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The Avro Arrow

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  • The Avro Arrow

    I will preface this by saying I've been home sick with Strep throat the past few days, and so I've really had to struggle finding ways to kill time.

    That being said, Wikipedia is probably my favourite distraction. Besides RR of course.

    Anywho, I was doing some WikiDigging (read some, click a related/deeper link, read some, click deeper etc.), so I don't really know exactly how I got to reading about it, but I stumbled on Wiki's article on the Avro Arrow, which ultimately led me to the Wonderful made-for-TV movie CBC did on the Avro Arrow, entitled "The Arrow". Dan Akroyd, plus some other pretty great cameos make for an entertaing watch.


    *For anyone interested. Its long. I had to watch it in pieces, but hey, when you're home sick, you can only play so many videogames.

    I remember when this aired on CBC way back in the Nineties, and it fueled some very serious interest in the Avro program amongst my generation. And ultimately lead to another generation being completely dismayed over the Fact that we had such an incredible piece of Technology, made by our own Engineers, and we through it away.

    It's one of our few National Travesties, I tell ya.

    Some great Archival footage. I'd never actually seen this before:



    What about you younger guys? I really hope they still teach about this thing in History class.
    Last edited by Joey; Thu Aug 16, 2012, 07:49 PM.

  • #2
    54 years ago. Joey, you just brought a tear to the eyes of us old guys. What strikes me is how much it looks like fighter/bombers from the 80's and 90's. Nothing could touch it when it was developed. Canada could have owned the skies and had mega-million dollar contracts supplying planes for our allies, but Diefenbaker didn't want the expense of maintaining the DEW line and NORAD.

    Oh well.

    Thanks Joey, for that trip down memory lane (though I just vaguely remember the hubbub, being only 7 or 8 at the time).

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    • #3
      the death of the Avro Arrow also created the cess pit we call Malton. Well, it didn't create Malton, but it did turn it into a cess pit. it shifted from being an aircraft industry town, to a low income town.

      I bought my first VCR from a junkie at the bus stop at Westwood mall.

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      • #4
        Puffer wrote: View Post
        What strikes me is how much it looks like fighter/bombers from the 80's and 90's. Nothing could touch it when it was developed. Canada could have owned the skies and had mega-million dollar contracts supplying planes for our allies
        This is what gets to me the most as well. It was SO ahead of its time in terms of Design AND Capabilities.
        There would probably still be countries out there using it today!

        but Diefenbaker didn't want the expense of maintaining the DEW line and NORAD.
        Thats what they say ... hahah
        One can also go the Conspiracist route, and wonder if the US had anything to do with it.
        With the Arrow capable of Flying at Mach 2 @ 50,000ft, it could easily have beaten the CIA made U-2 as the Top Surveillance technology in the World at the time.


        Thanks Joey, for that trip down memory lane
        Pleased to be of Service.


        heinz57 wrote: View Post
        the death of the Avro Arrow also created the cess pit we call Malton. Well, it didn't create Malton, but it did turn it into a cess pit. it shifted from being an aircraft industry town, to a low income town.
        I forgot about this as well!
        Actually if you go on Maltons Wikipedia they still say the Town Motto is: Home of the Avro Arrow ... Sad really ... but Awesome at the same time. Never Forgive, Never Forget, Malton!
        (even funnier on that page, if you hover over the main picture they have of Malton, they say thats the Malton Skyline .. ie ONLY nice building in Malton.)

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        • #5
          joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
          ...wonder if the US had anything to do with it.
          With the Arrow capable of Flying at Mach 2 @ 50,000ft, it could easily have beaten the CIA made U-2 as the Top Surveillance technology in the World at the time...
          That's exactly what happened. US agreed to pay for all costs associated with NORAD and DEW line if Dief pulled the plug on the Arrow and bought US made planes instead.

          At least, that is my understanding.

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