Sun, Apr 30, 2023
Canadair-Made F-80 Shooting Star Trainer Derivative Imported to Star in Queensland Air Show
Courtesy Aircraft did the needful in helping the transfer of a former Canadian Air Force T-33 to Australia, just in time to show up for the Australian Pacific Airshow.
The shipment won’t be hassle-free by any means - since when have warbirds ever been so easy to work with? - but the Courtesy Aircraft crew has already begun breaking the plane down into some of its constituent elements for shipment from their Rockford, Illinois home base. The Air Show will need its new performer in time for its presentation in late August, with additional dates to follow as demand allows. The Gold Coast airshow will be a 3-day weekend event, “featuring heart-pumping aerobatic demonstrations by the world’s finest aviators, VIP meet and greet events, social parties, and more”.
The T-33 was based on the American F-80 Shooting Star, sporting some extensions and rearrangements to fit a second, tandem seat for use as a trainer aircraft. It became popular as the first jet trainer among a number of militaries, being sold and produced under license in Japan and Canada. Kawasaki made 210 of the trainers, while Canadair built theirs as the CL-30 Silver Star using a home-built Rolls-Royce Nene 10 in place of the original US-spec Allison turbojet. Overall, the general design was built in the thousands, dwarfing the number of its Shooting Star forebear produced 4 times over. As the T-33 fleet ages, operators have moved towards newer, cheaper models, allowing these vintage warbirds to make their way into civilian hands. The CT-133, as the Canadairs became designated, have continued to serve as a target tug and general utility aircraft in service, with about 50 lucky civilians enjoying a T-33 of their own.
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