Lockheed CT-133 Silver Star Shooting Star T-33 T-33A CT-33

Source: Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

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 Canadair CT-133 was the result of a 1951 contract to build T-33 Shooting Star trainers for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The powerplant is 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 CT-133 is very distinctive due to the large fuel tanks usually carried on each wingtip. A total of 656 CT-133 aircraft were built by Canadair.

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. Wikipedia

Wikipedia Canadair CT-133 Silver Star

Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Silver Star 3PT 21266

434 Sqn- Squadron In Excelsis Vincimus ("Bluenose")

History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Halifax V, III, Lancaster I, III)

The unit was first formed at RAF Tholthorpe, Yorkshire, UK on 13 June 1943, flying the Handley Page Halifax Mk V aircraft. It was the 31st squadron and the 13th Bomber unit formed overseas. From its initiation it was part of the No 6 (RCAF) Group of RAF Bomber Command. On 13 August 1943 it flew its first operational sortie, a bombing raid across the Alps to Milan, Italy. In May 1944 the unit received Halifax Mk IIIs to replace its Mk Vs. The squadron was adopted by the Rotary Club of Halifax, Nova Scotia and to show its connection to the city adopted the nickname "Bluenose Squadron", the common nickname for people from Nova Scotia and a tribute to the schooner Bluenose; an image of the schooner appears on the squadron badge.

The squadron moved to RAF Croft, Yorkshire in December 1943 and re-equipped with Avro Lancaster Mk Is and Mk Xs in December 1944. After VE Day the squadron was earmarked for the Tiger Force to carry on the war against Japan, but was never deployed to the Far East because of the Japanese surrender. The unit was disbanded at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on 5 September 1945.

During World War II the unit flew 198 missions, including 179 bombing, 17 mine laying, one diversionary and one sea search. This was made up of a total of 2582 individual aircraft sorties, including 45 prisoner of war airlift sorties. It flew 14,622 operational flying hours and dropped 10,358 tons of bombs plus 225 mines. The squadron accounted for seven enemy aircraft destroyed along with two probable and four damaged. 434 Squadron suffered 75 aircraft lost, 484 aircrew operational casualties, including 34 killed, 313 presumed dead, 121 made prisoners and 16 who evaded capture and escaped. Unit personnel received six bars to the Distinguished Flying Cross, 108 DFCs, six Distinguished Flying Medals, one British Empire Medal and seven Mentions in Despatches. Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943-44, Baltic 1943-44, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1944, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1944-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine.Wikipedia, Kostenuk &Griffin .

Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)

Maps for Movements of 434 Squadron 1943-45

MAP 1: 434 Squadron Bases 1943-45 (marked in green). Right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab

434 Squadron History Summary 1943-45

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Sabre 2, 5, 6, Starfighter, Freedom Fighter, Challenger)

The squadron was re-formed as a fighter unit at Uplands, Ontario on 1 July 1952, flying Canadiar Sabre aircraft. It joined No.3 (Fighter) Wing at Zweibrücken, Germany in March 1953. It was selected to be one of the eight squadrons to be equipped with the CF-104 Starfighter in a Strike Attack role. Accordingly, it was deactivated on 15 January 1963 and reactivated on 8 April. The squadron was deactivated on 1 Mar 1967.

The unit was re-formed as 434 Operational Training Squadron at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta on 15 February 1968 as the operational training unit for the Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter. The squadron later gave up its OTU duties to 419 Squadron and became an operational squadron, moving to CFB Bagotville on 15 July 1982, later moving to CFB Chatham in July 1985. It was again disbanded on 17 March 1989. The unit was again re-formed as 434 Composite Squadron at CFB Shearwater on 4 July 1992. The name was changed to 434 Combat Support Squadron and the unit moved to CFB Greenwood in mid-1995, flying the CC-144 Challenger and Canadair CT-133 Silver Star in the electronic warfare role. The squadron was once again disbanded there in May 2000.

The squadron was reactivated in May 2018 at CFB Trenton as a test and evaluation unit. For details see

RCAF Government website