| Home | THE JET AGE RESERVE MODEL COLLECTION PRESENTS EASTER PARADE 2010 |
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The
announcement of Open Days at the Brockworth Tithe Barn Arts and Crafts
Centre over Easter 2010 gave the Jet Age Reserve Model Collection an
opportunity to display many items rarely or never seen in public in the
21st Century. These were arranged in national themes and are described below. |
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THE AMERICAN JET AGE | ||
| CESSNA A-37 DRAGONFLY | ||
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Cessna A-37B Dragonfly - pictured above - was a development of a 1952
vintage US Air Force twin-turbojet side-by-side trainer as a
counter-insurgency ground attack aircraft. The US Government supplied 254 Cessna A37B Dragonfly's to the Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) during the Vietnam War. Throughout the war A37s were used extensively in support of Australian ground forces with many missions being directed by Australian Forward Air Controllers (FAC's). After the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, ninety-five VNAF A37B aircraft were captured and incorporated into the Vietnamese People’s Air Force and played a part in several regional conflicts involving Vietnam. | ||
| GENERAL DYNAMICS F-16 FIGHTING FALCON | ||
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| The F-16 - easily recognisable by its cropped delta wings with long
root extensions blended with the fuselage - was the most successful
fighter of its generation and the most numerous jet fighter in the
Western world today with 3 600 delivered to 17 air forces by the end of
1997. Not bad for a research project for a very light fighter optimized
for dogfighting! Despite its minimalist origins, the Fighting Falcon has evolved into a versatile and effective multi-role workhorse. First flown on 20 January 1974, the service-test YF-16 defeated Northrop's YF-17 in a fly-off competition. The first of eight Full Scale Development F-16A airframes flew in 1975, the first FSD F-16B in 1977. The two-seat version retains wing and fuselage dimensions of the single seater while sacrificing 1,500 lb (680 kg) of fuel. Nicknamed the 'Viper', the F-16 has a shock-inlet air intake located under the forward fuselage below its pilot and offers enhanced lift at high angles of attack. While its high Alpha capability is limited by comparison with that of the F/A-18 and the latest Russian 'super-fighters' its very high thrust to weight ratio, fast roll rate and high wing lift make it a very agile fighter. Among its once novel characteristics, the F-16 is statically unstable, relying on a central computer and electronic 'Fly By Wire' controls to remain controllable. The F-16A pilot sits on a zero-zero ejector seat canted to recline 30°. This improves average g tolerance and necessitates provision of a limited movement pressure-sensing sidestick controller in place of a conventional joystick. The cockpit has HUD and multifunction displays, and a one-piece canopy of blown polycarbonate with no windscreen and thus no framing forward of the pilot's shoulder line. This gives an incomparable all-round view: a great boon for dogfighting. The F-16A/B is armed with a General Electric M61A1 Vulcan, 20-mm cannon with 511 rounds, located on the port side at the blend between wing and fuselage. On a typical mission, an F-16A/B can carry as much as 16,700 lb of ordnance, including Mk 20 Rockeye and CBU-87 cluster bombs, Mk 83 and Mk 84 500-lb and 1,000 lb bombs, AGM-65 Maverick missiles, and GBU-10 and GBU-15 guided weapons. Except for Air Defence Fighter variants, all F-16A/Bs now have air-to-ground work as their primary duty, with air combat important but secondary. Still, pilots praise the manoeuvrability, high g tolerance, heat-seeking missiles and gun, all which enable them to 'yank and bank' with an enemy fighter. However, pilots are not pleased about what one flier calls "the conscious decision not to give it a radar missile" to fight beyond visual range, claiming that "we don't have a long enough spear to do battle with 'Floggers' and 'Fulcrums'." | ||
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NATO's search for a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter replacement led in June 1975 to the 'sale of the century' in which Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway selected the F-16A/B. SABCA in Belgium was responsible for the manufacture of 221 aircraft mainly for Belgium and the Denmark, whilst Fokker in Holland built 300 aircraft primarily for the Royal Netherlands Air Force and Norway ( as seen above in model form). Some Dutch aircraft are equipped with a
centreline tactical reconnaissance pod, and are designated F-16A(R). Subsequent
Operational Capability Upgrades have brought improvements to F-16A/Bs on both continents, while additional
