Avro Arrow

From The Space Library

The CF-105 Avro Arrow on October 4th 1957 at the rollout in Malton Ontario

The CF-105 Avro Arrow interceptor was conceived and built by A.V. Roe Canada in Malton Ontario. The requirement was issued in the early 1950s by the Canadian Air Force for a replacement for its aging fleet of CF-100 and F-86 Sabres. The replacement was to be a supersonic all-weather fighter interceptor.

From 1954 to 1957 the engineering team at Avro, led by James C. Floyd, worked on creating the delta-winged aircraft. The aircraft was to be powered by a revolutionary high-powered jet turbine named the Iroquois, also built at Avro's Orenda engine plant.

The Arrow was first rolled out on October 4th 1957 and took to the air many times in 1958. In February 1959 the program was cancelled by the government of John Diefenbaker and all of the aircraft were ordered destroyed. This controversial decision led to the planes being sold for scrap to the Lax scrapyard company in Hamilton Ontario where the components were melted down and recycled.