Along Came Sputnik
The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was rolled out in October 1957. The plane bore the mark RL-201. It was to be a grand occasion, marking a turnaround in Canadian defenses. 13,000 guests were invited to the prestigious occasion.
But the Soviet Union, not to be outdone, defeated the Arrow before it even got off the ground. They launched Sputnik, the world’s first artificial Earth satellite. This was far more exciting than a mere plane!