The T-33 Silver Star came about because of the necessity for a jet trainer to prepare pilots to fly the new jet aircraft, the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. Without a trainer, pilots were crashing, so Lockheed took a basic P-80 and expanded it into a two-seater trainer. With the new configuration, the fuselage fuel tank had to be made smaller, so wingtip fuel tanks were added, thus creating the distinctive look of the T-Bird. While the modifications actually resulted in the trainer performing better than the Shooting Star fighter aircraft, the T-33 remained a trainer.

Canada’s first 30 T-Birds were borrowed from the USAF in 1951, but that changed once Lockheed granted Canadair a license that same year to build Silver Stars in Canada. The RCAF promptly ordered hundreds of them, with the final total being for 656 aircraft. Instead of the Allison engines used on the American jets, Canada’s T-33s were powered by Rolls-Royce Nene 10 engines built by Orenda.

The RCAF used its Silver Stars for pilot and armament training and photo reconnaissance. They served across Canada as well as with Canada’s NATO forces in Germany, but when the last of Canada’s German bases closed, the T-Birds all returned to Canada.

The T-33s served with the RCAF and CAF for more than 50 years between 1953 and March 31, 2005, when the last one was retired. The Canadian-built T-Birds proved to be excellent trainers, and they were exported to Greece, Turkey, France, Portugal and even Bolivia. They are recognized today as the most successful jet trainers in history.

Silver Star tail number 133593, went into service in 1957. It served with No. 1 Flying Training School at CFB Gimli during the 1960s. It went onto serve with VU-32 at CFB Shearwater, 414 “Black Knight” Squadron at various Canadian bases, and 434 Squadron at CFB Greenwood. It also had Delmar Target Tow gear installed, to be used for target towing training. Silver Star 133593 was retired 2002, it was one of the last Silver Stars still in service.