Ah yes, the Arrow cancellation was (and still is) a dark time in Canada's history. We were on the verge of something great. Not only the advanced technology and its potential, but also a huge boost in national pride and credibility. However, as our government always does, they pull it out from under us. Sad ... so very sad.
I wonder if you know about this fellow, Janusz Zurakowski , the Arrow test pilot . This Polish Canadian was truly one of a kind. The link is loaded with info.
http://www.avroarrow.org/AvroArrow/index.html On March 25th 1958 a short unassuming man climbed aboard Avro Arrow RL-201 and became an icon in Canadian aviation history. However, this man was already almost a household name in Great Britain for his service in Spitfires in the Battle of Britain and post-war aerobatic displays at Farnborough. Furthermore, he was, at age 43, already a legend and hero in Poland for having damaged a Dornier 17 over Poland after the Nazis attacked on September 1st, 1939. What is especially amazing about that feat was that he had been flying a trainer plane with WW I type armament and ammunition that was probably of about that vintage, while his plane was significantly slower than the Dornier he hit!
This was truly a mark of cunning and courage.
Arrow
CP 2004-02-11 03:29:01
BARRY'S BAY -- Janusz Zurakowski, the first test pilot of the revolutionary Avro Arrow aircraft, has died at age 89, more than four decades after the legendary plane's inaugural flight and its controversial cancellation soon after. Zurakowski died Monday evening in this eastern Ontario town in Renfrew County's Madawaska Valley after a two-year battle with leukemia, his family said yesterday.
George Zurakowski, the eldest of the late pilot's two sons, said his father served as an inspiration to budding flyers.
"I think he served as an inspiration and continues to serve as an inspiration to young people, especially (those) who looked up to him and who are thinking perhaps of becoming pilots themselves and read about some of his exploits," said the junior Zurakowski, 54.
A decorated Polish-born ace aviator, Zurakowski fought for Poland in the Second World War, eventually putting down roots in Canada.
In 1952, Zurakowski -- already a legend and hero in Poland for his war service -- was recruited by Avro Aircraft company as a test pilot for the Arrow, Canada's first supersonic jet. He eventually moved his family to the region of Kaszuby in northern Ontario.
The Arrow was conceived to protect Canada during the height of the Cold War in the 1950s, when the Soviets had introduced new long-range bombers capable of flying over the North Pole to attack North America. It was intended to replace the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck as a supersonic all-weather receptor.
A short and unassuming man, Zurakowski climbed aboard the Avro Arrow RL-201 for its first flight at 9:51 p.m. on March 25, 1958, at Toronto's Malton Airport under hazy sunshine.
Zurakowski pushed the jet to 1,600 kilometres an hour on its seventh flight and tests indicated the Arrow, with its twin Iroquois engines, could become the world's most advanced interceptor.
But soaring costs and the development of competing missile technology prompted Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker to cancel the 10-year-old project in 1959, leading the aircraft company A.V. Roe to lay off 14,000 employees while the government ordered all plans and prototypes destroyed.
Zurakowski's widow, Anna, said calls were pouring in to the family home from across Canada, notably from members of the Canadian aviation industry and military.
"Jan tested over 100 planes," said Anna, 82. "The Arrow was the last one he tested."
Zurakowski retired before the Arrow project was cancelled by the government, she said, adding that her husband remained angry about the cancellation for years.
In July 2003, Barry's Bay honoured Zurakowski by dedicating a park -- featuring a small-scale prototype of the Avro Arrow -- to their longtime resident.
