What happened to the Arrows after the 1959 cancellation?

Short answer

They were ordered destroyed: in the two months following the cancellation, orders were given to scrap all the aircraft, the engines, the production tooling and the technical data. The announcement, on 20 February 1959, is known as "Black Friday" in the Canadian aerospace industry. The decision cost around 14,500 jobs at Avro Canada.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Avro Arrow drawing

The destruction order

The cancellation of the Arrow was announced on 20 February 1959 and became known as "Black Friday" in the Canadian aerospace industry. Over the following two months, orders were given to scrap all the aircraft, the engines, the production tooling and the technical documentation.

The aircraft affected

The RL-201 had made its first flight on 25 March 1958, with chief development test pilot S/L Janusz Żurakowski at the controls. Four more Mk. 1 aircraft were completed — RL-202, RL-203, RL-204 and RL-205 — powered by the Pratt & Whitney J75. The lighter and more powerful Orenda Iroquois was already nearing trials, and the first Mk 2 fitted with that engine, RL-206, was ready for taxiing trials.

The cost of the decision

Diefenbaker ended the Arrow citing a total cost of $1.1 billion and arguing that missiles, specifically the CIM-10 Bomarc surface-to-air missile, could do the job more cheaply. The decision cost around 14,500 jobs at Avro Canada and effectively ended the country's advanced fighter industry.