Avro Arrow: THE STORY OF THE AVRO ARROW FROM ITS EVOLUTION TO ITS EXTINCTION

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: An exhaustive book on one of great "mystery" of jet fighter history.The aircraft program is fully narrated from the enthusiastic "go ahead" to the painfull termination.Direct testimonies of executives,engineers and test pilots make the plot really vivid showing the feelings behind this endeavour:the epilog still looks like the end of a dream. Illustrations,pictures,factory drawings are truly intriguing,since few were previously available.Particularly impressive is the "log",where significant figures are released on aircraft data and performances. Finally some light on a cold war aicraft that "might have been"!

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: An exhaustive book on one of great "mystery" of jet fighter history.The aircraft program is fully narrated from the enthusiastic "go ahead" to the painfull termination.Direct testimonies of executives,engineers and test pilots make the plot really vivid showing the feelings behind this endeavour:the epilog still looks like the end of a dream. Illustrations,pictures,factory drawings are truly intriguing,since few were previously available.Particularly impressive is the "log",where significant figures are released on aircraft data and performances. Finally some light on a cold war aicraft that "might have been"!

Rating:
Summary: What a sad story!
Review: Canada could have been a great nation today if it wasn't for the narrowmindedness of the government of Diefenbaker in late 50s. Canadian engineers designed and built an aircraft the likes of which unseen and unimagined before. The government ordered it shutdown and destroyed every piece of documentation. It is an amazing story. I wish it was fiction, would have made a nice novel. But since it's true, it just generates anger and sadness in fellow Canadians.

We also watched the movie, the one with Dan Aykroyd. Captivating movie (not great acting but since the story is just so incredible, you don't really see the flaws.)

All the brilliant Canadian engineers who created Avro Arrow, after the demolition ordered by the government, went to NASA and continued their careers there. Who can blame them? If your own government doesn't support you, you will find someone who will.

Rating:
Summary: truly engrossing
Review: One of the finest book dedicated to this controversial program! Being interested in technical details and aircraft perfomances,I found many factory drawings about structures, internal systems arrangements, armament layout and cutaway views. Important performance figures are available from tables and charts. But the most interesting feature is the the description of the development and testing phase that shows all the potential of this doomed plane. Finally some basic facts on an aircraft still surrounded by an halo of mistery about its birth and its death!