Global Scale Modeller

Hobby Craft 1:48 Avro CF-105 Arrow (HC1651)
RL-203

The Avro Arrow is another of the projects in the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s which despite showing great promise were cancelled due to a combination financial and political factors.

Designed to be a supersonic, high altitude long range interceptor, the Arrow was to be powered by two 60,000lb Orenda Iroquois engines. As these were being developed the five prototypes that flew used much less powerful J75 engines and speeds in excess of Mach 2 were achieved. Subsequent to the projects cancellation, and much like the British TSR2 later, all airframes, jigs etc were destroyed although a popular myth is that one was secretly flown away and is in storage somewhere.

A clean and impressive machine, the kit I’m afraid is lacking in several areas but still builds up into a fair model OOB.








For a size comparison, here it is next to a Mig 25 which is no shrinking violet either.

Nice build and paint finish

Such an interesting aircraft a sort of cross between a Vulcan bomber and a fighter.

Do you know if any airframes survived the projects cancellation?

No actual airframes, I beleive there is a cockpit section and a couple of wing tips in a Canadian museum. They did build a full scale replica of RL-203 a few years back. A google search and click on images will show you them.

It's cancellation resulted in thousands of job losses in Canada and them using the Voodoo which they had already assessed and rejected.

Nice job. Great to see another CF-105 Arrow in the forum . it sure is a sleak looking aircraft isnt it. I recently posted my 1/72 version of the Hobbycraft Arrow in the forum, I think i may have to find a 1/48 scale and build another one. The surviving nose and cockpit section mentioned earlier is on display at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa.



Mark

Another fantastic looking arrow great build mate

That's cracking paint Job John, very smart mate

The Air Museum in North York Toronto has since Closed ! It was located on the old Airbase.. CFB Downsview which had closed back in 1992 era!!! The small Museum was pretty cool and I am sadden by its closure !

The 1:1 scale model was dismantled and Boxed along with all the other exhibits! maybe for ever...???

They are trying to re-open in a Building near the Toronto International Airport ... but that remains to be seen !

Once again... the Arrow Curse keeps on hitting the legend !!!

Awesome model by the way !!! I need to buy one and put it next to my TSR-2 Another ill fated design killed by Conservatives...

All the best to you ! can''t wait to see more of your finish kits...

Interesting bit of trivia for the history buffs out there. When this project was cancelled there was a huge bunch of very talented engineers experienced in supersonic high altitude design suddenly unemployed. It was at just this moment another big project was looking to hire numbers of aerospace engineers with experience of high altitude, light weight and supersonic design. The name of that project was Apollo and many of the Avro engineers moved to the US and made a major contribution to the greatest aerospace project of them all.

Indeed at the end of the TV movie The Arrow there was a list if whom had gone where and it was quite phenomenal how many went to other high profile aerospace projects.