Avro CF-105 Arrow

Summary

Description

The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was a delta-winged interceptor aircraft designed and built by Avro Canada. It was intended to serve as the Royal Canadian Air Force's primary interceptor into the 1960s and beyond, with a projected speed of Mach 2 at altitudes exceeding 50,000 feet. The Arrow was the culmination of design studies that began in 1953, examining improved versions of the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck. After the RCAF selected a dramatically more powerful design, serious development began in March 1955, with the intention of building the aircraft directly from the production line, skipping the prototype phase. The first Arrow Mk. 1, RL-201, was rolled out to the public on 4 October 1957. Flight testing commenced on 25 March 1958 and quickly demonstrated handling and overall performance, reaching Mach 1.9 in level flight. Powered by the Pratt & Whitney J75, five Mk. 1s were completed for development and flight testing. The lighter and more powerful Orenda Iroquois engine was soon ready for testing, and the first Mk 2 with the Iroquois, RL-206, was ready for taxi testing.

The CF-105 Arrow featured a delta wing configuration, offering advantages in transonic and supersonic performance, internal room, and ample lift at high altitudes. The airframe was constructed with a semi-monocoque frame and multi-spar wing, incorporating magnesium and titanium in the fuselage, particularly around the engines and fasteners. The Arrow utilized a pioneering 4,000 psi (28 MPa) hydraulic system for control surface actuation, paired with a rudimentary fly-by-wire system featuring pressure-sensitive transducers in the control stick and an "artificial feel" system to provide feedback to the pilot. The aircraft was initially intended to use the Rolls-Royce RB.106 engines but later switched to the Pratt & Whitney J75 for the Mk 1 test models and the Orenda Iroquois for the planned Mk 2 production versions.

The CF-105 Arrow was designed with a large internal bay to house its armament, situated in a "belly" position that took up over one-third of the aircraft's fuselage. This bay could accommodate a variety of weapons, initially intended to include the Hughes Falcon guided missile, the CARDE Velvet Glove air-to-air missile, or up to four 1,000 lb general-purpose bombs. The Velvet Glove missile was deemed unsuitable for supersonic speeds, and further development was cancelled in 1956. Later, the program selected the advanced RCA-Victor Astra fire-control system firing the equally advanced United States Navy Sparrow II missiles, but this combination was later abandoned. At the time of cancellation, all aircraft were to employ the Hughes/Falcon combination. The Arrow Mk 1 was intended to carry two AIR-2A Genie unguided nuclear rockets.

Although the CF-105 never entered active service, Canada unsuccessfully attempted to sell the Arrow to both the United States and Britain. From 1955, the UK had shown considerable interest in the Arrow; however, the 1957 Defence White Paper led to the cancellation of almost all British manned fighter aircraft, curtailing any likelihood of a purchase. The French government also expressed an interest in the Iroquois engine for an enlarged version of the Dassault Mirage IVB bomber, though they chose to end negotiations in October 1958 and opted for an upgraded version of the indigenous Snecma Atar instead. The United States already had its interceptor program well underway with the Convair F-106 Delta Dart, and as the Soviet Union shifted towards ICBMs, interest in manned interceptors waned, further diminishing the Arrow's prospects. On 20 February 1959, the Arrow's cancellation was announced, abruptly halting its development before it could see operational deployment.

Main Variants:

• Mark 1: This was the initial version of the Arrow, powered by two Pratt & Whitney J75 turbojet engines, each producing 23,500 pounds-force of thrust, and was primarily used for development and flight testing, with five aircraft completed.

• Mark 2: The Mk 2 was designed to be equipped with the more powerful Orenda PS-13 Iroquois engines, producing 30,000 lbf of thrust each, but it never flew due to program cancellation, though one aircraft, RL-206, was ready for taxi trials.

• Mark 2A and Mark 3: These were advanced designs with updated engines producing 39,800 lbf each, that were projected to increase the maximum takeoff weight by 17,000 lb and raise the flight ceiling to 70,000 ft.

• Mach 3 Design Study: This was a greatly modified version of the Arrow Mk 2 that was never produced; it featured revised engine inlets and used carbon steel and titanium to withstand airframe heating for higher performance.

Technical specifications

Current operating countries

No country is operating the CF-105 Arrow in 2025.

All operators

Canada

Armament

Missiles payload:

• Air-to-Air Short-Range AIM-4 Falcon

Photo of CF-105 Arrow