Likely the most famous of Avro Canada's aircraft, the CF-105 Arrow had the shortest life of the four aircraft designed by Avro Canada.

In the autumn of 1952 the RCAF decided that, in view of the apparent increase in the threat, some consideration should be given to the ultimate replacement of the CF-100 (even before the CF-100 had entered squadron service). An evaluation team of senior RCAF officers went to all western alliance countries to ascertain the availablity of a suitable aircraft to fill the need, none of the foreign designes even being developed met Canada's needs.
The Air Staff issued a specification, Air 7-3, for the project in May 1953. This was followed in July 1953, by a ministerial directive from the Department of Defence Production to Avro authorizing the company to carry out a design study for an aircraft to meet this requirement.
Two years earlier Avro's Chief Technician, Jim Chamberlin and Edgar Atkin, Chief Engineer had been investigating a number of congigurations for a CF-100 replacement and the RCAF had show some interest in a delta-wing design. Atkin had since left to join an American firrm and Jim Floyd was appointed Chief Engineer Between these two men came the proposal for the CF-105.

Not unlike the early problems with the Canuck, the Rolls-Royce RB.106 which had been planned for the CF-105 came into question due to problems at Rolls-Royce, Avro quickly switched to the Curtiss-Wright J67, only to have the US government pull out support on that engine. The only suitable engine left was the Pratt and Whitney J75 which meant that the fuselage had to be completely redisigned. In view of the frequency with which foreign engines had been cancelled, a decision was made to fit the sixth and subsequent aircraft, to be designated Mark II, with a new technology engine being developed by Orenda.
Due to the urgency of the program, Avro completed skipped the step of building a "prototype" aircraft and went right into building production.