countries have taken the A model 'Viper' into their inventories. Many of these
nations were initially offered the significantly inferior J79-powered F-16/79,
but were able to buy the full-standard F100-engine F-16 when President Ronald Reagan
relaxed some of the arms sales controls imposed by his predecessor. | ||
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| Versions of the F-16A were tested with APG-65 radar and J79 and YJ101
engines. In December 1975, the first YF-16 was rebuilt with twin canards added,
to become the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory's CCV (Control-Configured
Vehicle) used to test advanced control systems and seen modelled above. General Dynamics converted the fifth FSD F-16A into the AFTI (Advanced Fighter Technology Integration) aircraft, or AFTI/F-16A. The AFTI/F-16A has a triplex digital flight-control system, larger vertical canard surfaces at the air intake, and a thick dorsal spine; this aircraft was used in close air support studies before being laid up by funding constraints. The SCAMP (Supersonic Cruise and Manoeuvring Prototype), or F-16XL, was yet another special version with a 'cranked delta' wing. Two F-16XLs, a single- and a two-seater, have gone on to participate in various research efforts. The F-16A/B was built in distinct production blocks numbered 1, 5, 10, and 15. Forty-three F-16A/B Block 1s (21 F-16As and 22 F-16Bs) can be distinguished from later Fighting Falcons by their black radomes. F-16A/B Block 5s numbered 126 (99 F-16As and 27 F-16Bs). F-16A/B Block 10 consists of 170 aeroplanes including 145 F-16As and 25 F-16Bs, in addition to all surviving earlier machines which have been upgraded. F-16A/B Block 15 introduced the first important changes to the F-16.
Noteworthy in Block 15 is the extended horizontal stabilator, or 'big tail', now
standard on these and all subsequent Fighting Falcons. Pilots prefer the small
tail for dogfighting but the big tail gives greater rudder authority when
carrying a heavy ordnance load. Because of the wing cracks and afterburner
problems, the USAF is expected to retire all of its pre-Block 15 'small tail'
ships by the mid-1990s, making Block 15s the oldest F-16s in service. Block 15
compromises 457 American aircraft (410 F-16As, 47 F-16Bs), 270 of which were
chosen for conversion to F-16A/B ADF with interceptor duties. Compared with earlier versions, the F-16C/Ds gives the pilot a GEC wide-angle HUD and a function keyboard control at the base of the HUD (located in a console to his left in earlier ships) and an improved data-display with key items of information located at 'design eye' level for Hands On Throttle And Stick flying. F-16C/Ds employ Hughes APG-68 multi-mode radar with increased range, sharper resolution and expanded operating modes, and have a weapons interface for the AGM-65D Maverick and AMRAAM missiles. F-16C single-seat and combat-capable F-16D two-seat fighters introduced progressive changes, some installed at the factory and other parts of MSIP II (avionics, cockpit and airframe changes) and MSIP III (further systems installation) programs, aimed at enhancing the Fighting Falcon's ability to fly and fight at night. F-16C/D aircraft retain the unique, low-slung configuration of earlier Fighting Falcons variants, with fuselage-wing 'blending', fly-by-wire controls, ACES II ejection seat, and a blown polycarbonate canopy which, in these later versions, has a gold tint because of its lining of radar reflecting materials. F-16C/D models retain the General Electric M61A1 20-mm cannon with 515 rounds and a capability for the delivery of up to 16,700 lb (7575 kg) of ordnance, including most bombs and missiles in the inventory. Block 25 aircraft entered production in July 1984 and numbered 319, 289 F-16Cs and 30 F-16Ds. With Block 30/32 came configured (formerly 'common') engine bay with options for the GE F110-GE-100 (Block 40) or P&W F100-PW-220 (Block 42). F-16C Blocks 30 and 40 are powered by the General Electric F110-GE-100 offering 28, 984 lb (128.9 kN), while F-16C Blocks 32 and 42 Falcons introduced 23,840-lb (106.05-kN) thrust Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200s. This powerplant change brought a need to alter the contours of the F-16's air intake to accommodate the larger amount of air ingested. Because the change was not made initially, early F-16C/D Block 30s are 'small inlet' aeroplanes, the 1-ft (0.30-m) larger air intake having become standard for GE power on 'big inlet' ships after deliveries began. USAF F-16C/D delivery totals slightly favor the GE engine. F-16C/D Block 32 aeroplanes are identical to those in Block 30 but for the F100-PW-220 engine, introduction of which marks a maturing of the original F-16 powerplant. While the improved P&W engine is not as powerful as the GE-powerplant, it is lighter and crew chiefs consider it 'smarter' and more dependable then earlier P&W models. In addition, Block 30/32 aircraft