Canadian Warplanes 6: Canadair CT-133A Silver Star - The Red Knight

Canadair CT-133A Silver Star - The Red Knight

(RCAF Photo)

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Mk. 3, RCAF (Serial No. 21630), Red Knight.

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The CT-133 entered service in the RCAF as its primary training aircraft for fighter/interceptors. The designation of the Silver Star in the Canadian Forces was CT-133.The CT-133's 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 2.5. During this period, the Canadair T-33 was employed in communication, target towing, and enemy simulation.

(DND Photo via Mike Kaehler)

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Mk. 3, RCAF (Serial No. 21057), Red Knight, coded RK, over Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This aircraft crashed on 21 Aug 1963 killing the pilot F/L James Wilfrid Morin while performing a Cuban 8 maneuver at Gimli.

(DND Photo via Mike Kaehler)

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Mk. 3, RCAF (Serial No. 2630), Red Knight.  

(DND Photo)

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Mk. 3, RCAF (Serial No. 21057), Red Knight.  This aircraft crashed on 21 Aug 1963 killing the pilot F/L James Wilfrid Morin while performing a Cuban 8 maneuver at Gimli.

(DND Photo via Francois Dutil)

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Mk. 3, RCAF (Serial No. 21057), Red Knight, smoking.

(DND Photo via Serge L'Hostie)

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Mk. 3, RCAF (Serial No. 21603), Red Knight.

(RCAF Photo via Fred Paradie)

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Mk. 3, RCAF (Serial No. 21620), Red Knight, lost 21 May 1968.  Note the small maple leaf in the roundel and the Canadian flag.  A solo, aerobatics performer of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Training Command from 1958 through 1969, the role of the Red Knight was actually shared by seventeen different pilots over a period of twelve seasons.  Although originally authorized to perform only three shows, the Red Knight went on to make over six hundred appearances, all over North America.  The Red Knight was commonly sent to venues considered too small for the aerobatics teams of the day.  The unique feature of the Red Knight displays was that all the manoeuvres were performed within the boundaries of the airfield -- keeping the action in view of the spectators throughout the entire show.

(DND Photo via James Craik)

Canadair CT-133A Silver Stars, possibly c1959-60, when the Red Knight was based at RCAF Station Saskatoon along with the Central Flying School and 1 AFS.

(DND Photo via James Craik)

Canadair CT-133A Silver Stars, possibly c1959-60, when the Red Knight was based at RCAF Station Saskatoon along with the Central Flying School and 1 AFS.

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