The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was developed in the mid-1950s by A.V. Roe Canada as a cutting-edge interceptor designed to counter the threat of Soviet long-range bombers approaching over the Arctic. The aircraft featured a delta‑wing design, advanced flight‑control systems, and performance capabilities far ahead of its time. The first Arrow, RL‑201, rolled out in 1957 and flew successfully in 1958, demonstrating exceptional speed and handling.
Despite its technical success, the program was abruptly cancelled on 20 February 1959, a moment remembered as “Black Friday.” All aircraft, tooling, and plans were ordered destroyed, ending what many consider the most ambitious aerospace project in Canadian history. The cancellation resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs and scattered Canada’s top engineers across the world.
To support aerodynamic testing during development, Avro launched a series of 1/8‑scale Delta Test Vehicles (DTVs) over Lake Ontario between 1955 and 1957. These models were lost on impact—until the Raise the Arrow project located and recovered one in 2018, reconnecting Canadians with a remarkable chapter of national innovation.
“Raise the Arrow” – Underwater Recovery of the Avro Arrow Test Model
The Raise the Arrow project began with a clear multi-year timeline, starting as a privately led recovery effort and growing into a national legacy initiative. The project was organized and led by OEX Recovery Group Inc., headed by John Burzynski, and backed by a coalition of corporate sponsors. Scarlett Janusas was the project’s chief marine archaeologist. General Diving Contractors Inc. divers did the underwater recovery work. OMHC (Ontario Marine Heritage Committee) members volunteered to help.
The Raise the Arrow project was a multi‑year effort to locate and recover the free‑flight test models launched into Lake Ontario during the Avro Arrow development program of the 1950s. These Delta Test Vehicles (DTVs) were fired from Point Petre to validate the Arrow’s aerodynamics at supersonic speeds. After decades on the lakebed, one of these long‑lost models was located and recovered through a coordinated search using sonar, ROVs, and technical dive operations.
This page documents the recovery operation through underwater photographs and video I captured during the lift. The images show the DTV as it was found on the lakebed, the careful stabilization process, and the moment it was brought back to the surface for conservation by the Canadian Conservation Institute.
The recovered Avro Arrow Delta Test Vehicle (DTV) is now held by the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario. After its recovery in 2018, the model was transferred to the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) for desalination, stabilization, and long‑term preservation treatment. Once conservation was complete, the artifact was formally added to the museum’s collection, where it is now part of its public interpretation of Canada’s Cold War aerospace history.
