The Avro Arrow: Canada's Favorite Delta Wing

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[mattblom]

As a Canadian I can tell you the Arrow is legendary here to this day with different groups not only lamenting its destruction but calling for its return in an upgraded form.

[alexsmith]

They flew most models over Lake Ontario and one has been found, restored, and is currently on display in the Canadian Space and Aviation Museum.

[GuitarLessonsBobbyCrispy]

My dad saw the Arrow fly across the sky up in Caledon back in the 1950's. Man, that would be quite a sight to see.

[slymarbo]

As a Canadian this is such a national black eye

[logancarbin]

My grandpa was an engineer working on this plane! When it was canceled on Black Friday, he moved the family to California exactly as Simon says here, and got a job at Rockwell working on the B-1!

[olsonspeed]

The decision to kill the Arrow was political and resulted in the demise of the Canadian aircraft industry. A sad ending for a very capable aircraft.

[simonrancourt]

American : "Remember the Alamo"
Canadian : "Remember the Arrow"

[TheEDFLegacy]

I wasn't even born when this was being developed yet I'm STILL angry about it. I'm glad that more and more things have been found since then - including a VERY recent surprise where someone discovered their recently-deceased grandparent - who worked on the Avro - kept the blueprints for decades in complete secret. They've seen been brought to a museum. I'm SO happy about this.

EDIT: After watching the video, I wish you added the more recent finds; they found one of the models in very recent days, and earlier this year, like I mentioned, the blueprint book. Although I do agree that the Avro Arrow should have been cancelled, it would have made a FAR better choice to sell it to the Americans; we had technology in that plane that even the Americans lacked - fly-by-wire, for example - and the foolishness was not so much the cancellation, but how that cancellation was handled. We could have EASILY recouped the costs had we sold it. And it's THAT that I struggle to forgive.

[brentdallyn]

Simon just triggered every Canadian over the age of 50, well played.

[Wordsnwood]

cracking up every time he says 'd-eye-fenbaker instead of D-EE-fenbaker

[emomuzz]

To the Canadian researchers and engineers: RESPECT.

[Mrgillescarrier]

Her final engine, the Orenda Iroquois, is a story in itself.

[yxuame]

Hey Simon! Great video. As a Canadian thats into aviation, the arrow is a story that is near and dear to me. In the video you mentioned that the models were flown into the Atlantic ocean, but they also flew some them into near by Lake Ontario. They actually recently found one of the models intact!

[gregmchale]

it is great to see this topic covered and Canadians should never forget the failure of our government. we need to stand behind our talent and projects.

[proximolight]

As a Canadian this still makes me go why? The future was then

[Philippadrinkstea]

Not gonna lie, this sounds like just about every military programme I've ever worked on - utter chaos with the military always changing their minds and politicians getting involved. Keeps us engineers employed at least... 😅

[PlayWaves]

It's a pity it never got the Iroquois engines. It would have been an incredible bird.

[CmdrTomalak]

Thank you! Avro Arrow immortalized at last on Megaprojects!

To this day, there are scores and scores of Canadians who feel the American Government purposely pressured the Canadian Government into cancelling the project merely because they themselves wanted complete control over the every aspect of military aviation in the Western Hemisphere and Canada was beating them at their own game. It is a testament to Canadian ingenuity and talent that so many of the brains behind this project ended up in the U.S. working for NASA but many also believe that unofficially, they also worked on a lot of other military projects "off the books".

[old-moose]

We could forgive "Dief the Chief " a lot of things but we couldn't & haven't forgotten the destruction of the Arrows that had been built as well as their plans.

[amandamccallum]

My grandfather was an engineer for the Avro Arrow. Ty for this!