https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-105_Arrow
The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow, often known simply as the Avro Arrow, was a
delta-winged interceptor aircraft designed and built by Avro Canada. The Arrow
is considered to have been an advanced technical and aerodynamic achievement for
the Canadian aviation industry. The CF-105 (Mark 2) held the promise of
near-Mach 2 speeds at altitudes of 50,000 feet (15,000 m) and was intended to
serve as the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) primary interceptor in the 1960s
and beyond. Canada tried to sell the Arrow to the U.S. and Britain, but had no
takers. The aircraft industry in both countries was considered a national
interest and the purchase of foreign designs was rare.
The Arrow was the culmination of a series of design studies begun in 1953
examining improved versions of the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck. After considerable
study, the RCAF selected a dramatically more powerful design, and serious
development began in March 1955. The aircraft was intended to be built directly
from the production line, skipping the traditional hand-built prototype phase.
The first Arrow Mk. I, RL-201, was rolled out to the public on 4 October 1957,
the same day as the launch of Sputnik I.
Flight testing began with RL-201 on 25 March 1958, and the design quickly
demonstrated excellent handling and overall performance, reaching Mach 1.9 in
level flight. Powered by the Pratt & Whitney J75, another three Mk. 1s were
completed, RL-202 through -204. The lighter and more powerful Orenda Iroquois
engine was soon ready for testing, and the first Mk.II with the Iroquois,
RL-206, was ready for taxi testing in preparation for flight and acceptance
tests by RCAF pilots by early 1959.
On 20 February 1959, the development of the Arrow (and its Iroquois engines) was
abruptly halted before a planned project review had taken place. Two months
later, the assembly line, tooling, plans and existing airframes and engines were
ordered to be destroyed. The cancellation was the topic of considerable
political controversy at the time, and the subsequent destruction of the
aircraft in production remains a topic for debate among historians and industry
pundits. "This action effectively put Avro out of business and its highly
skilled engineering and production personnel scattered...."
Role
Interceptor
Manufacturer
Avro Canada
First flight
25 March 1958
Status
Cancelled (20 February 1959)
Primary user
Royal Canadian Air Force
Produced
Number built
5
Unit cost
Cancellation
The Arrow's cancellation was announced on 20 February 1959. The day became known
as "Black Friday" in the Canadian aviation industry. Diefenbaker claimed the
decision was based on "a thorough examination" of threats and defensive
measures, and the cost of defensive systems. More specifically, the cost would
have needed to be amortized over hundreds of manufactured models. At the time
however, the trend was "away from conventional bombers" that the Avro Arrow
could intercept and "towards atmospheric weapons like intercontinental ballistic
missiles", according to Global News. As a result, the foreign demand for the
Avro Arrow had declined substantially. Canada's alternative to the Arrow was to
purchase some American McDonnell F-101 Voodoo interceptors and Bomarc B
missiles.
Rumours had circulated that Air Marshal W. A. Curtis, a World War I ace who
headed Avro, had ignored Diefenbaker and spirited one of the Arrows away to be
saved for posterity. These rumours were given life in a 1968 interview, when
Curtis was asked directly if the rumour was true. He replied, "I don't want to
answer that." He proceeded to question the wisdom of printing the story of a
missing Arrow, and wondered whether it would be safe to reveal the existence of
a surviving airframe only nine years later. "If it is in existence it may have
to wait another 10 years. Politically it may cause a lot of trouble." The legend
endures that one of the prototypes remains intact somewhere.
With specifications comparable to then-current offerings from American and
Soviet design bureaus, at the time of its cancellation, the Arrow was considered
by one aviation industry observer to be one of the most advanced aircraft in the
world. The Arrow's cancellation eventually led to the end of Avro Aircraft
Limited (Canada) and its president and general manager, Crawford Gordon Jr. was
fired shortly afterward. In 1962, the Hawker Siddeley Group formally dissolved
A. V. Roe Canada and transferred all its assets to Hawker Siddeley's newly
formed subsidiary, Hawker Siddeley Canada. According to Bill Gunston:
"In its planning, design and flight-test programme, this fighter, in almost
every way the most advanced of all the fighters of the 1950s, was as impressive,
and successful as any aircraft in history.
Specifications (Arrow Mk 1)
General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 77 ft 9 in (23.71 m)
Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
Height: 21 ft 2 in (6.25 m)
Airfoil: NACA 0003.5 mod root, NACA 0003.8 tip
Empty weight: 49,040 lb (22,245 kg)
Loaded weight: 56,920 lb (25,820 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 68,605 lb (31,120 kg)
kN) each
Thrust with afterburner: 23,500 lbf (104.53 kN) each
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 1.98 (1,307 mph, 2,104 km/h) at 50,000 ft (15,000 m) max.
recorded speed; Mach 2+ potential
Cruise speed: Mach 0.91 (607 mph, 977 km/h) at 36,000 ft (11,000 m)
Combat radius: 360 NM (410 mi, 660 km)
Service ceiling: 53,000 ft (16,150 m)
Thrust/weight: 0.825 at loaded weight
Armament
AIM-7 Sparrow II 2D active guidance missiles (cancelled)
Avionics
Hughes MX-1179 fire control system
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