Storms of Controversy: The Secret Avro Arrow Files Revealed

Of all the books on this subject that I have read, this author offers the most compelling arguments as to why this landmark aircraft and engine project was concelled. And if you are an American, it is not flattering, because there was much behind-the-scenes maneuvering by the U.S. to 1) ensure that potential nuclear war was conducted over Canada and not the Northern U.S, 2) protect the interests of the U.S. aerospace industry by pursuading the Canadians to purchase our weapons systems even though those systems could not answer the defense needs of Canada. And then there is the tragedy of the project itself. As an aerospace engineer, I fully appreciate how advanced this aircraft was for the mid 50's. If this project had been allowed to continue to completion, I have no doubt that the Arrow would still be flying today. And finally, with the demise of the Arrow, the Canada aerospace industry suffered a 20 year setback, as did their economy. I would say this is the best book I've read on the Arrow. But the story doesn't end here. Some incredibly technically talented people left Canada for the U.S. and made valued contributions to our space program. This is all well described in Chris Gainor's "Arrows to the Moon". Read both and get the entire story.

Campagna worked for the Department of National Defence in Canada. As such he knows how the government operates when it comes to embarrassing information, and he also knows where much of it is stored.Apparently he came to the conclusion that the Americans were behind much of the intrique that went on and in the end killed not only the Arrow program, but also the company itself! He does an excellent job of bringing forward documents which really demonstrate the undercurrent of intrigue, deceipt and cover-up that surrounded this program.Campagna also includes a fair amount of information to demonstrate how first class the Avro products and engineering etc. really was. At the same time he allows the politicians to demonstrate their ignorance, wrong-headedness, and in fact manifest dishonesty over the program by direct quotations. The existence of a hidden agenda emerges yet Campagna restrains himself, for the most part, on speculation.All in all an excellent effort. This book broke alot of ground and goes some distance towards pointing out what Canada lost on February 20th 1959.If I have one criticism of the work, it is this: there isn't very much context about the aircraft being designed elsewhere, and about the industry and Cold War in general. I think this kind of context would have better demonstrated the Avro story in terms of its value to Canada and the West as a whole.

Who runs Canada? The Queen of England, according to some Americans, though most would say "Canadians elect their own government." In Canada, similar to many countries, there's a suspicion the Americans really control everything important. The Avro Arrow, a delta-wing twin-engine jet interceptor with a top speed of about 400 miles an hour faster than the F-18, came off the assembly line in Canada in 1957. It was in production, with six finished and 30 more on the assembly line, when it was canceled by the government on Feb. 20, 1959. Since then, the fate of the Arrow has become representative of what many Canadians feel is the second-rate role of their country in comparison to the United States. Campagna blames the Americans, who told the Colonel Blimps in the Canadian military in the late 1950's that bombers were obsolete and only missiles would matter in the future. Sure, tell THAT to the guys who still drive the B-52's, B-1's and B-2's around the skies. I blame the Colonel Blimps, who listened to the Yanks with all the innocence of little old ladies in tennis shoes trusting a used car salesman with a Yugo to sell. Well, maybe the Americans were wrong. Bombers continue to fly, interceptors continue to be built. It's not the first time an American has made a mistake. In the U.S., cancellation of an aircraft contract is barely noticed; in Canada, the Arrow was the only fighter interceptor in the whole country. Many Americans would say, "Well, that's life in the big city." For Canadians, with an economy about one twelfth the size of the U.S., it was devastating. It's what makes this book so valuable for Americans. It boldly lays out the devastating impact a minor decision in the United States can have for a little country trying so hard to produce quality home-designed products. American companies have had dozens of promising fighter projects canceled -- but, dozens survived. In little countries, national pride often rests on a single project. When it is scrapped because of anything involving Americans -- even as innocuous as "Give me your honest opinion, now, don't spare my feelings" -- the result can be devastating. It was the best in the world -- see my review of `The Immortal Beaver' for another best-in-the-world Canadian airplane, one the Americans bought in great quantities -- but the Arrow was canceled due to faulty American advice (Campagna's view). My view is that Canadians were dumb to listen to the Americans. Whatever, the result is lingering anti-Americanism. When Americans ask, "Why don't they like us?" about any foreign country, the reason is often as innocuous as the loss of an Arrow. That makes this book valuable for Americans, to understand the impact of their mistakes on foreigners who trust them to know everything. It shows how, even when they are being helpful, kind, courteous and considerate, American advice is sometimes devastating. Do you really expect a guy

I loved this book, since I had already heard of the Avro Arrow, I was confronted with a totally different story with a totally different villain. I believe this book with all my heart!