From an information panel on site:
In 1952, the Royal Canadian Air Force asked A.V. Roe Canada Ltd. to submit designs for a successor to the Avro Canada CF-100 fighter. The RCAF required a long-range, supersonic, all weather interceptor to counter future Soviet supersonic bombers that could enter Canada over its northern areas. The design selected was a tailless, high delta wing (triangular shape) twin-engined fighter. Designated the CF-105 Arrow, it was hailed as a master piece in high-speed aerodynamics, and its future as a leading Western fighter seem assured.
Orenda engines of Toronto developed a new powerful and advanced engine, the Iroquois, that would enable the Arrow to set world speed records. In the meantime, the first five Arrow Mk.1's were powered by Pratt & Whitney J-75 engines. The complex interception system known as Astra and the Sparrow II guided missile system were to be developed for the Arrow by Canadian companies.
The Arrow emerged in triumph from its hangar at Malton, Ontario in 1957. It was an impressive sight. The graceful white machine immediately became a symbol of national pride. Unfortunately, on the same day, an event took place that shook the West: the USSR launched Sputnik, the earth's first artificial satellite, and demonstrated the advance state of Soviet missile technology. Would Canada now face a threat from missiles rather that bombers? Were manned interceptors such as the Arrow still essential?
The following year, after the first five Arrows had completed highly successful test flights, the new Diefenbaker government decided costs had soared above all reasonable expectations and ordered a review of the Arrow. On Sept. 23, 1958, the government cancelled the Sparrow missile and ASTRA systems, postponed Arrow production and ordered U.S. Boeing Bomarc anti-aircraft missiles. On Feb. 20, 1959 the entire project was cancelled, before the Arrow flew with the Iroquois engine installed, an event that caused the greatest controversy in the history of Canadian aviation. All the complete aircraft were destroyed and scrapped. Only the nose section on display, plus a few other less recognizable components, service from Canada's greatest venture into supersonic aircraft design.
The following is from the Canada Aviation and Space Museum's Website:
Highlights:
First and last supersonic interceptor designed and built in Canada; developed between 1953 and 1959
Developed to counter jet-powered Soviet bombers that had potential to attack North America via the Canadian Arctic
Fitted with innovative technologies, including a fly-by-wire control system and a computerized control system that allowed the pilot to operate the aircraft electronically
Cancelled February 20, 1959 (known as "Black Friday"), a decision that remains controversial today
An icon of Canadian aviation history, it is featured in books, television programs, paintings and films
Drew international expertise to Canada with its U.K.-born chief engineer James C. Floyd and gifted Polish-born test pilot Janusz Zurakowski
First flight was on March 25th, 1958
Artifact no.:
1967.1262
Manufacturer:
A.V. Roe Canada Ltd.
Manufacturer Location:
Canada
Manufacture Date:
1959
Registration no.:
25206 (RCAF)
Acquisition Date:
1965
History:
Intended to replace the Avro Canada CF-100, the CF-105 Arrow was a technical masterpiece at the forefront of aviation engineering during its time. The Canadian government believed, however, that the manned bomber threat was diminishing and that air defence could be better handled by unmanned BOMARC missiles. The contract was cancelled on February 20, 1959 while test flying was still in progress. By then five Arrows had flown. The government ordered all completed Arrows, related documentation, and equipment destroyed.
Sleek, elegant, and the stuff of mythology, the Avro Arrow is still alive in print and in memory. The Arrow met most of its performance requirements while flying with less powerful engines. One of the Canadian-made Iroquois engine designed for the Arrow was flight-tested attached to the rear fuselage of a Boeing B-47, but never powered the Arrow. At 28 tons, the Arrow was equivalent in weight to its ancient Avro relative, the Lancaster bomber.
Current Location:
Jet Age Exhibition, Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Provenance:
Transfer from the Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine
The Museum possesses the largest surviving piece of an Avro Arrow: its nose section. When the aircraft was disassembled after 1959, this piece was saved for use as a pressure chamber at the Institute of Aviation Medicine in Toronto. The Institute donated the nose section to the Museum in 1965.
Other Avro Arrow components in the Museum's collection include two undercarriage legs, an Orenda Iroquois engine, a Pratt & Whitney J75 engine that was used for test flights, wingtips and other small parts, along with memorabilia.
Technical Information:
Wing Span 15.2 m (50 ft )
Length 26.1 m (85 ft 6 in)
Height 6.5 m (21 ft 3 in)
Weight, Empty 19,935 kg (43,960 lb)
Weight, Gross 28,319 kg (62,431 lb)
Cruising Speed 1,128 km/h (701 mph)
Max Speed 2,453 km/h (1,524 mph)
Rate of Climb 15,240 m (50,000 ft) / 4 min 24 sec
Service Ceiling 17,830 m (58,500 ft)
Range 1,330 km (820 mi)
Crew two
Power Plant two Orenda Iroquois axial flow turbojet engines, 11,791 kg (26,000 lb) static thrust, with afterburner
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