Released in 1996, this $20 sterling silver coin is the fourth release in the RCM's second aviation series, Powered Flight in Canada: Beyond World War II. Celebrate Canada's aviation heroes and their groundbreaking achievements.

This piece honors the CF-105 Arrow and James A. Chamberlin. As chief of technical design for the CF-105 Avro Arrow, he pioneered many of the concepts that made the jet interceptor famous.

The Design

The reverse features the CF-105 Arrow along with a 24-karat gold plated cameo portrait of James A. Chamberlin. The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Dora de Pédery-Hunt.

The CF-105 Arrow 

Widely considered one of the finest achievements in Canadian aviation history, the delta-wing Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was tragically never allowed to fulfill its mission. Designed as a supersonic, all-weather interceptor to replace the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck, the Arrow became a profound source of national pride and a symbol of Canadian technological excellence. The Mk. 2 production model, powered by twin Avro Canada Iroquois turbojet engines, was engineered to reach Mach 2 while carrying a full military payload. Ultimately, the aircraft represented the absolute pinnacle of research and development in the nation's aeronautical history.