Aerial sm

Paige and Shelby's 1950's Timeline

  • Avro Arrow

    Canadian Liberal Defence Minister, Brooke Claxton, commenting on the Korean Declaration of War: "...We believe our Air Force is adequate for the defence of North America at the present time, in cooperation with forces of the U.S. that would be employed in that task, particularly in Alaska in the Northwest and in Newfoundland in the Northeast."
  • The Korean War

    First Blair House meeting.
  • The Korean War

    North Korea's tanks reach the outskirts of Seoul.
  • Avro Arrow

    Dept of National Defence orders $100 milion worth of F-86 Sabre fighter aircraft from Canadair - although engines are expected to come from Avro Canada.
  • The Korean War

    Operation Killer begun.
  • The Korean War

    Operation Rugged.
  • The Korean War

    Operation Piledriver, an offensive against the Iron Triangle, begins.
  • The Korean War

    Peace talks begin at Kaesong.
  • Avro Arrow

    First delta configuration used for the Arrow.
  • Avro Arrow

    Crawford Gordon Jr. replaces outgouing VP & General Manager Walter N. Deisher with title of President & General Manager.
  • The Korean War

    Peace talks resume at Panmunjom.
  • Avro Arrow

    Canadian Defence Research Board announced development of an air-to-air missile at its Armament Research and Development Centre at Valcartier, Quebec.
  • The Korean War

    US air attack on Pyongyang.
  • The Korean War

    Eisenhower secretly goes to Korea on fact-finding mission
  • Avro Arrow

    Avro's design work on the new CF-104 delta wing fighter is delayed while federal government wrestles with question of whether or not to proceed with fostering original designs in Canada, as opposed to simply modifying other nation's designs to meet Canadian requirements.
  • Avro Arrow

    Introduction of intake ramp boundary layer bleed on the Arrow.
  • The Korean War

    Communists attack "Pork Chop Hill"
  • The Korean War

    Delegates reach agreement at Panmunjom.
  • The Korean War

    Peace Treaty signed at Panmunjom. 38th parallel reset as boundary between communist North and anti-communist South. Cold War tensions continue unabated. Gen. Mark W. Clark says he has "the unenviable distinction of being the first US Army commander to sign an armistice without victory."
  • Avro Arrow

    First CF-105 wind tunnel tests were conducted.
  • Avro Arrow

    Hawker-Siddley authorizes private venture of $3.5 million for Orenda to to proceed with the design and manufacture of three Iroquois engines. Orenda hoped to secure RCAF contracts by demonstrating a prototype engine.
  • Avro Arrow

    Iroquois final detailed design completed
  • Avro Arrow

    AVRO submits a cost analysis for 31 Mar 1955 to 1960 for $118,253,435.00 for design and development, production tooling, and production of 40 CF-105 Arrows.
  • Avro Arrow

    Introduction of the 5 per cent notch on the Arrow wing.
  • Avro Arrow

    The first PS13 Iroquois was delivered for testing.
  • Avro Arrow

    Decided only 6, not 8, Falcon missiles to be installed.
  • Avro Arrow

    Decision to revert to 8 Falcon missiles.
  • Avro Arrow

    First light-up of an Iroquois engine
  • Avro Arrow

    Jim Floyd named Vice President and Director of Engineering of Avro Aircraft, leading the team that was responsible for the Avro Arrow.
  • Avro Arrow

    AVRO announces laying off 1,000 workers t the request of the Federal Government
  • Avro Arrow

    AVRO Brochure AD 15 Issue 2: Costs of the CF-105 Arrow has now risen to $153,711,311.00for 40 aircraft versus $118,253,435.00 quoted in Sept 1954
  • Avro Arrow

    Ralph Campney, Minister of National Defence, sends C.D. Howe an aide memoire calling with a cost analysis and a call to slow production of the Arrow down. Cost so far for the Arrow airframe and engines was $35,500,000.00 and cancellation would cost another $17,700,000.00. (Note: The Arrow could have been written off into history before it became the Legend it is!) His cost analysis for 40 aircraft was now $198,369,688.00 and production of another 300 aircraft would cost another $636,700,000.00.
  • Avro Arrow

    Decision made not to build prototype aircraft - aircraft to be manufactered direct from production tooling.
  • Avro Arrow

    Arrow contract amended to build 11 aircraft vice 5 aircraft
  • Suez Crisis

    The Egyptian President, Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, announces the Egyptian nationalisation of the Suez Canal and its operating Suez Canal Company in retaliation to the reneging of an agreement by the American and British Governments to finance the construction of the Aswan Dam. The Suez Canal represented the main source of supply of oil for Britain and France and the potential loss of those supplies represented an economic threat that they could ill ignore.
  • Suez Crisis

