Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow

The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was a delta-winged supersonic interceptor designed and built by Avro Canada for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Serious development began in March 1955, and the aircraft was built straight from a production line instead of going through hand-built prototypes. The first Arrow Mk 1, RL-201, was rolled out on 4 October 1957 and flew on 25 March 1958, reaching Mach 1.9 in level flight on Pratt and Whitney J75 engines; five Mk 1 aircraft were completed. A Mk 2 with the more powerful Orenda Iroquois engine was ready for taxi trials but never flew. On 20 February 1959 the Canadian government halted the programme, and the aircraft, tooling and plans were ordered destroyed, an episode that remains controversial in Canadian aviation history and eventually ended Avro Canada. Only fragments survive, among them the cockpit and nose gear of the first Mk 2 in the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.