Someone gave me a copy of an excellent DVD which is a dramatised story of the trials etc of the Avro Arrow here in Canada. Although it is a “movie” with Dan Akroyd, I found it to be a fascinating story as it goes behind the scenes and puts forward a view I hadn`t really considered before. The overall impression of the film is that it is failry well done and the flying shots- made with flying models- are very good overall, my only complaint is the cockpit stuff.What I was wondering was, how much of a comparison with the TSR 2 the story is, what with the crazy input from a bunch of misguided politicians who didn`t know any better. It would be great to see something similar done with the TSR 2. I highly recommend the DVD as it contains not only the “movie” but some great documentary stuff also.
By: Peter Mills - 6th August 2008 at 09:35
There is an interesting site dedicated to the Arrow.
The URL is
http://www.avroarrow.org/
By: 1958biggles - 6th August 2008 at 02:02
I appreciate the comments and I agree with some of your statements however, all I wanted to say was that I found the film enlightening about facts I had read already over the years, I didn`t say it was good historical fact but a nice way of highlighting the fiasco that ensued and that maybe something similar on the TSR2 would be nice to see. As I said its just a “movie” NOT a documentary -although there are period documentaries on the DVD – it also helps bring something more available to the general public that us “buffs” are well aware of. Anything that highlights aviation is a good thing is it not?
The closing statements in the film about comparisons to today etc might have to be looked at but again doesn`t detract from an entertaining “movie”.
By: J Boyle - 5th August 2008 at 22:38
My Canadian friends warn me about not taking too much of the Arrow film too seriously…especially the part at the end wher they imply that Canadians were the brains behind the U-2 and the American space program.
But with the closure of AVRO Canada, a lot of talented engineers headed south.
The film also doesn’t address the fact that the AVRO leadership can be seriously faulting for putting all their eggs into the CF-105 basket. AVROs other big program of the era was the US-funded “flying saucer”.
The Canadian prime minister cancelled the Arrow as expected. It got too expensive and was cancelled…(happened many times before and will again).
And the blinding obvious fact that the late 50s and the coming of the ICBM was a bad time to come out with a manned interceptor.
(Aside from the MiG-25 I can’t think of any that were fielded after the Lightning and F-106).
The Canadians bought the BOMARC missile as a nod to their NORAD comittments, not at the behest of Eisenhower. The U.S. would have preferred modern manned interceptors over Canadian missiles. I believe they bought (as opposed to given) used F-101s, but those were replaced by free modernized F-101s a decade later, so it can’t be said that the U.S. was looking to make a buck. The ex-canadian VooDoos were then given to ANG units.
According to Bill Gunston, Canada rebuffed serious offers from US defense firms to buy the prototypes for use as test beds…instead, they ordered everything scrapped (including the B-47 engine test bed provided by the U.S.).
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August 5, 2008 at 9:47 pm