have the capability for carriage of AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-88A HARM anti-radiation missiles, and AIM-120 AMRAAM. Avionics hardware changes are also introduced with Block 30/32, which total 501 aircraft, comprising 446 F-16Cs and 55 F-16Ds. In addition to tactical squadrons, the F-16C/D Block 32 is flown by the USAF's Adversary Tactics Division on aggressor duties, and by the 'Thunderbirds' aerial demonstration team. F-16C/D Block 40/42 Night Falcon aircraft began to come off the Fort Worth production line in December 1988. This version introduces LANTIRN navigation and targeting pods, Navstar GPS navigation receiver, AGM-88B HARM II, APG-68V radar, digital flight controls, automatic terrain following and, as a consequence, increased take-off weight. Greater structural strength increases the Night Falcon's 9-g capability from 26,900 lb (12201 kg) to 28,500 lb (12928 kg). The heavier all-up weight has resulted in larger landing gear to accommodate LANTIRN, bulged landing gear doors and the movement of landing lights to the nose gear door. Block 40/42 Night Falcons have been delivered to the USAF, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, and Bahrain. An AMRAAM-equipped Block 42 F-16D became the first USAF 'Viper' to score an air-to-air victory by downing an Iraqi Mig-25 on 27 December 1992. In 1994 F-16s shot down three Serbian aircraft over Bosnia. A total of 249 F-16 Fighting Falcons was deployed to Operation Desert Storm and flew almost 13,500 sorties, the highest sortie total for any aircraft in the war, while maintaining a 95.2 per cent mission capable rate, 5 per cent better than the F-16's peacetime rate. F-16s attacked ground elements in the Kuwaiti Theatre of Operations, flew anti 'Scud' missions, destroying military production, chemical production facilities, and airfields. In December 1991, General Dynamics began delivering F-16C/D Block 50 and 52 aircraft. First flight date for Block 50 was 22 October 1991. The first Block 50s went to the 338th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, UT, in 1992, followed by delivery to USAFE's 52nd FW. Block 50/52 'Vipers' introduced the Westinghouse AN/APG-68(V5) radar with improved memory and more modes, new NVG-compatible GEC HUD, and improved avionics computer. Numerous other additions to Block 50/52 include a Tracor AN/ALE-47 chaff/flare dispenser, ALR-56M radar warning receiver, Have Quick IIA radio, Have Sync anti-jam VHF and full HARM integration. These latest F-16s are powered by the IPE (Improved Performance Engine) versions of GE and P&W engines, the 29,588-lb (131.6-kN) F110-GE-229 and 29,100-lb (129.4-kN) F100-PW-220, respectively. Problems arose with developmental test ships for the Block 52 program in July 1991, and these had to be refitted with older F100 variants until Pratt & Whitney IPE's fourth fan blade could be redesigned. Around 100 USAF F-16C/D Block 50/52 aircraft are being raised to Block 50/52D standard, with provision for the ASQ-213 pod carried under the starboard side of the intake. This pod is known at the HARM Targeting System, and provides the F-16 with a limited Wild Weasel defence suppression capability to argument the dwindling F-4G force. Further USAF programs now include the RF-16 tactical reconnaissance aircraft carrying the ATARS IR/EO sensor pod, fitment of head-steered FLIR sensor and helmet-mounted sights and modifications of Block 30/32/40/42 aircraft for the CAS/BAI mission. In 1991, USAF began studying an MRF (Multi-Role Fighter) which would replace the F-16 in the 21st century. The future of MRF is doubtful, especially since USAF F-16C/Ds (in contrast to ageing F-16A 'small tail' Block 10s) have a relatively low airframe hours and will not need early replacement. The proposed Block 60/62 F-16 would utilise some technology developed for the F-22 to answer the MRF requirement. The F-16C/D has been widely exported. Licensed production is undertaken by TAI in Turkey and Samsung Aerospace in South Korea. Many F-16Ds delivered to Israel have been subsequently fitted with a very bulged spine, housing unidentified indigenous avionics reportedly associated with the Wild Weasel/ SAM suppression role. Israeli Air Force 101 Squadron now seems to be entirely equipped with these aircraft. | ||
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| NORTH AMERICAN F-86D SABRE | ||
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| An intelligence warning in 1948 prompted the U.S. Air Force
to hurriedly develop an all-weather interceptor. Starting with the basic
airframe of its F-86A ( examined in more detail in Flashpoint Korea ) , North
American incorporated two unprecedented concepts into the F-86D (initially
designated the F-95). First, a highly sophisticated electronic system replaced
the second crewmember carried by other interceptors of the time. Second, the
F-86D became the first production single-seat fighter to which air-to-air
