This Jet Was BETRAYED by Canada! - The Avro Arrow

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At the end of WWI , the west was terrified to discover that the soviets were starting to develop a fleet of high-altitude, long range bomber aircraft, many of which would carry nuclear weapons. These new unstoppable aircraft would be able to fly directly over the north pole and hit targets in Western Europe and North America.

Naturally, the west needed a counter aircraft - a bomber interceptor. These planes would be small, fast, and designed to catch up to the bombers and take them out well before they entered friendly airspace.

The US had several aircraft fill this role, such as the North American F-86D Sabre, followed by the Northrop F-89 Scorpion, and eventually in the late 50s, the Convair F-106 Delta Dart.

Looking at the world stage, you might have noticed a not-so-small nation lay right between the heart of capitlism and the USSR - canada.

Canada had effectively taken on a new role as defender of the north, falling under the flight path of soviet bombers, and it was about time it had its own aircraft to help protect its airspace.

The Jet would be called officially the CF-105 Arrow, built by Canadian aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe Canada, which is better known as Avro. It was designed with a crew of two in mind, sitting in tandem one behind the other.

It would be 77ft long, 23.8 meters, with a height of 21 feet, or a bit over 6 meters. The wings would be delta shape for speed, and have a wingspan of exactly 50 feet, or exactly 15 meters, which is a very nice round number. It would have many of the same advantages of the swept wing in terms of transonic and supersonic performance, but offered much more internal room and overall surface area, useful for fuel tanks and more lift when flying at serious speed.

And lets talk about that speed. The aircraft was designed to be deployed fast, and catch up to the best that the soviets would throw at the west. It would have a top speed of 1,136 kn (1,307 mph, 2,104 km/h), with some modifications to push it well into mach 2 territory.

Armament was stored in a large internal bay located in a "belly" position, taking up over one third of the aircraft fuselage. A wide variety of weapons could be deployed from this bay, such as the Hughes Falcon guided missile, the CARDE Velvet Glove air-to-air missile, or four general-purpose 1,000 lb bombs. Because of the shape, the front wheel was long and thin, and had to fit snuggly under the nose - an engineering marvel for the time.

This bomber interceptor would have a combat range of 360 nmi (410 mi, 670 km), or if just on patrol, a top range of around 718 nautical miles, 1,330 km (820 mi). Naturally there were plans to fit the aircraft with additional fuel tanks where needed, but as it was a defence fighter, it wouldn't have to go far from an airbase. It wouldn't be fantastic at intercepting or dog fighting other jets due to the drag of the delta wing at lower speeds, but as it was a bomber intercepter designed to fly fast and in a straight line - it fit the bill with flying colours and is considered one of the best, if not that best, jet interceptor ever designed.

But developing a home built superior bomber interceptor wouldn't be easy, and overcoming the technological challenges, and insurmountable political ones, would prove to be impossible.

You see, while the air force loved the arrow, the army and navy were a little bit jealous that so much money was being diverted to this project. The generals put poolitical pressure on the program, pentitioning it to be scrapped at the earilest opportunity.

There was also an argument that perhaps the focus had been in the wrong direction. The russians had proven space flight was possible, and perhaps that next there would be rockets heading to canada from orbit rather than flying over onboard bombers. Terrified of a possible missile gap, the new government of Canada in 1957 signed the NORAD treaty, a combined defence of north america with the USA. The US, who had its own aerospace industry, put pressure on the government for this deal to discontuine the arrow, and insead allow canad to Bomarc access nuclear tipped anti-aircraft missiles, and thus wouldn't need a bomber interceptor - they would just blow everything out of the sky.

Costing a fortune, this would mean that the government would need to choose between the Avro Arrow, or the new anti-ballstic missile system with the USA.

For canadians, the arrow is more than a simple jet fighter, it is a symbol of pride of their engineering prowress, their home-grown ingiunity, and their drive to create possibily the greatest aviation aircraft the world has ever seen.

It was lightning in a bottle, and perhaps we may never see its like again.

[gs]

The way the Avro Arrow was terminated, and everything related to the project destroyed - including all advanced design infrastructure, lab and test equipment that could have supported further aerospace developments - is a BIG SHAME, and huge loss for Canada!

[criticalevent]

Whether you believe the myth of the Avro Arrow's performance or not, one thing is a fact, Diefenbaker irreparably damaged Canada when he literally destroyed the program. We lost just about every person educated in the fields of aerospace engineering and avionics. NASA and US defense contractors immediately swooped in and hired them away, those families moved to the US and they never came back. The brain drain on the Canadian economy had lasting effects that are still felt today.

[sethcarriere]

My grandfather worked for Avro designing the navigation system for the Arrow. After the scrapping of the program he moved to California and helped design the navigation systems for the Apollo missions for NASA.

[dustinnichol]

The Arrow has always been a heartbreaking story for me as a Canadian and as a professional in aviation. "Betrayal" was the correct word to choose.