    The British Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden, forms the Egypt Committee, consisting of himself, Lord Salisbury (Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords), Lord Home (the Commonwealth Secretary), and Harold Macmillan (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) to co-ordinate Britain's intent to recover her access to the Suez Canal. The Foreign Secretary, Selwyn Lloyd and the Defence Minister Sir Walter Monckton were later members of the Egypt Committee.
  • Suez Crisis

    A conference of nations meets in London in an attempt to find a diplomatic solution and adopts eighteen proposals which include an offer to Nasser of Egyptian representation on the Suez Canal Company board and a share in its profits.
  • Suez Crisis

    The Australian Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, travels to Cairo to offer Nasser the eighteen proposals which he rejects. Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, seeks to distance the US Government from support for military intervention, ever mindful of President Eisenhower's hopes for re-election in the November US Presidential election.
  • Suez Crisis

    A second conference of nations is held in London to discuss American proposals for a Suez Canal Users Association to ensure continued international use of the Canal.
  • Avro Arrow

    The RCAF names the CF-105 the "Avro Arrow". However, doubts continued to mount at the highest military levels and even AVRO's greatest supporter, Minister C.D. Howe, now fretted over the role and cost of the Arrow. The government limited development of the CF-105 to eleven aircraft, subject to review after the first flight.
  • Suez Crisis

    The USSR vetoes the American plan in the United Nations Security Council.
  • Suez Crisis

    Sir Anthony Eden holds secret discussions with French officials over a military operation to recover use of the Canal. The talks result in the formation of a plan by which Israel would invade Egypt and thus allow British and French forces to seize the Canal as an act of intervention between warring nations.
  • Suez Crisis

    The British Foreign Secretary, Selwyn Lloyd, concludes the agreement with French and Israeli officials at Sèvres, France. The British copy of the resulting Sèvres Protocol is subsequently destroyed on Eden's orders.
  • Suez Crisis

    Eden gains approval for military intervention from a divided cabinet. An increasingly sidelined Foreign Office is split over the Government's intention to adopt military measures.
  • Suez Crisis

    Israeli forces invade Egypt.
  • Suez Crisis

    The British and French ultimatum for an end to hostilities is rejected by Nasser.
  • Suez Crisis

    On the night of 5-6 November, British and French troops invade Port Said and take control of the Suez Canal. In a meeting of the British cabinet on 6 November, Harold Macmillan raises stark warnings of economic peril as a result of the action. Macmillan had previously been one of the strongest supporters of resolute action. The US Presidential election results in the re-election of President Eisenhower.
  • Suez Crisis

    The United States, USSR and the United Nations condemn British and French military action. The loss of confidence and American backing for the already weak British economy forces Eden into calling a cease-fire. British public opinion is deeply divided over the use of force.
  • Avro Arrow

    Arrow design called for Astra 1 fire control (2731.5 lbs) and four Sparrow 11 missiles (431 lb each). Total 2850 lbs.
  • Suez Crisis

    Under the impact of the Crisis, Eden's already fragile health has deteriorated to such an extent that he is forced to resign. Ill health or not, politically Eden's premiership had little future.
  • Suez Crisis

    Harold Macmillan replaces Eden as Prime Minister.
  • Avro Arrow

    The Conservatives led by John Deifenbaker won the election by a small margin. C.D. Howe, and Ralph Campney, both Liberals did not win their seats. George Pearkes becomes Minister of National Defence. Deifenbaker quickly approves the NORAD agreement that was held up by the election. He bypasses the Cabinet Defence Committee and External Affairs upset since they were hoping for a better deal for Canada. No one suggested that Canada try and get American support for the Arrow before conceding to NOR
  • Avro Arrow

    Iroquois engine passes the first official 100 hour endurance test at reduced thrust of 18,750 lbs.
  • Avro Arrow

    Orenda sells manufacturing rights for the Iroquois engine to Curtis-Wright Corp. of the U.S. along with permission to sell and further develop the engine
  • Avro Arrow

    Orenda sells manufacturing rights for the Iroquois engine to Curtis-Wright Corp. of the U.S. along with permission to sell and further develop the engine
  • Avro Arrow

    Iroquois engine run at over 19,000 lbs dry thrust for (no afterburner) Canadian Government representatives
  • Avro Arrow

    Iroquois engine runs at altitude in the B-47 for the first time
  • Avro Arrow

    Iroquois engine runs at altitude in the B-47 for the first time
  • Avro Arrow

    Diefenbaker dissolves Parliament and the federal election process begins
  • Avro Arrow