missiles replaced the classic gun armament. With its air intake reshaped to make room for the enclosed radar, the F-86D -- nicknamed "Sabre Dog" -- presented a distinctive profile. The interception radar (from Hughes Aircraft Co.) and associated fire-control computed the target's position, guided the aircraft on an intercept course to within 500 yards of the target, lowered the retractable tray of 24 rockets, and fired the rockets automatically. The effect of these weapons would have been devastating to an enemy bomber because each 2.75-inch Mighty Mouse folding fin aircraft rocket (FFAR) contained the power of a 75mm artillery shell. The first prototype (YF-86D) flew on Dec. 22, 1949, and North American delivered 2,506 F-86Ds before production ended in September 1953. Although the U.S. Air Force had phased out its F-86D by June 1961, Japan and other nations - including Norway - continued flying them. Indeed, the "Sabre Dog" was the most prolific of the F-86 variants. | ||
| REPUBLIC RF-84F THUNDERFLASH | ||
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| The
Republic F-84F Thunderflash represented a milestone in the development
of Republic aircraft from the piston engined P-47 Thunderbolt, already
described in The Arsenal of Democracy. In 1944, Republic chief designer Alexander Kartveli was working on a replacement for the famous "Jug" although even the Thunderbolt's wide cross section proved too narrow for the centrifugal gas turbines then on offer. As a result, an all-new design was initiated around a narrower axial-flow jet engine - the General Electric TG-180 ( later Allison J35) - for a USAAF specification issued in September 1944. This called for a jet fighter with a top speed of 600 miles per hour and a combat radius of 705 miles. Armament was to be either 6 x .50 calibre or 4 x 15.2mm heavy machine guns. The USAAF took note of the promising Republic jet-powered Model AP-23 design and, in November 1944, Republic was given a no-competition contract calling for three prototypes to be designated as the XP-84 "Thunderjet" - continuing the "Thunder" element in Republic product names. This contract was later expanded to 25 YP-84A evaluation models and a further 75 P-84B production models as the USAAF saw the Republic design as a stronger and more potent alternative to the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star introduced in 1945. The XP-84A was subsequently fitted with a more powerful General Electric J35-GE-15 series turbojet with 4,000 lb of thrust and the first flight by an XP-84 was made on 28 February 1946. This soon made a name for itself as the fastest American-designed aircraft to date with a top speed of 607.2 miles per hour - just 5 miles per hour slower than the world record set by a Gloster Meteor F4 of 612.2mph. The prototypes were followed by a 15-strong batch of YP-84A models with a slightly improved engine of the same type and full armament complement and wingtip fuel tanks. Deliveries of the newly designated F-84B Thunderjet to the newly created United States Air Force began in December 1947 with the 14th Fighter Group based at Bangor, Maine although on 24 May 1948 all A to C series Thunderjets were grounded while potential structural failures were investigated. However, these shortcomings were rectified by the F-84D and the 1951 vintage -G model became the definitive Thunderjet. The F-84G was also the first single-seat fighter aircraft to be nuclear-capable and were fitted for probe and drogue in-flight refuelling. Nearly 1,000 of this model were shipped to Europe for service with NATO forces stationed there and in all, 3,025 G-models were produced. The USAF Thunderbirds display team also flew the F-84G from 1953 to 1955 while the F-84F Thunderstreak was selected from 1955 to 1956. The F-84F "Thunderstreak" - first flown in prototype form on 3 June 1950 - was the first of the swept wing Republic aircraft and featured the Wright J65 turbojet engine - a licensed version of the British Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire used in the Gloster Javelin. Deliveries began in 1954 with most going to Tactical Air Command. In the meantime, Thunderjets had claimed 8 MiG 15 kills in the Korean War but were relegated to ground attack duties when more experienced Soviet pilots joined the fray. However, Thunderjets did drop 50 427 tons of ordnance (including bombs, rockets and napalm) on North Korean positions during 86 408 sorties. The barrel -like fuselage of the Thunderjet and Thunderstreak was modified to form the RF-84F "Thunderflash" by replacing the single air intake with two triangular ones in the wing roots - thereby freeing the nose for cameras. Production totalled 715 units including 386 for American allies. RF-84Fs were also considered as "manned cruise missiles" to be launched from Boeing B-36 Peacemaker bombers although this plan was cancelled as larger jet aircraft with flight refuelling capabilities became available. More importantly the F-84F became the basis of the supersonic F-105 Thunderchief. The Air National Guard was the last American user of the F-84F in 1971 and Greece became the last operator in 1991. | ||
