Diefenbaker cancels Arrow program after discovering aircraft lacks cupholder - The Beaverton

Diefenbaker cancels Arrow program after discovering aircraft lacks cupholder

An excerpt from The Beaverton Presents Glorious and/or Free: The True History of Canada. Available where books are sold.

February 20th, 1959

WINNIPEG – Prime Minister has ordered production of Canada’s most advanced interceptor to cease after noticing the aircraft lacked cup holder capability.

“Where the hell is it?’ crassly asked the Prime Minister looking to place his ‘Dief-the-Chief’ coffee mug somewhere in the cockpit. “How can you go twice the speed of sound without having anywhere to place your hot or cold cold beverage? My Bel Air has a free standing cylindrical holder; why doesn’t the Arrow have one?”

The Prime Minister also complained about the noise from the two Pratt & Whitney turbojets saying it could “wake up the dead” and that the aircraft traveled much too fast for his liking.

“Sure it may look nice, but we would be embarrassed in front of the Soviets or Americans if we produced such a complicated flying machine,” added a dumbfounded Diefenbaker.

At press time, departing aeronautical scientists were apologizing for not reaching the standard of Canadian technological mediocrity.

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