In 1945 U.K. company A. V. Roe acquired Victory Aircraft
Ltd factory at Toronto/Malton Airport, where Lancasters,
Lincolns, Ansons and a York were built during
Second World War. New company named Avro Canada,
and it produced the first Canadian-designed jet fighter,
the twin-engined CF-100. Prototype flew in 1950; 639
were built for the RCAF and 53 for the Belgian Air Force.
Flew prototype C-102 Jetliner in 1949, but no production
order was received. Avro Canada became a member of
the Hawker Siddeley Group in 1955, and in 1962 became
Hawker Siddeley Canada Ltd. CF-105 Arrow delta
twin-jet all-weather fighter prototype flew in 1958. Only
five CF-105s were built before the project was cancelled
in favour of Bomarc surface-to-air missiles. An interesting
project was the Avrocar VTOL aircraft developed under
a U.S. Department of Defense contract and flown in 1959
in California. In its prototype form it was circular: a flying
saucer!