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| VOUGHT F6U PIRATE | ||
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| Although
underpowered and not considered a success, Chance Vought's first jet
fighter, originally designated the V-340, was remarkable as the first
US production jet fitted with an afterburner and also for its laminated structure. The airframe was skinned with Metalite, patented by Chance Vought and comprising two sheets of high strength light alloy sandwiching a balsawood core, while other components used Fabrilite, a laminate of glass fibre and balsa. Three XF-6U-1 prototypes were ordered by the US Navy on 29 December 1944 and the first of these flew at Muroc Dry Lake, California, on 2 October 1946 powered by a 1 361 Kg thrust Westinghouse J34-WE-22 turbojet. The first production F6U-1 flew in July 1949 and entered US Navy service the following month. However, only 30 examples of an initial order of 65 were delivered and the rest cancelled. The oval fins on the tailplane were fitted to reduce lateral instability. | ||
| VOUGHT A-7 CORSAIR II | ||
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Vought's A-7 Corsair II was built as a
replacement for McDonnell Douglas's A-4 Skyhawk light-weight fighter / bomber and was based on
the earlier Vought Crusader
supersonic interceptor. However, the A-7 - named Corsair after
its illustrous World War II forbear from the -D variant onwards - was
designed as a single seat carrier based fast subsonic strike
aircraft and lacked the Crusader's variable incidence wing. Armament
options included a variety of air-to-air or air-to-surface
munitions including laser-guided bombs and rocket pods on six underwing
hardpoints while two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles could be
fitted on either side of the fuselage. The earlier guns were also
replaced by a more modern 6-barrel 20mm gatling-type internal gun. | ||
| MCDONNELL DOUGLAS A-4 SKYHAWK | ||
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| In 1952, the US Navy and Marines requested a new tactical attack jet weighing
30,000 lb. The Navy was quite surprised when the Douglas Aircraft Company
claimed to be able to meet the design specifications with an aircraft weighing
only half as much. Not only did the resulting A-4 fully meet all performance
requirements, but the aircraft also set a World speed record in 1954. The A-4 was designed from experience gained in the Korean War that made clear the need for an aircraft with greater range and payload, suitable for use on aircraft carriers, and able to provide close-in support for ground forces. The Skyhawk proved a great success in Vietnam and also became popular with many foreign air arms. The A-4 was also popular as a two seat training aircraft and as the equipment of the US Navy Blue Angels display team. Although nearly 30 years old at the time of the Falkland Islands conflict, A-4s operating from Argentine land bases successfully attacked and sank a number of British ships. The last of 2,960 Skyhawks was built in 1980, though upgrade programs continued well into the 1990s. The A-4 also pioneered the concept of "buddy" self air-to-air refueling. This allowed the aircraft to be used as a tanker for others of the same type, removing the need for entirely different tanker aircraft - a particular advantage for small air arms or when operating in remote locations. This worked by designating a tanker aircraft and fitting it with a centre-mounted "buddy store" that was a large external fuel tank with a hose reel in the aft section and an extensible drogue type refueling bucket. This aircraft was fuelled up without armament and launched prior to the attack aircraft. The attack aircraft were then armed up to the maximum and given only just enough fuel to bring them up to the maximum take-off weight. Once airborne, they would then proceed to top up their fuel tanks from the tanker using the A-4's inbuilt re-fuelling probe on the starboard side of the aircraft nose. They could then proceed to the target with both full armament and fuel loads. | ||
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| LOCKHEED D-21 RAMJET DRONES | ||
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| Although
powered by ramjets rather than Sir Frank Whittles gas turbine, the two
unmanned Lockheed D-21 drones on show at Brockworth were easily the
