That which remains….
The legendary prototype interceptor, the CF-105 AVRO Arrow, is the stuff of myth and has been enlisted for nationalistic purposes by a Canadian psyche that remains in traction as a result of the cancellation of the programme and the destruction of all of the prototypes. There is an entire library of books written on the affair and even a very strange and politically-correct CBC miniseries available for those who wish to wallow in the demise of a very fine aircraft.
Myth destruction is our business, however.
The following resources on the AVRO Arrow are available:
- Avro Arrow: The Obsession and the Myth
The first volley was this 2004 piece that received no audience. The Canadian cultural establishment wasn’t interested in shooting down the mythology (just as it resists my attempts to eradicate UN peacekeeping mythology) and refused to publish it. The piece deals with attempts to search for and recover scale test models from the depths of Lake Ontario by the lovely Lieutenant Commander (N) Marta Mulkins and the crew of HMCS KINGSTON. I have added several pictures from that experience. - Here’s a Maritime Command Article describing the operation.
- Learning to Love the Bomb: Canada’s Nuclear Weapons During the Cold War
For the full story behind the political and strategic decision-making on the CF-105 programme, I’d recommend reading Learning to Love the Bomb: Canada’s Nuclear Weapons and the Cold War.