Another Arsenal scenario: this time with Canadian-produced airframes intended for the Armée de l'air ...
Two freighters carrying semi-completed VG.33 C1 fighters left from Montreal in early June 1940 bound for Cherbourg. On 15 June, the MV Erik Boye was sunk in the North Atlantic by a U-boat's torpedo. The SS Port Williams escaped attack and, on 17 June 1940, was diverted first toward Southampton, then on to Bristol.
Offloaded at Bristol, the VG.33 airframes were directed to the plant of Parnall Aircraft Ltd. Pressed to make use of these exotic but engineless airframes, Parnall's concluded that the Arsenals could be quickly made airworthy as fighter-trainers. The search for suitable engines revealed a nearby store of well-worn RAF Hawker Fury biplanes. These aged aircraft could be safely stripped of their Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines and a worthwhile fighter-trainer created.
A prototype conversion dubbed the AAC (Arsenal Aircraft of Canada) Arrow made its first test hop on 23 July 1940. This aircraft adapted the Hawker cowling and engine bearers to the VG.33 airframe and retained the twin cowl Vickers guns of the Fury. While a quick fix, this solution was not acceptable to the RAF. Wing guns were considered essential to make an adequate armaments trainer and interest was growing in the potential use of the Arrow as a 'panic fighter' should that become necessary.
The 'production' AAC Arrow Mk.IA trainers had cowlings adapted from the Master Mk.I trainer and six wing guns. The RAF would have preferrred .303" Browning guns but these were in short supply. Instead, the Arrow Mk.IA were fitted with ex-US .30" Marlin machine guns. These surplus guns were throught adequate for training but the elderly Marlins were prone to stoppages so it is as well that Arrow never had to perform in the 'panic fighter' role.
After the Battle of Britain, AAC and Parnall's approached the RAF with a proposal for a more capable Arrow T.Mk.II fighter-trainer. This was to have a gun armament of eight Brownings and be powered by either a refurbished Rolls-Royce Merlin or a new RR Peregrine V-12. But, by this time, the RAF had war-weary frontline fighters to choose from for training and the Arrow T.Mk.II concept was declined.