industry from a superior competitor
Assuming the Americans did indeed have this kind of influence over the Canadian Prime Minister (and, by extension, over the United Kingdom), it's not at all clear that reducing the available inventory of front line Allied interceptors in the face of a mounting Soviet threat would have been in the Americans' interest.
3. At least one Arrow was spirited out of the country and preserved
Many people have persisted in claiming that some Avro pilots and engineers managed to secretly fly one Arrow to safety in some other country. Former employees, former pilots, and authors have all suggested this; some have winked and said they'd rather not talk about it.
What is the Avro Arrow?
The Avro Arrow is a frustrating and tragic story about a world-class aircraft that was simply too ambitious for the nation that undertook the challenge of making it. The aircraft spawned from the era shortly after WWII, when the West was expecting a war with the Soviets and believed an attack would come from long-range, high-altitude bombers.
How high can an Avro arrow fly?
(Photo Credit: National Film Board of Canada) The Arrow’s requirements were given to Avro in 1953: a two-man aircraft with two engines that can cruise at Mach 1.5 at an altitude of 70,000 feet. Remember, these specifications were laid down at a point when Spitfires were cutting edge just 10 years earlier.
What engine did the Arrow use?
The engines the Arrow used in testing were two Pratt & Whitney J75-P-3 turbo jets, that could produce 23,500 pounds of thrust with afterburners ignited. The proposal was so promising that in July 1953, the project, now named CF-105 was given CA$27 million in funding to continue development.
What was the first company to make a jet-powered interceptor?
One of the first companies to spawn from this plan was Avro Canada, which quickly started work on a new jet-powered interceptor, the CF-100 Canuck. This aircraft experienced delays during its development, but when it was ready, it proved to be a great aircraft, one that would continue in service until 1981.
What is the Avro Arrow?
Just about every Canadian knows the story of the Avro Arrow. The space-aged, twin-engine jet fighter , also known as the CF-105, was designed to fly higher and faster than anything the Soviets could throw at it. The best and brightest minds in the country’s vibrant aerospace industry were assembled to work on the project from its beginnings in 1953 right though to its first flight six years later. Avro Canada hoped the Arrow would be a hit on the export market for a generation, with American, British and other friendly powers lining up with orders for the futuristic warplane. That’s why the country was stunned in 1959 when Ottawa abruptly announced the program’s cancellation. Even now, the decision to scrap the Arrow remains steeped in mystery and controversy. Legions of Canadian journalists and historians have since sought an explanation for the fiasco. One of them is Palmiro Campagna. The Ottawa-based author has written three books about the CF-105. His latest title, The Avro Arrow: For the Record, comes out on Feb. 16 just days before – the 60th anniversary of the government’s baffling decision to end the program. To mark the milestone Campagna has written the following article for MHN about the CF-105 and its mysterious cancellation, which is still largely unknown outside of Canada.
When did the Avro CF-105 Arrow first appear?
When it first appeared in 1958, the Avro CF-105 Arrow was arguably the best fighter interceptor in the world. So why did Canada abandon the project?
When did the Arrow come out?
From its inception in 1953, the first Arrow took to the air on March 25, 1958. While this was after a mere five years, more importantly, the Canadian arm of Avro had only come into existence in 1946 and had not yet developed a supersonic aircraft.
How many people were affected by the Avro decision?
Some 14,000 employees who had been working at Avro and Orenda were ordered to drop tools and leave the premises. In all, government records estimate some 25,000 people were affected by the decision, when one factored in the various subcontractors. Newspapers of the day put the totals much higher.
Why were the Arrow missiles carried internally?
On the weapons front, the Arrow’s complement of AIM-4 Falcon missiles, were to be carried internally so as to reduce drag in flight. Each would be lowered for attack on its own launch rail. The system was in the throes of being completed when the project was abruptly terminated. The weapons bay itself was designed to be lowered and removed on the ground and substituted with another, for quick turnaround in the event of an attack. The weapons bay could also be reconfigured for other purposes such as for reconnaissance work if required.
Why was the CF-105 cancelled?
Ironically, when the project was cancelled, one of the reasons given for its suspension was that information about the plane’s design might leak to the communists.
Where is the arrow 206?
Of the significant pieces that remain, there is the cockpit section of Arrow 206, some wing sections and an Iroquois engine, all housed at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Canada.
