First of all, thanks for taking time to send me the link to the Avro Arrow page. My friend did mention this particular project. You might be interested to know that he told me about his views on this while we toured the Canadian Air Museum last summer.
Second, I appreciate your patient responses. If I came across as angry or bitter it was unintentional. It's just that the idea that the US is behind the troubles of the world really galls me; I think it's the worse kind of ignorance (obviously I'm not objective in my concept of what the "worse" is, but I'm an American... we can be insecure too).
Third, my father worked on something called the SAGE system, and I remember him telling me about Bomarc and how these aircraft were going to be guided by SAGE. I built a plastic model of Bomarc when I was a pre-teen. I never knew it was a white elephant. I saw one at the Canadian Air Museum, and it was like seeing an old friend.
I also liked all those jet engines on display, and on racks in the back waiting to be displayed. I'm an electrical engineer but have always loved gas turbines. As a very young child (three and four years old, maybe even younger) I was obsessed by fans; gas turbines and jet engines were nirvana for me (I was born in 1955, so jet aircraft were just coming into commercial use at around the time began to become aware of the larger world).
Fourth, I have nothing against Canadians. I well remember what Canada did for the American hostages in Tehran, and the story of the amazing Candian sniper in Afghanistan (or was it Iraq?) more recently.
I will familiarize myself with the Avro Arrow; perhaps I can have a halfway intelligent discussion with my friend next time I see him.
(steely)