Canadair T-33

Infobox Aircraft
name=CT-133 Silver Star


caption=CT-33 Silver Star Mk.3
type=Military trainer aircraft
manufacturer=Canadair
designer=Lockheed Corporation
first flight=
introduced=
retired=2006
status=
primary user=Royal Canadian Air Force/ Canadian Forces
more users=
produced=
number built=656
unit cost=
developed from = T-33 Shooting Star
variants with their own articles = T2V SeaStar

The Canadair T-33 (CT-133 Silver Star) was the Canadian license-built version of the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star jet trainer aircraft, in service from the 1950s to the 1990s. It was powered by the Rolls Royce Nene 10 turbojet, whereas the Lockheed production used the Allison J33.

Design and development

The Canadair T-33 is the result of a 1951 contract to build T-33 Shooting Star Trainers for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The powerplant would be a Rolls-Royce Nene 10 turbojet instead of the Allison J33 used by Lockheed in the production of the original T-33. A project designation of CL-30 was given by Canadair and the name was changed to "Silver Star". The appearance of the T-33 is very distinctive due to the large fuel tanks usually carried on each wingtip.

A total of 656 T-33 aircraft were built by Canadair. [ [http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/p80.html Lockheed P-80/F-80] ]

Operational history

[
Royal Canadian Navy over Halifax in 1957.] The T-33 entered service in the RCAF as its primary training aircraft for fighter/interceptors. Its name is an interesting take of the USAF designation "Shooting Star." The RCAF named it the "Silver Star," in honour of Canada's (and the British Empire's) first flight of a heavier-than-air craft, the AEA "Silver Dart".The designation of the Silver Star in the Canadian Forces was CT-133.

The T-33 was reliable and had forgiving flight properties. Its service life 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 youngest of these airframes was then 37 years old and had exceeded its expected life by a factor of 2½. During this period, the Canadair T-33 was employed in communication, target towing and enemy simulation.

The final Canadair Silver Star Mk. 3 was retired from the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada where it was used as an ejection seat testbed after 46 years of service. See also: "Canada's Fab Four", Air Forces Monthly. CT-133 number 133648 was delivered to Mountain View CFD on 26 April, 2005. Having been built in March 1959 as [T-33] 21648, and had 11,394.6 flight hours at the time of retirement on an airframe rated for 13,500 flight hours. It has been sold on the civil market, along with fifteen other CT-133s. These aircraft will join the fifty others on the U. S. Civil Register and continue to fly as a part of the living legacy of the early jet age.

An interesting part of the Canadian T-33 legacy saw Lynn Garrison buy 21001, the first T-33 acquired by the RCAF, upon its retirement in 1965. It is now on permanent display in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2007 his son Anthony Garrison, purchased the last operational CAF T-33, used as an ejection seat test bed. He converted this back to the original two seat configuration.

See also: "Silver Star Stand Down", Air Classics.

Variants

* T-33A Silver Star Mk 1 : Two-seat jet training aircraft for the RCAF. Built by Lockheed in the USA, 30 on loan to the RCAF.
* T-33ANX Silver Star Mk 2 : The first Canadian prototype. One built.
* 'Silver Star Mk 3 : Two-seat jet training aircraft for the RCAF.
** Silver Star Mk 3PT : Unarmed version.
** Silver Star Mk 3AT : Armed version.
** Silver Star Mk 3PR : Photo-reconnaissance version.
* CE-133 : Upgraded electronic warfare training aircraft.
* CX-133 : Ejection seat testbed.
* ET-133 : Aerial threat simulator aircraft.
* TE-133 : Anti-ship threat simulator aircraft.

Operators

;BOL;flag|Canada|1957
*Royal Canadian Air Force
*Royal Canadian Navy
*Canadian Forces;FRA;flag|Greece|old;POR;TUR

pecifications (T-33)

aircraft specifications/switch

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet

crew=1-2
span main=12.93 m
span alt=42 ft 5 in
length main=11.48 m
length alt=37 ft 8 in
height main=3.55 m
height alt=11 ft 8 in
area main=
area alt=
empty weight main=3,830 kg
empty weight alt=8,440 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=7,630 kg
max takeoff weight alt=16,800 lb

engine (jet)=Rolls-Royce Nene 10
type of jet=turbojet
number of jets=1
thrust main=22 kN
thrust alt=5,000 lbf

max speed main=500 knots, 920 km/h
max speed alt=570 mph
ceiling main=14,000 m
ceiling alt=47,000 ft
range main=
range alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=

References

;Notes;Bibliography
* "Canada's Fab Four". "Air Forces Monthly". Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK: Key Publishing Limited, August, 2003. ISSN 0955 7091.
* "Flight Comment: The Canadian Forces Flight Safety Magazine". Ottawa: Publishing and Depository Services, Summer 2005. ISSN 0015-3702, .
* Francillon, René. "Lockheed Aircraft Since 1913". London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30329-6.
* Pickler, Ron and Milberry, Larry. "Canadair: The First 50 Years". Toronto: Canav Books, 1995. ISBN 0-921022-07-7.
* "Silver Star Stand Down". "Air Classics" April 2006, Canoga Park, California: Challenge Publications. ISSN 0002-2241.

ee also

aircontent

related=
* P-80 Shooting Star
* T-33 Shooting Star
* T2V SeaStar

similar aircraft=

sequence=
* CL-28 - CL-30 - CL-41 - CL-44 - CL-66

see also=

lists=
* List of military aircraft of Canada
* List of military trainer aircraft