The Avro Arrow: For the Record

by Palmiro Campagna

Declassified government records shed additional light on the cancellation and subsequent destruction of the Avro Arrow.

The controversial cancellation of the Avro Arrow ― an extraordinary achievement of Canadian military aviation ― continues to fire debate today. When the program was scrapped in 1959, all completed aircraft and those awaiting assembly were destroyed, along with tooling and technical information. Was abandoning the program the right decision? Did Canada lose more than it gained?

Brimming with information to fill in gaps in the Arrow’s troubled history, and with an update on the latest search for the scale models launched deliberately into Lake Ontario as part of the test program, The Avro Arrow tackles the outstanding questions head on.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Aviation, Canada

280 pages, Paperback

Published March 12, 2019

About the author

I am a retired engineer. As a researcher, writer, I have been responsible for having declassified the largest group of documents on the Avro Arrow, putting to bed many of the myths surrounding this chapter in Canadian history. I have answered the key questions of who ordered the destruction of the completed aircraft and all technical information and added insight into why the project was canceled. In my latest work, The Avro Arrow: For the Record, I revisit the key arguments with additional information and clarity, aimed primarily at a younger generation who are not overly familiar with the subject. My work has extended into the realm of UFOs and Avro's link to the United States effort in building one. In all my books key documents are reproduced.

Reviews

[Faisal Jiwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It appears previous reviewers were expecting different from this book than what they got.

Personally, I was looking for the politics and the decisions more than the technicals. I am very satisfied. I would recommend this book to anybody remotely interested to understand how things unfolded and why the Arrow got cancelled and what happened afterwards.

The only thing I would suggest is that it may not be a great first book to read on the topic. I actually found the earlier parts of the book overly technical and a bit difficult to understand if you're not into planes already. It doesn't take away from the book, it just would be helpful to be able to relate to the subject when the author is discussing requirements and innovations.

The quality of the research is phenomenal. I highly doubt there is another book on the subject matter that covers the cancellation as thoroughly

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10. I love planes so this was not really what I was looking for. More a discussion of the policies that led to the cancellation of the project which led to the destruction of the Canadian aerospace industry. I was more interested in a history of the plane’s development and eventual scrapping and any possible conspiracy theories, like why parts of these planes still are being found in museums across the UK. Regardless, still a decent overview of a shameful and embarrassing chapter in Canadian history where our government sold out its own citizens and a leading and major national industry to please the Americans, in the process handing some of our best minds to the Europeans for the Concorde project and to the Americans for their space program. Both major engineering achievements.

[Garry Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical review of one of the greatest aircraft to be developed in the 50s, then mysteriously scrapped and plans destroyed by the Cdn Government. Or so they thought. Rumour has it that a working plane is being finished as we speak. Many aeronautical breakthroughs at the time were way ahead of the other major aircraft firms and engineers. Good conspiracy content. My father had some knowledge of its development as an instrument maker in Ottawa, Canada.

[John Cochrane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The detail provided was extremely detailed and well researched. It did however jump around and repeat the same point and information on multiple occasions. Overall worth a read as it certainly provides a detailed account of what ultimately caused the cancellation of the Arrow project and what took place following it.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's okay as a story of the program but I was looking for a technical description of the system. Found two papers online that did the job instead.

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canada’s great Avro Arrow

I absolutely loved this book. As a Canadian, I had always been mystified by the fact that we had created the renowned Arvo Arrow, but it had been scuttled. I could never understand why. Now, here was the story. I bought and listened to the Audible audiobook as soon as I saw it. I found it to be an entirely engaging listen. This was such an amazing aviation accomplishment! I can’t say I’m totally satisfied in knowing what really transpired, but I do feel that this well researched account told me what was known, and all the various theories. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!