HS Canada CF-205B Arrowhead

[dwomby]

The cancellation of the CF-105 Avro Arrow was a major blow to the Canadian aerospace industry.   What was little known at the time was that Avro Canada (later Hawker Siddeley Canada) were secretly contracted by the RCAF and USAF to design a lighter more agile aircraft to fulfil the long-range interception requirements of NORAD.   The public only became aware of the aircraft's existance when funding for its procurement by the CAF was included in the 1968 Canadian Federal budget.  The CAF agreed to the design team's request to deviate from its standard aircraft numbering scheme and allocated the aircraft the designation CF-205 Arrowhead as a rememberance of the CF-105 Arrow.

The unlike the Arrow, the Hawker Siddeley Canada CF-205 Arrowhead was a single-seat interceptor.  Being smaller than the Arrow, the Iriqois was not suitable due to its length.  So Orenda opted to licence build and develop a version of the cancelled De Havilland Gyron.  The Arrowhead was an early implementation of canards to assist in decreasing take off distance and improve low speed handling.   Long range was needed to enable interception of Soviet strategic bombers and maritime reconaissance aircraft far out over the Arctic and North Atlantic. The Arrowhead used a variety of drop tanks of various sizes on the centreline and inner wing pylons.  Although a larger tank mounted on a pylon was available, the 300gallon conformal drop tank that was preferred due its negligible effects on acceleration, speed and handling.   Armament was one internal Aden cannon and up to 4 missiles on the wing pylons.  Missile options were AIM-7 or AIM-9. The CF-205B was introduced in 1978 with a revised canopy to improve allround visibility.

Being optimized for long-range interception, the Arrowhead really had only a few potential customers: Canada, USA, UK and Norway. The USAF opted out of the programme after the first 5 pre-production machines but Canada went on to produce 190 Arrowheads with the first entering CAF service in 1974.   In addition to Canada (80), the Arrowhead served in the air forces of  Norway (70) and later Denmark (40).  This one is an early CAF CF-205B of 421 Squadron operating out of Goose Bay in the summer of 1980 and configured for a high Arctic patrol with the conformal 300gallon centreline tank and 2xAIM-7 and 2xAIM-9.  The last flight of the type was a CAF machine in 2002.   

This is the PM Models Su-15 with most of the rear fuselage removed aft of the wing, the fin moved forward, exhaust nozzles from the spares box (Rafale), the cockpit seat moved forward and the canopy replaced with a spare from an F-16.  The conformal drop tank is half of one from an F-16. I also cut out a section ahead of the cockpit to shorten the nose and reshaped the intakes.  The canards are the fins from the kit's K8 Anab missiles.   I filled the wheel wells under the wings and fitted a Jaguar main undercart with Tornado wheels and a Mirage III nosewheel. 

I know the backstory is a stretch with the CF-205 designation and the Gyron in particular but what the heck?













David

[NARSES2]

She's a beauty sir 

[Tophe]

Great!

[chrisonord]

That looks Bob on that does 
Chris

[The Rat]

  Jan Zurakowski and Spud Potocki would be proud!

[kitnut617]

Very good David, I like that ----   

[Scotaidh]

Very nice!

[kitbasher]

Very smart, it'd look just as good in Chinese markings.

There have been numerous PM Su-15 whifs on the forum, all of them not too different in outline but very different in character.  The kit must be ideal whif fodder.

I feel a purchase coming on!

[Dizzyfugu]

It's cheap and (very) simple, that's the kit's main selling point. 

Very nice build, the canard layout suits the Su-15 well and the whole thing looks like a serious Voodoo replacement from the Seventies or early Eighties. I am just not certain about the position of the main landing gear, since it went backwards together with the wings? 

Earmarked this concept, I feel inclined to create a sister ship some day.

[Cobra]

This is a Superb Build like the Story you came up with! the Design looks like it would be Seen in a Gerry Anderson series like Stingray,Thunderbirds,Captain scarlet,or Joe 90! Keep up the Superb Work Dan

[TomZ]

Very nice indeed!

TomZ

[Captain Canada]

Cool looking machine for sure ! Nice story too. Cheers !

[CammNut]

Sir Sydney would have shot whoever designed it, but I like the big fat arse. Well done!

[silverwindblade]

What a handsome looking aircraft! Well done

[comrade harps]

This is a Superb Build like the Story you came up with! the Design looks like it would be Seen in a Gerry Anderson series like Stingray,Thunderbirds,Captain scarlet,or Joe 90! Keep up the Superb Work Dan

Especially with that top view. A tad Angel Interceptor.

A beautiful nip-tuck Flagon.