About the Real Arrow
The real CF-105 Arrow Mk. 1 (RL-205) in flight. (Canada's Air Force photo) 
The first Arrow prototype (RL-201) seen at the roll-out ceremony at Malton, Ontario, on October 4, 1957. (Canada's Air Force photo) |
The Avro Arrow was born out of the tension of the Cold War. It's primary goal was to intercept long range Soviet bombers over the harsh Canadian north. Development started as early as 1949 and ended in 1959 after controversially being cancelled by the Canadian government.
The Avro CF-105 Arrow was a two-seat, twin-engine aircraft. It featured a delta wing design that had the advantage of allowing for the wing's leading edge to remain behind the shock wave created by the aircraft's nose when flying at supersonic speeds. The Arrow (Mk. 1) was capable of reaching Mach 2 with the Pratt & Whitney J75-P-5 turbojet engines. The aircraft was expected to break all speed records when the more powerful Orenda PS-13 Iroquois engines were installed.
Armament was to consist of guided missiles and unguided nuclear rockets. Guns were not in the plans as the aircraft was designed to engage targets at distance rather than dogfight.
A total of five Arrows were built before the cancellation of the project in 1959. Cost overruns, competing defence systems such as the SAGE system, the Bomarc Missile Program, and the election in Canada of a new government all likely contributed to the cancellation of the Arrow project. All flying prototypes as well as blueprints were destroyed in a hasty manner giving rise to a number of conspiracy theories, with controversy continuing to this day.
While all of the original Arrow aircraft were destroyed, several replicas have been created over the years. A full-size replica is currently on display at the Toronto Aerospace Museum, in Ontario, Canada. It was built by volunteers with commercial assistance.
Portions of the forward fuselage of the first Mark 2 Arrow (RL-206) as well as other rare artifacts were saved and are on display at the Canada Aviation Museum in Ottawa.
There are many excellent books, publications and movies about the Arrow program. Pictures and movie clips are also available on a number of web sites.
