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Avro Arrow replica returns to Malton

A replica of the legendary Avro Arrow jet was loaded onto a trailer at
Downsview Park Saturday, as the Toronto-based Canadian Air and Space
Museum prepares to move the 85-foot long structure to The International
Centre in Mississauga.

Photo by Kenneth Swartz. Advertisement

Kenneth Swartz, a member of the board of directors for the museum, said
the journey is a symbolic return home, as the original Avro Arrow was
built on Airport Road which is just steps from the International Centre.

“Some of the buildings at the International Centre were actually part
of the Avro (Canada) factory,” Swartz said in an interview with
CTVNews.ca Saturday.

Once considered a major feat in aviation technology, the original plane
was unveiled to much fanfare in 1957. However, the aircraft program was
cancelled less than two years later, and the fleet was destroyed.

Decades later, a determined group of volunteers that included war
veterans and aviation industry retirees set to work re-creating the
scrapped aircraft “to fill a gap in local Toronto history,” Swartz said.

Work began in 1998, and the full-scale replica was completed in 2006.

“The Arrow is always this touchstone for many people in aviation,”
Swartz said. “Esthetically, it was very attractive … almost a timeless
design.”

Photo by Kenneth Swartz.

The reason for the move to Mississauga, Swartz said, was a request to
display the replica at the SME Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show
taking place at the International Centre from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.

Some parts of the replica, including the wing tips, rocket pod and nose
gear, will be moved separately and reinstalled next week.

After the shows, the aircraft replica will be moved into a storage facility near Pearson International Airport, Swartz said.

The Canadian Air and Space Museum was closed to the public after its
lease was terminated at Downsview Park in September 2011. Swartz said
the board is still actively trying to find a new home for the museum
near Pearson.