Canadair CT-33 'Silver Star'
HISTORY
- The most widely used jet trainer in the world is the Lockheed T-33 Silver Star. Essentially a two-seat version of the USAF F-80, America's first operation jet fighter, the T-33 continues in use today.
- After introduction of the P-80 Shooting Star, Lockheed undertook a private venture to develop the T-33 trainer. By extending the fuselage and canopy by three feet, an extra pilot could be accommodated. The result was a world-class jet trainer of which 5,781 would be built over its first decade of production. A generation of flying cadets became pilots in the front seat of the T-33.
- The U. S. Navy also needed a Jet trainer but the low speed handling of the T-33 was judged unsuitable for carrier landings. Lockheed again went to work, creating the T2V-1 Sea Star which included leading and trailing edge flaps to solve the low speed requirements. By 1958 the Navy had received the first of 700 T2V-1s.
- The operational life of America's T-33 finally came to its end in 1987 when the last T-33 was retired from the Air National Guard. However, it lives on in several Latin American countries which still operate the aircraft more than a half century since it was initially deployed.
DISTINCTION
- Planes of Fame Air Museum's Canadair CT-33 "Silver Star" is used as the pace airplane for the Unlimited Air Races every year at Reno, Nevada.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Status: Flyable |
| Manufacturer: Canadair |
| Year: 1952 |
| Model: CT-33A Silver Star |
| Registration Number: NX377JP |
| Serial Number: 580-8495 |
| Crew: 2 |
| Max T/O Weight: 15,100 lb. |
| Span: 37 ft. 6 in. |
| Length: 37 ft. 8 in. |
| Height: 11 ft. 7 in. |
| Maximum Speed: 525 mph |
| Cruise Speed: 455 mph |
| Rate of Climb: 4,870 ft/min |
| Power Plant: 1-Allison J33-A-35 turbojet with 5,400 lbs. of thrust |
| Range: 1,000 miles |
| Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft. |
| Armament: none |
BECOME A MEMBER