[donnahays]

As a Canadian this is a black spot in our history. The neighbors were way more involved in stopping this than you showed. Lots of side dealing and secret political meetings. If they couldn't control and profit, they would kill it. Canadian engineers were brilliant and yes we could have had a space program. No one I know thinks scrapping this project was the right move for Canada.

[wbbaker]

As a 74-year-old Canadian son of a WWII Handley Page Halifax Bomber pilot, this one of the greatest tragedies in Canadian history. Certainly, it is the greatest tragedy in our military, aviation and aerospace history. During my lifetime, I cannot think of a more significant governmental error and it came up in conversation with my best friend growing up yesterday evening. Obviously it is still a sore point in Canada, even today. I sincerely hope that that answers your question from a Canadian perspective. Bill Baker

[dennisbacon]

I am a Canadian, born and raised, and am continually embarrassed by our short sighted and self serving leaders who somehow ??? continue to be elected. The Avro Arrow is the tip of the ice burg. Look at the travesty we are going through now!!! Thank you so much for the video. I have always wondered what the truth was about the Avro.

[john_hunter]

Born and raised in Canada. Every time I'm reminded of the Arrow I get so unbelievably mad. I think the ultimate reason the project was scrapped was due to pressure from the US. It was a threat to their aerospace industry, so it had to go.

[Dr_MKUltra]

Avro Arrow was and is still a legend. A testament to Canadian technical prowess.

[teddyclifton]

I was an air traffic controller in training in early 1959. Our classroom was in the Genair hanger at Malton airport. We witnessed the last flights of the Arrow just before the project was cancelled .We saw the houses being towed on flatbed trucks by the airport that the employees had lived in . My own career was affected by the decision to scrap the project. The noise generated by the aircraft on takeoff was astounding.

[Legion_Victrix]

As a Canadian, I always feel very salty about the Arrow. I wish we would have shown a very long and clear middle finger to who ever was behind this decision.

[wesmcdonell]

I’m a Canadian patriot and this magnificent marvel of Canadian engineering always brings me to tears .
Diefenbaker was a weak link here falling prey to outside influence, he cratered just when we needed strong leadership and a love of canada and the brilliant minds that created this beautiful aircraft. It was a mistake to terminate this proud symbol of Canada’s pride .

[ghostblue]

As a Canadian I'd just like to personally thank you for making this video on this amazing beauty of a Fighter Jet it is truly one of our cou trys greatest shames and a complete and utterly stupid decision that was made by our government to scrap the Avro Arrow much appreciated for this amazing tribute video

[stephenpaquet]

I’m a 65-year-old Canadian Air Force brat, in other words my father was an aero engine mechanic in the Canadian Air Force. I will never forget when Diefenbaker cancelled The Aero my father said he should be strung up. We call it black Friday up here because 30 to 50, 000 people were laid off overnight. It’s not so much that the plane was cancelled it’s the engineering team was broke up and ended up in NASA putting the Americans on the moon and in Europe building the Concorde. The head engineer was a true genius. It breaks my heart just watching this video, of what could’ve been. Diefenbaker was a country bumpkin from the prairies and had no vision for the country or anything else. Maybe even quite gullible because he bought into the Eisenhower View that the plane was dead and we needed missiles. just like the video says two years later they bought the Voodoo. Not a bad plane but still half that of the Aero.

[aaronstandingbear]

When I was10 we lived in Malton only a few miles from the Airport where the Arrow was tested and one afternoon I remember looking up and the Arrow flew over our house fairly low on an approch and it had two parachutes deployed already. This struck me intensly as a kid as I had never seen such an aircraft before. When younger, 3 or 4 we lived not far from Dehaviland and a Sabre jet buzzed our little house out in the fields not far from the airfield. It was no more than a few hundred feet off the turf and it was a shock as it blasted by. There were no built up sub divisions then like now. I'm now 73 and these images are burned into my memory banks clear as day.

[ajmolitor]

Cancelling the Arrow was the worst decision by any Canadian Government in all of history. The follow on work would have made Canada a major aerospace influencer for all time. Just look at where the people involved with the program went on to work and the tech they were involved with after the Arrow was cancelled.

[lucasokeefe]

Though maybe not justified in being made, having all research and airframes ordered destroyed is one of the stupidest decisions in aviation history

[devinsword]

speaking as a Canadian, this jet remains to this day a symbol of Canadian nation pride. in a day and age where many question what it means to be Canadian, the arrow is still a focal point of Canadian pride. just imagine what it could have been, what we could have been. and almost where.

[garretttroester]

I am Canadian and my father remembers the avro program and makes him angry when you bring it up. It was a short sighted move as the jobs it would have kept and created as well as selling the jet to allies could have put a large bump in the economy. It could have jump started a aerospace boom in Canada instead it killed it.

[derpderpington]

Yesterday I went to a model airplane convention in Hamilton, Ontario. There were at least 10 Arrow models on display, in various sizes and scales, and I lost count of how many people were wearing sweatshirts and t-shirts with the Arrow. Great to see the Canadians haven;t forgotten about it, eh?