Canadair T-33
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| CT-133 Silver Star | |
|---|---|
 |
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| CT-33 Silver Star Mk.3 | |
| Type | Military trainer aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Canadair |
| Designed by | Lockheed Corporation |
| Retired | 1976 |
| Primary user | Royal Canadian Air Force/ Canadian Forces |
| Number built | 656 |
| Developed from | T-33 Shooting Star |
| Variants | T2V SeaStar |
The Canadair T-33 is the result of a 1951 contract to build T-33 Shooting Star Trainers for the RCAF. The power plant would be a Rolls-Royce Nene 10 turbo jet instead of the Allison J33 used by Lockheed in the production of the original T-33. A project number of CL-30 was given by Canadair and the name was changed to the Silver Star. The appearance of the T-33 was very distinctive due to large centrally-mounted fuel tanks on each wing-tip. A total of 656 T-33 aircraft were built by Canadair.
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[edit] Operational history
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 mount of the RCAF's "Red Knight." Although the aircraft stopped being using 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.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (T-33)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: 1-2
- Length: 37 ft 8 in (11.48 m)
- Wingspan: 42 ft 5 in (12.93 m)
- Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.55 m)
- Wing area: ()
- Empty weight: 8,440 lb (3,830 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 16,800 lb (7,630 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Nene 10 turbojet, 5,000 lbf (22 kN)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 570 mph (500 knots, 920 km/h)
- Service ceiling: 47,000 ft (14,000 m)
For an explanation of the units and abbreviations in this list, please see Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/Units key.
[edit] References
- 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.
[edit] Related content
Related development
Designation sequence
Related lists
- List of military aircraft of Canada
- List of military trainer aircraft
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