models most talked about by visitors! The D-21 concept was proposed after the glider-like Lockheed U-2 spyplane flown by Gary Powers had been shot down over the USSR in 1960 and involved the pilotless drone flying fast and high over enemy territory before making for friendly airspace. Once there, its camera pack would be ejected and parachute down to be recovered in mid air by Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft ( a technique already used for recovering film canisters from spy satellites) while the D-21 would self-destruct. As ramjets need to be accelerated to high speed by other means to begin working, the titanium built D-12 was initially launched from the back of Lockheed's A-12, the ancestor of ther famous Mach 3 SR-71 Blackbird. A-12s numbered 60-6940 and 60-6941 were modified for this activity - having two seats instead of one for a pilot and launch officer - and the first M-12/ D-12 mother and daughter combination flew on 22 December 1964 although the first launch did no occur until 5 March 1966. As well as being an early ancestor of today's Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) such as the Predator, the D-21 was also the precursor of low-observables or Stealth technology. Its ramjet engines also used the same waxy JP-7 fuel as the A-12 and later SR-71. What had been coded Project Tagboard was cancelled after the D-21 collided with and destroyed its mother ship on 30 July 1966 but was replaced by Project Senior Bowl in which the D-21s were launched from the wing of a Boeing B-52H Stratofortress with a solid rocket booster taking them to ramjet speed. The first Senior Bowl launch was on 9 November 1967 and the first operational launch aimed at China's Lop Nor nuclear test ground was on 9 November 1969. This D-21 was not observed by the Chinese but disappeared before it could eject its camera. On 16 December 1970 a second Senior Bowl operational launch saw the D-21 fly to Lop Nor and back and eject its payload although this was destroyed on impact when its parachute failed to open. The third launch, on 4 March 1971, saw the D-21 system work perfectly but the C-130 failed to recover the payload in mid air and a Navy destroyer sent to pick it up from the sea ran it down and sank it. A final flight, on 20 March 1971, was lost outbound over China and crashed in a forest. Parts of this vehicle and the D-21 lost in 1969 found their way to the Soviet Tupolev design bureau who back-engineered a design based on it which was named "Voron" (Raven) but was never built. Later in 1971 Senior Bowl was cancelled due to the poor levels of success in such an expensive project, the introduction of a new generation of spy satellites and President Richard Nixon's rapprochement with China. | ||
| AVRO CANADA CF 105 ARROW | ||
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| During World War II, the Victory Aircraft plant of Avro Canada based at Malton, Ontario had assembled Anson, Lysander and Lancaster aircraft and after 1945 produced its revolutionary Jetliner design. After
a number of successful flights, one being to New York City, where the
designers and crew were given a ticker tape parade and heralded as
aviation pioneers, the project was scrapped but the concept was taken
up by the aircraft industry of the United States. In the 1950s, Avro Canada was asked by the Royal Canadian Air Force to produce a supersonic successor to its 692 strong fleet of CF-100 Canuck fighters, capable of shooting down incoming Soviet bombers as they passed over the North Pole en route to the USA. Like the Gloster Javelin, the new Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was a twin engined delta winged design but capable of flying at speeds faster than Mach 2. To save design time and costs, the results of scale model wind tunnel tests went straight into production machines rather than a prototype and on 4 October 1957 - the same day as the launch of the first Sputnik - the first Arrow was rolled out. The first test flight was on 25 March 1958 with ex Gloster test pilot Jan Zurakowski at the controls and five further aircraft flew for almost 70 hours with the sixth machine - the first Arrow Mark II powered by more powerful Orenda Iroquois engines - 99% complete. This lightweight prime mover was mostly made from titanium and offered more thrust than any other aero engine in the World. Thirty more Arrows were under construction when on 20 February 1959 Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker stood up in the House of Comons and announced that the Arrow and Iroquois projects were cancelled. 50 000 people were thrown out of work both at Avro Canada ( which subsequently closed ) and outside suppliers. As was to be the case with the British Aircraft Corporation TSR2 in 1964, all aircraft, dies, machine tools and paperwork were ordered to be destroyed, the aircraft being cut up and smelted at Hamilton, Ontario. Orenda Engines can still be found in helicopters and fixed wing aircraft but many Canadian aerospace engineers were recruited either by NASA for its Apollo and other space programs or by the Anglo-French Concorde project. | ||
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