avro arrow
... a militeristic country. Diefenbaker had said that he had cancelled the avro arrow because it was becoming to expensive but in fact, the Audit records show it was going to cost about $77.9 million dollars to complete the Research and Development. the whole program from start to finish of production, was going to cost $1.1 billion including the $318 million that had already been spent on the Arrow project at the time of termination. When the government had decided to cancel the project, they were expecting to pay over $33 million cancellation fees but the number came closer to $100 million. If the Arrow ever crashed the replacement cost would have been $3.75 million, not much at all for such a sophisticated aircraft The US's landing of the first man on the moon was only achieved through the use of Arrow technology from ex-Avro engineers who had been fired after the cancellation of the Arrow project. Before the Arrow technology, the American space program was practically non-existent. Eleven Arrow models blasted off with rocket boosters of 45 000 pounds which eventually separated from the model itself - a technique used today in NASA space rockets. The frame, design, and shape of the NASA Space Shuttle is almost identical to the Arrow. As recorded by the Apollo Space Program, "As the Space Task Group's burden was threatening to overwhelem it, the Canadian government unintentionally gave the American space program its luckiest break...The Canadians never gained much public recognition for their contribution to the manned space program, but to the people within the program their contribution was incalculable...They had it all over us, in many areas...just brilliant guys...They were more mature and they were bright as hell and talented and professional to a man." Jim Chamberlain, along with more than 30 Avro engineers, went to NASA. He was head of engineering and designed the capsule used by John Glenn in the Mercury Project. He recieved NASA's Gold Medal for his work. At the time of his death, he was technical director at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. During the Conservative Cabinet meeting that took place on January 13th, 1959, ...