CT-133 Silver Star | |
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![]() CT-133 Silver Star | |
General information | |
Type | Military trainer aircraft |
National origin | Canada |
Manufacturer | Canadair / Lockheed |
Primary users | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Number built | 656 |
History | |
First flight | December 1952 |
Retired | 2005 (Canadian Forces) [1] |
Developed from | Lockheed T-33 |
The Canadair CT-133 Silver Star (company model number CL-30) is the Canadian license-built version of the Lockheed T-33 jet trainer aircraft, in service from the 1950s to 2005. The Canadian version was powered by the Rolls-Royce Nene 10 turbojet, instead of the original Allison J33.
The Canadair CT-133 was the result of a 1951 contract to build T-33 Shooting Star trainers for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) with a Rolls-Royce Nene 10 turbojet. A project designation of CL-30 was given by Canadair and the name was changed to Silver Star. The CT-133's appearance is distinctive due to the large fuel tanks usually carried on the wingtips. Canadair built 656 CT-133 aircraft. [2]
The CT-133 entered service in the RCAF as its training aircraft for fighters. The designation of the Silver Star in the Canadian Forces was CT-133.
The CT-133's service career in the RCAF (and later the Canadian Forces) was extremely long. One of the more unusual roles it played was as an aerobatic demonstration aircraft, the RCAF's Red Knight. Although the aircraft stopped being used as a trainer in 1976, there were still over 50 aircraft in Canadian Forces inventory in 1995. The newest of these was then 37 years old and had exceeded its expected life by a factor of 2.5. During this period, the Canadair T-33 was employed in communication, target towing, and enemy simulation.
The final Silver Star Mk. 3 was retired from the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, where it was used as an ejection seat testbed for 46 years, [3] when it was sold as surplus on the civil market, with fifteen other CT-133s to join fifty others on the US Civil Register.[ citation needed ]
The following locations have CT-133 Silver Stars on display or in flyable condition:
Saskatchewan
Data from[ citation needed ]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Related lists
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