CF-105 Arrow

The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow is one of Canada's best-known military aircraft programs. It was developed as a supersonic, all-weather interceptor intended to defend North American airspace against high-speed bomber threats. The RCAF notes that it flew with test pilots but did not enter operational service, because the program was cancelled in 1959 before production aircraft could be fielded.

The CF-105's design reflected 1950s interceptor priorities: climb quickly, fly fast at high altitude, and intercept incoming bombers under radar direction. It used a large delta wing and two-seat crew arrangement, with the later Mk II planned around powerful Orenda Iroquois engines. Its technical ambition made it a national aerospace milestone even though the aircraft never became a service weapon.

Because the CF-105 never entered service, its HiWars page should avoid treating it as an operational fighter. Its impact lies in what its cancellation changed: Canadian interceptor planning, industrial capacity, and public memory of national aerospace ambition. The Arrow remains important as a case study in how threat assessments, cost, missile technology, and politics can end an advanced aircraft program.