    First high speed run of theArrow
  • Avro Arrow

    First flight of the Arrow - RL201 - Jan Zurakowski, pilot
  • Avro Arrow

    First flight of the Arrow - RL201 - Jan Zurakowski, pilot
  • Avro Arrow

    The story is told, that at dawn on Tuesday, an AVRO soothsayer had examined the entrails of a freshly-killed chicken and, finding no sign of portentious events, declared the day auspicious for the Arrow to take to the air. As the Arrow landed for the first time and AVRO test pilot Potocki in the chase Canuck turned off to land, RCAF pilot Jack Woodman in the Sabre followed him after executing an exuberant victory roll.
  • Avro Arrow

    Expenditures to AVRO for Arrow development, tooling and production was $103,237,634.00 which did not include ASTRA, the Sparrow or the Iroquois engine. Air Marshall Hugh Campbell was becoming isolated in his support of the Arrow as the projected costs were threatening the budgets of the Army and Navy.
  • Avro Arrow

    Prime Minister Diefenbaker tells the House of Commons of receiving a letter from Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev concerning flights of nuclear-armed SAC bombers over Canada, saying they pose a grave danger to Canada. "Parliament shrugged its shoulders and that was that."
  • Avro Arrow

    Government makes public the figures on the total cost of the Arrow Program: "The total cost to the Government of the complete Arrow aircraft project including design, development, tooling and preproduction costs of the airframe, engine programs, and weapons systems up to May 1, 1958 is $233 million. This cost also covered two complete aircraft, three in final assembly, and 32 others within the present order in various stages of manufacture.
  • Avro Arrow

    RL202 flies for first time. Arrow 202 to 205 used lighter P5 (modified P3's) weighing 5,950 lbs each.
  • Avro Arrow

    George Pearkes flies to Washington to talk to Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy. U.S. assures it could fill its own interceptor requirements and sell some to Canada at a lower price than that of the Arrow. If the Arrow is cancelled, U.S. could assist in guarding Canadian airspace in the event of an emergency.
  • Avro Arrow

    George Pearkes flies to Washington to talk to Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy. U.S. assures it could fill its own interceptor requirements and sell some to Canada at a lower price than that of the Arrow. If the Arrow is cancelled, U.S. could assist in guarding Canadian airspace in the event of an emergency.
  • Avro Arrow

    Jettisonable tail cone plugs to retrict exhaust area as a means to increase long range mission. Concept evolved into modern day vaiable geometry tail cone technology.
  • Avro Arrow

    Jettisonable tail cone plugs to retrict exhaust area as a means to increase long range mission. Concept evolved into modern day vaiable geometry tail cone technology.
  • Avro Arrow

    Prime Minister Diefenbaker orders US BOEMA IM-99 BOMARC anti-aircraft missile.
  • Avro Arrow

    Two Orenda engineers were sent to Paris. Quote on ten engines at $395,000 each with delivery to begin 15 months from the go ahead.
  • Avro Arrow

    AVRO claimed $151,623,067.00 for work completed on six different contracts related to the Arrow airframe development. Total cash for continuation to 31 Mar 1959 came to $184,317,170.00 or $205,567,170.00 if commitments past 31 Mar considered, exceeding Government financial limitations by $17 million.
  • Avro Arrow

    John Bassett, a prominent Toronto Tory, sent a letter to Diefenbaker outlining that after the 37 CF-105s were completed, AVRO could build under license the aircraft that the Blackburn Aircraft Company, the NA39, if chosen for Europe, which would be good for Canada/UK relations, and impact politically for cancellation of the Arrow programme
  • Avro Arrow

    Spud Potocki flies RL203 with D.E. "Red" Darrah, the first and only time an Arrow flew with a passenger. Red was tuning the fly-by-wire system
  • Avro Arrow

    by 9:30 the news was reaching the plant floor by wives, friends and brokers. Just after 10:00 am Morley tells John Plant that the Arrow is cancelled
  • Avro Arrow

    O'Hurley rose in the House to correct his statement and confirmed that the process of scrapping the Arrows had begun. Outside of the House he stated the Hughes system had actually been installed in one aircraft.
  • Avro Arrow

    Bid Tenders went out to scrap the Arrows and clean up within a 90 day period.
  • Avro Arrow

    Scrapping of the Arrow begins
  • Avro Arrow

    Four months after canceling the Arrow program, the Government orders 214 F-104G aircraft for $420 million.
  • Avro Arrow

    UK Ministry asks for 14 Arrow Reports to help with their development of the TSR2. The TSR 2 program was eventually cancelled