the fall of the avro arrow

By: Cassie Caveen
The Avro Arrow, a sleek white jet interceptor developed in Malton, Ontario in the 1950s, could have been many things. It might have become the fastest plane in the world, our best defense against Soviet bombers, and the catalyst to propel Canada to the forefront of the aviation industry. Instead, it became a $400-million pile of scrap metal, and the stuff of legends. This mystery will never be unraveled given that everything was destroyed, rumors have been spread about so the truth is not viable, and false pictures were put openly to make people believe specific things.
To the horror of Avro employees, an order comes to erase all traces of the Avro Arrow. Complete planes and those in production are chopped into pieces, as are all models, tools and the entire production line. Blueprints, pictures and film are destroyed. The remains of the mighty plane are sold to a Hamilton scrap metal dealer and melted down to make pots and pans.
Exactly who ordered the destruction of the Arrow remains a mystery, nobody in the government or military admitted to giving the order. Avro's Fred Smye said he got the call from the Department of Defense Production, and issued the order to have the planes destroyed. He called it "the worst mistake I ever made in my life." Pierre Sevigne, associate deputy minister for Diefenbaker, believed a spiteful Crawford Gordon issued the order himself.
Cameras were not allowed inside the Avro plant when the planes were destroyed, but the Montreal Standard's Weekend Magazine chartered a helicopter and had a photographer take pictures as the planes were dismantled. Although this information sounds concrete it has proven to be false. The pictures of the dismantled planes tried to convince the public that the newly instated prime minister ordered the obliteration.
So all in all, due to the issues regarding the truth, and problems with hidden information, the Avro’s demise will for ever remain a mystery. But because we humans are such inquisitive individuals we will not stop trying to interpret this puzzle or others like it.